Welcome to Dili and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

I’m writing this from a room in the Hotel Timor. It’s early, there’s been a lot of traffic noise during the evening and the local birds are chirping up a storm. I’ve had the air conditioning off and the windows open overnight so I can soak up the warm and humid air. I am in a very happy place in terms of physical comfort and enjoyment. My skin feels good.

 

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Time zone confusion

I arrived in Dili yesterday (Saturday) morning on the early Darwin to Dili flight after a late arrival into Darwin on Friday evening. On arriving in Darwin, I savoured that moment when the doors of the aeroplane open and the warm moist air hits you. I breathed out and smiled. My goodness, it’s good to be home. The flight didn’t arrive into Darwin until just before midnight central standard time which was well after midnight eastern daylight saving time. I had to be up at 4 am ACST for a 6.30 am (international) flight to Dili which is 30 minutes behind ACST and aligned with the time zone of Tokyo. Dear reader, are you confused yet? I know I’m getting confused with the time zone changes.

The welcome

On arriving at Dili airport, we had to seek a Visa for entry. Fortunately, I’m travelling on a work-related passport so no Visa was necessary. Immigration and customs were next and after a quick scan of my bags I was greeted by local people from the WHO office and Ministry of Health. I was given a lovely Tais cloth which was draped around my neck. The Tais cloth is woven and is a traditional fabric made by the Timorese.

The air

My first impression of Dili is the warm air rich in fragrances and aromas from the streets. Like many other southern Asian countries, the roads are replete with motor scooters and small cars. There are taxicabs everywhere along with multi-lift vans.

The feeling is tropical and the landscape is green. You can tell I’m enjoying the environment. My skin feels contiguous rather than cracked and sore.

Hotel Timor

Hotel Timor is a beautiful old hotel. The rooms are spacious and fitted with modern amenities like a TV. I probably won’t turn it on. When I travel now I rarely watch TV. The one challenge though is the hotel Wi-Fi, while it is free of charge, the speed for download and upload reminds me of dial-up many years ago. It is going to be difficult to work effectively.

Drapes

I’ve been fortunate to have the advice and counsel of a dear friend who I used to work within the Northern Territory of Australia. Drapes is a medical laboratory scientist who is now a master of applied epidemiology. He works in both Darwin and Dili and is very familiar with Timor-Leste, it’s people, its culture, and the local cuisine. So helpful has Drapes been that on arrival, I was recognised by the local MoH officials because of a photograph Drapes had shared, and last night in the hotel restaurant, Drapes had clued up the restaurant people and I was recognised.

I enjoyed the Bacalhau à Brás (Scrumbled Codfish with Fried Potatoes and Egg.

Qantas QF846

This flight is an old favourite of mine. When I used to live in Darwin, this flight would get me home nearly every three weeks. I’d forgotten that on the longer flights, Qantas serves an ice cream after the meal. It brought back some memories.

The other brilliant thing about this flight is the free Wi-Fi. For a satellite feed for a vehicle moving a few hundred kilometres an hour the quality is very good.

I was able to read work e-mail and access work files while travelling. It was pretty awesome. What a great time to be alive.

What have I watched this week?

Not much really. I’ve spent most evenings preparing for this week in Timor-Leste.

What have I listened to this week?

I’ve been listening to a series of work-related podcasts including one from the American Society for Microbiology named “Meet the Microbiologist”. This week’s show was about a Zoologist turned Microbiology evolution expert from New Zealand. He was sharing a story about the unintended consequences of vaccination in a variety of models including chicken herpes, whooping cough, and Lapine myxomatosis.

What have I eaten and photographed this week?

This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.

Yummy Lummy this week

Well, sorry Dear reader but because I’ve been travelling, there is no post on Yummy Lummy this week. If you want to read a recipe please just visit Yummy Lummy and on the sidebar, there is a list of recent posts. You can also use the search bar and see if I’ve done a recipe you like.

 

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Final thoughts

• Have you ever been to Dili or anywhere else in Timor-Leste?
• Do you like having wi-fi on a flight?
• What’s your favourite weather?

 

Traveller’s diarrhoea or traveler’s diarrhea?

Lyon to Canberra