TIMOR-LESTE

IT WAS AN EARLY FLIGHT FROM DARWIN INTO TIMOR-LESTE. THE FIRST NEW SOVEREIGN STATE OF THE 21 CENTURY

ONLY 1 HOUR FROM DARWIN – FLYING INTO DILI, TIMOR’S CAPITOL

6 AM – THE CITY WAS DEFINITELY MORE AWAKE THAN THE AIRPORT

I DROPPED MY STUFF OF AT MY ACCOMMODATION AND WENT TO THE HARBOUR

FIRST VISIT AT THE HARBOUR – TRYING TO FIND A CUSTOM BROKER

I WAS AFTER A CUSTOM BROKER TO ARRANGE THE PAPERWORK – THIS IS LEGALLY REQUIRED. TRYING TO FIND ONE IS A LITTLE IMPOSSIBLE – AT LEAST I HAVE SEEN EVERY LITTLE HARBOUR OFFICE FROM THE INSIDE AND SAID MERRY CHRISTMAS TO HALF OF THE PORT EMPLOYEES, THE OTHER HALF WAS SNOOZING AROUND IN THE SHADE

EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT THAT I DO NOT REQUIRE A CUSTOM BROKER TO PROCESS MY APPLICATION AS THIS IS A TEMPORARY IMPORT AND NO CUSTOM BROKER NEEDED. I GUESS THIS MATTER IS JUST UNUSUAL.

THE VESSEL WAS STILL OUT ON THE OCEAN WAITING TO BE WAVED IN TO GET DISCHARGED. PREDICTED ‘TOMORROW AFTERNOON’

AS IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMAS I PREDICTED THAT MY LANDCRUISER IN IT’S BOX WILL NOT LIKELY YET BE DISCHARGED FROM THE VESSEL SO I ARRANGED AN OPEN WATER DIVE COURSE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT FILLS IN MY WAITING TIME

Screen Shot 2016-01-01 at 3.50.08 pm — FIRST DAY LEARNING IN CONFINED WATERS

IMG_0247 (1) — FRUIT AND VEGE FROM DILI’S LOCAL MARKET

THE NEXT DAY IN THE AFTERNOON – SAW THE VESSEL CREEPING INTO THE PORT – I GUESS HIS PREDICTION WAS NOT QUITE RIGHT

I SPOKE TO THE ‘ESTIBADOR’ WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE DISCHARGE AND BROUGHT HIM A BOTTLE OF PROOF 80 WILD TURKEY WHISKEY AND TOLD HIM I ESPECIALLY BROUGHT IT FROM AUSTRALIA. HE QUICKLY LOCKED IT AWAY TO NOT BE SEEN BY OTHER WORKERS. I GUESS HE DOESN’T LIKE SHARING MUCH. WE AGREED TO PUT THE CONTAINER TO THE SIDE SO I GOT QUICK ACCESS TO IT. NEW APPOINTMENT TOMORROW MORNING. I HAD A GOOD FEELING THIS TIME

IN THE MEANWHILE I KEPT MYSELF BUSY LEARNING HOW TO BE FISH

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 5.45.15 am — NEMO SELFIE

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.53.22 am — OKAY

NEXT MORNING 8 AM – I FOUND THE MATCHING CONTAINER CODE AND GOT MY CARNET STAMPED BY CUSTOMS. READY TO FREE THE CRUISER

THE PROBABLY BEST MOMENT OF THIS TRIP SO FAR. I HAVEN’T HAD MY BELOVED CRUISER FOR A FEW WEEKS. MY FIRST CARGO SHIPMENT – SUCCESSFUL. SO RELIEVING TO WELCOME THE TRUCK IN ASIA. LET THE REAL JOURNEY BEGIN

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.57.30 am — HERE SHE IS

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.52.48 am — LOCAL TRAFFIC

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.32.49 am — GETTING USED TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC – HUNK ‘N’ GO

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.59.56 am — LAUNDRY DAY

IMG_0312 (1) — MADE ME SAD TO SEE THAT CRUISER RUSTING AWAY

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 3.09.05 am — KIDS DOING A STREET DANCE PERFORMANCE – I FELT WELCOME

DAYTRIP TO CHRISTO DE REI DE DILI – THE WORLD’S SECOND BIGGEST JESUS STATUE WATCHING OVER THE BAY OF TIMORS CAPITOL – DILI

DAYTRIP TO ATAOURO ISLAND – BEAUTIFUL, REMOTE & STUNNING DIVE SITES

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.52.11 am — LEAVING DILI BEHIND IN THE EARLY HOURS

IT WAS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO DILI! I MET AN AWESOME BUNCH OF PEOPLE THERE AND IT WAS SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I NEEDED TO APPLY FOR AN INDONESIAN VISA AS I CROSSED A SPECIFIC LANDBORDER WHERE THERE IS NO FREE VISA ENTRY. TOUGH LUCK. THREE DAYS WAITING TIME AND 50USD LATER..THANKS TO TRACEY FOR FILLING ME IN

IMG_0327 (1) — DILI’S LIVING LEGEND TRACEY – GOODBYE SELFIE- THANKS TRACEY FOR BEING SO AWESOME – WE ALL LOVE YOU

THANKS TO TRACEY I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP MY INDO VISA A LITTLE BIT EARLIER SO I COULD MAKE IT OVER THE INDONESIAN BORDER THE SAME DAY 10AM INSTEAD OF 2PM…THEREFORE ENOUGH TIME FOR ..

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 3.00.13 am — A LAST DEADLIFT WITH MY SELFMADE-SCRAP-GYM-EQUIPMENT

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 3.04.58 am — A LAST COFFEE

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 3.03.09 am — AND A SONG PLAYED BY LINA

OFF I WENT TO INDONESIA ALONG TIMOR’S COASTLINE

Screen Shot 2016-01-25 at 11.26.22 am — DOWNTOWN DILI – A LITTLE CHAOTIC BUT EASY TO GET USED TO

TRAFFIC GOT SIGNIFICANT LESS AS SOON AS I LEFT DILI’S BOUNDRIES

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2.32.12 am — GOT DUSTY THOUGH

Screen Shot 2016-01-01 at 4.04.08 pm — LOCAL OVERLAND TRANSPORT

ROAD CONDITIONS CHANGE VERY ABRUPT WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM ‘WESTERN STANDARDS’…

TO NOT SO ‘WESTERN STANDRDS’…

THE COUNTRYSIDE IS JUST MESMERISING – SO PEASEFUL – NO TRAFFIC AND NOT MANY PEOPLE – JUST THE ODD PIG AND GOAT THAT CROSSES THE ROAD

IT IS ABOUT 115 KILOMETRES FROM DILI TO THE ONLY BORDERCROSSING TO INDONESIA MOTA’AIN/ ATAMBUA

I WAS QUICKER THAN THE THE REST OF THE TRAFFIC BUT IT STILL TOOK LONGER THAN 3 HOURS

NOT FAR FROM THE INDONESIAN BORDER, UP HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS – WATCHING OVER THE OCEAN – THE LIL’ FAMOUS TOWN OF BALIBO

WHERE ‘BALIBO 5’, A GROUP OF FIVE JOURNALIST GOT KILLED BY INDONESIAN SPECIAL FORCES IN 1975 – BEFORE THE INDONESIAN INVASION INTO – BACK THEN -‘POTUGESE TIMOR’

I DROVE DOWNHILL TO THE BORDER..

Screen Shot 2016-01-08 at 2_Fotor — MOTA’AIN BOARDER CHECKPOINT – TIMOR-LESTE SIDE

NOBODY CHECKED ON MY VEHICLE, I JUST GOT TO PARK IT OUT OF THE WAY. THE CUSTOMS OFFICER PUT HIS STAMPS RIGHT WHERE I TOLD HIM TO. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. TOO EASY! I BROUGHT SOME TIMOR LETOFOHO SPECIALITY COFFEE FROM THE DUTY FREE SHOP WITH MY LAST US DOLLARS AND OFF I WENT TO THE INDONESIAN CHECKPOINT LOCATED 500 METERS AWAY..

Like this: