THE INDONESIAN SIDE OF THE INDO/ TIMOR-LESTE BORDER IS SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE SHOW – OFFICES EVERYWHERE – AN OLD BORDERPOST AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT UNIFORMS. I HAD TO PARK MY CAR AROUND THE CORNER IN THE DIRT. WENT TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE TO GET MY VISA STAMPED BY THE “FRIENDLY’ IMMIGRATION OFFICER AND THEN HEADED OVER TO THE CUSTOMS OFFICE TO SORT OUT THE VEHICLE SITUATION. THOSE GUYS HAVE BEEN FUNNY AS FU*K AND WE HAD A BRILLIANT TIME TOGETHER. FELT GOOD TO BE WELCOMED LIKE THAT IN A NEW COUNTRY.

 

I HEADED BACK TO THE CARPARK IN THE DIRT BEHIND THE OLD BORDERPOST. ACCOMPANIED BY A SHORT ‘BOARDER SECURITY’ OFFICER WHO WAS ALL FRIENDLY WITH ME – HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THE GOPRO – RIGHT AFTER THE REQUESTED PICTURE TAKEN –  IN THE SHADOW OF THE CAR – HE PUT ON  SLEEZY SMILE AND DEMANDED ME TO GIVE HIM THE GOPRO. I RESPONDED WITH A SIMPLE ‘NO’ AND ALSO ADDED A SLEEZY SMILE TO MY FACE. END OF THE CONVERSATION!

 

THE QUALITY OF ROADS INCREASED AS SOON AS I CROSSED THE BORDER TO INDO. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING WITHOUT A SINGLE POTHOLE IN THE ROAD

 

I KNEW THERE WAS FERRY LEAVING THE NEXT DAY FROM KUPANG  – WHICH IS THE ONLY CITY WITH A PORT IN WESTTIMOR. IT WAS ABOUT 300 KM. IT TOOK ME AGES! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO STRAIGHT THAT IS LONGER THAN 500 METERS. CORNERS OVER CORNERS AND SLOW, OVERLAODED TRUCKS CREEPING AROUD WHEREVER YOU GO. IT TOOK ME EASILY 10 HOURS AND IMPROVED MY VEHICLE DRIVING PERFORMANCE AT NIGTH. A TREEBRANCH AND A ROCK ON THE ROAD MEANS THERE IS A BROKEN DOWN TRUCK AHEAD. LITERALLY AHEAD -WE ARE TALKING 20 METERS WITH PEOPLE SITTING ON THE ROAD IN THE DARK TRYING TO FIX IT – NO LIGHT – COLLISON GUARANTEED – AND SCOOTERS ON THE ROAD EVERYWHERE – AGAIN NO LIGHTS. SO CAUTION WAS NECESSARY AT ALL TIMES.

 

THE NEXT MORNING – I GOT UP REASONABLE EARLY FOR THE FACT OF DRIVING ALL NIGHT AND MADE MY WAY TO THE PORT – 20KM AWAY FROM TOWN – TO SORT OUT THE SAILING TO FLORES ISLAND. I HEADED TO ALBERTO’S OFFICE – A FRIENDLY PORTUGUESE FELLA IN HIS EARLY 50’S – AROUND 1.600.000 RUPIAH FOR THE 12 HOUR CROSSING – UNFORTUANTELY I DID’T BRING ENOUGH FUNDS AS I STILL HAD LOTS OF TIME – NO BIG DEAL THERE IS AN ATM’S NEARBY – THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. I TRIED ABOUT 20 ATM’S ALL THE WAY FROM THE PORT BACK TO THE CITY – BUT NONE OF THEM WOULD SPIT OUT ANY SINGLE RUPIAH. I COULN’T BELIEVE IT. ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE CITY I WENT INTO A PROPER BANK AS I HAD SOME US DOLLARS THAT I COULD POSSIBLY CHANGE – 200 PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING. I REMEMBERED AN ATM OF A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAT I HAVEN’T TRIED YET BUT WHEN I DROVE PAST IT JUST GOT REFILLED BY ARMOURED SECURITY. I THOUGHT I AM PART OF THE ‘TRUMAN SHOW’ – I HEADED BACK TO CHECK OUT THAT ATM AGAIN. THE GUYS HAD LEFT TO REFILL THAT ATM AND I FINALLY GOT SOME CASH. I RACED DOWN TO THE PORT TO SEE ALBERTO AGAIN BUT ALL I SAW WAS THE FERRY SLOWLY FLOATING AWAY – FU*K MY LIFE – I SAW MYSELF ON THAT FERRY..

 

SO I HAD SOME TIME TO CATCH UP WITH PAPERWORK – VIDEO EDITING – EXERCISING – EATING – AND EXPLORING KUPANG

 

AND ALSO LOTS OF TIME TO MEET THE LOCALS

 

 

4 DAYS WERE GONE LIKE NOTHING AND ME AND MY NEW ESTONIAN MATE ‘MART’ WENT DOWN TO THE LOCAL MARKETS EVERY NIGHT TO TRY ALL THEIR FOODS

 

 

I MET A CYCLIST ‘MARK’ IN THE BACKPACKERS WHO IS TRAVELLING THE WORLD BY PUSHBIKE – IMPRESSIVE – WE CHUCKED HIS BIKE IN THE CRUISER AS HE NEEDED TO CATCH THE SAME FERRY AND WENT TO THE PORT TOGETHER – WE LEFT THE BIKE IN THE BOOT SO IT’S ALL SAFE ON THE FERRY..