Timor-Leste: A true diamond in the rough

Beach football in the capital – Cristo Rei in the background

Timor-Leste has an energetic spring in it’s step. Perhaps all the centuries of oppressive colonisation and brutal occupations have forged this tiny nation into a true diamond in the rough. After all, diamonds are created from intense pressure and heat over a period of time eventually forcing the valuable mineral to surface unveiling its raw beauty to the world. But that may be where this nation is at the moment – at a stage of rawness, far from being meticulously polished.

It’s a new era – particularly in the “engine room” that is Dili. Opportunity is what has emerged: bustling seaside markets, flamboyant mikrolets and Gloria Jeans coffee is just the start. The euphoric cheers of independence seem like a lifetime ago and guerilla fighters of yesteryear are replaced with computer programmers, government officials and ambitious university students. Growing pains will always surface though, and it’s obvious to the naked eye. Timor-Leste is an adventure playground for the curious traveller and is a safe destination to explore the diverse terrain and cultures. With the right attitude, you’ll be greeted by infectious smiles, unique cuisines, jaw-dropping scenery and a relaxed vibe.

Street food in Kampung Baru – Dili

People:

A curious shyness you’ll mostly see. Confident youths can’t resist testing out some English with you. Genuine and authentic smiles are a specialty here and you’ll learn to pass them on where possible. I was interested in the “everyday people” that toiled away day in, day out for their families needs. 13 years ago I was deployed in a peace keeping operation to regions surrounding Liquica and we were greeted with so much warmth by the locals – particularly in the rural villages. My question was whether or not this outward affection was only due to the fact that we were uniformed soldiers assisting them in their quest for sustained autonomy and stabilisation. It wasn’t long after my arrival this time around that this assumption was false. Curious stares from across the street can turn into delightful and welcoming grins – the backstreets hold scenes of children playing in muddy puddles, while a rooster pecks at rogue weeds coming through concrete cracks. An open field riddled with potholes, rubbish and sandpits rarely sits vacant as the twilight coolness fuels the kids to play a game of football – Dreams of soccer stardom for Portugal can be seen.

Pantai Wataboo beach

 

Infrastructure:

The roads through the capital are reasonable, but venturing anywhere else and you may experience anything from smooth bitumen to massive potholes, skinny lanes and wash-aways in precarious places. To get from the capital to another city or region requires some investigation and decision making. The options are one extreme to another: A bus to Baucau (120kms) costs only $4 USD. The only problem is you need to find where one is, and if you find it, chances are you may be overwhelmed by cigarette smoke or you may sit next to a someone holding hog-tied pig or a rooster. The alternative is to pay between $100 to $130 USD for a hire car or taxi to get you there. It seems there is no in-between.

Atauro island

Growing pains:

With a new autonomy comes pride and with pride one must be cautious of greed. These people have fought hard for sweet independence but it seems that genuine democracy without corruption is wishful thinking. You can’t deny the plethora of new Prado’s with government official plates are a brash indicator of unjust wealth distribution. Politicians now hold a crucial key to the future but in an almost arrogant flaunt of bravado, ministers reside in extravagant residences proudly displaying their important title. It’s the next speedhump for this nation – moving from charismatic ex-guerrilla fighters holding the reigns, towards leaders that have the smarts and the morals to push through for the people and the nations progress.

Cristo Rei beach at sunset

Tourism potential:

We all say “what potential this place has” – untouched beaches, lush mountainous interiors with vibrant, raw cultures unspoilt by tourism. But the barriers are many for today’s average holiday-maker. On the surface it’s what we all search for, but on the ground the difficulties arise. The USD currency seems to work here, but for an outsider the budget can blow out extraordinarily. Years of NGO activity has kept accommodation and car rental prices sky-high. Getting around the country requires a good 4WD with a dash of courage and willpower if you go without a local driver. There is nothing that resembles an information centre so with most ideas, asking the people on the street is a start. The concept of customer service and hospitality is as new as the birth of the nation. You may order some drinks and a meal only to experience a long delay with your dish and never get your drink. More seasoned restaurants are appearing though, especially in the capital. Some establishments occupy stunning beach waterfront and understand a travellers needs. Tourism is almost non-existent here but this results in a genuine experience unclouded  purpose-built tourist built resorts and shops. There are no touts or dishonest spruikers preying on naive visitors. It simply doesn’t warrant the effort. You will more likely see a keen taxi driver trying to flag your attention while a nearby stall holder shaded by palm fronds meticulously arranges carefully stacked mandarins and bright coloured hands of bananas. It’s mostly a simple existence for the people of Timor-Leste in comparison to our multi-faceted, sometimes overindulgent lives back home.

Our beach bungalow – Baucau beach

Marketplace – Beloi

Mount Barney – South ridge ascent

Saturday 19th September 2015 – 0720am

As the four of us entered Mount Barney National Park, the wide open landscapes from Yellowpinch began tunnelling to single file tracks and increasing inclines as the gently flowing creek crossing acted as a natural entrance to an iconic hike up the towering twin peaks of Mount Barney. Light breezes floated drizzle onto our heads as we meandered up the South ridge to the first rock slab section. The flat, inclining rock has a decent vein through the middle for grip, but the angled, awkward pitch makes your foot placement important, especially in wet conditions, as one slip could lead to a painful exit off a cliff-side. Two hikers in front of us decided to turn back to the carpark as a result.

First rock slab with an awkward pitch

After we climbed the the slab, there were some fun boulders to get over requiring a quick route assessment and a bit of strength and traction. The gradient increased, but these large rock obstacles and natural shutes kept you constantly engaged in the ‘now’ which eliminated any realisation of the elevation we were gaining. Soon enough we were like kids again – leaping, pulling up and leveraging our bodyweight through what seemed like a thousand moments rolled into one incredible adventure. The drizzle had passed but as we rounded the bend to the saddle, we were right amongst the clouds. The wind funneled a flow of mist through and over ‘Rum Jungle’ but sunshine began making fleeting appearances. After a light lunch on the saddle, we agreed to tackle the East Peak. From here it was ‘choose your own adventure’ as there is no distinguishable path initially. A rock hopping playground emerged and although we should have been fatigued, we never noticed due to clouds lifting, blue skies unravelling and the jaw-dropping arena of peaks that emerged in full view. This had clarified to us why this mountain is always on the list for serious hikers.

After a couple of false summits and some scrambling to the top, we had reached the East summit which may only be the top of South East Queensland, but it felt like we’d conquered more.

As we began our cautious descent, just 200m from the summit a middle aged female layed under the shade of a small shrub with what looked like a badly fractured ankle. The group she was in  had called emergency services but allowed me to clean out some lacerations, remove her shoe and bandage her injury for structural support. Our friend John provided her with some paracetamol but the facial expression of the woman said it all. Her expression almost painted a realisation that the only way out of this exposed peak was by helicopter winching and that this mountain needs to be well respected and never underestimated.

Treating a fractured ankle on the summit prior to helicopter retrieval

Jai being tested by a vertical rock shute

The descent was straightforward apart from a slight accidental deviation from the South ridge which incidentally avoided a couple of the slippery obstacles. As we enjoyed putting our feet up back in civilisation, images on the 6 o’clock news of the woman being winched off the mountain brought a sobering sense of achievement on all of us. I look forward to tackling this one again one day. An unforgettable hike with great company.