Posts Tagged ‘Timor’

Dili – Darwin. About 400km by sea

Posted: July 21, 2016 in Australia, Timor Leste
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I sit on the quay in Darwin, my father at my side, taking in the surroundings – the bird calls, the trees, the clear blue skies. The Australian accents, toilet block building with a drinking fountain, the utes with the Australian number plates, the Northern Territory flag. We have only sailed 400km and it is so, so different. I can feel the desert lurking beyond the horizon as the heat of the day mounts, and I feel a welling up of emotion. I have come all this way to be here, through so many places, meeting so many people, and now I am here. I am home.

The crew of the Sue Sea

The crew of the Sue Sea

Dozens of dolphins jumped around as – playing with us – as the boat passed through the calm waters. Amazing sunsets and sunrises were presented before us on the open seas – alone in this beautiful place with only sea and sky. As the sky turned from blue through oranges and pink to black, the full moon rose and lit the seas with a shimmering beam, all through the night. We threw-up as the boat was pummelled by the violent ocean, and then returned to health and to a rhythm of cook, eat, sleep.

Sunrise on the Timor Sea

Sunrise on the Timor Sea

We have had a real sailing adventure. Thank-you to the crew of the Sue Sea who let us (Clement and myself, together with Romain – a backpacker from France) on board to take the boat back from Dili to Australia after taking part in the Darwin to Dili yacht rally. From the second we met them in Dili, they have welcomed us onboard and to their sailing family, and found a way to transport us, our luggage and our bikes on the 15m yacht.
The bikes, after the most thorough clean they have ever had (for Australian quarantine), were disassembled and stowed in with the sails at the very front of the boat. A little bit wet and jossled, they arrived safe and sound on Australian soil – all the way from Europe without a flight on a plane.

Igor, Gus, Betsy, Fons, Michael and the rest of the sailing family we met in Dili – you are legends!

Day 419. 83km. Lientuto – Dili

Posted: July 17, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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‘Sure! You can come along!’
The sailors of the Darwin to Dili yacht race were sitting around the table drinking, laughing and telling stories. One of them will be returning to Darwin, and Clement and I are allowed to join them. A dream come true!

Darwin to Dili trophies

Darwin to Dili trophies

Today’s cycling was a dusty affair. I popped over the high pass into a new, much drier valley, and over a second little pass into the dry, Australian-like landscape. Timor has two climates, and the border is the mountains. It is fascinating to see everything change so suddenly. Water is the bringer of life.

The green middle valley

The green middle valley

The dry side

The dry side

Day 418. 70km. Wedauberek – Lientuto

Posted: July 16, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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Today was a ride up from the beach into the heavens – over the highest mountains in Timor Leste. Its good to climb again – and to climb on a half descent road. Riding in the sun, it was a lovely slow climb to a less hot night at just below 2000m.

On the way up

On the way up

The road just got better and better. Approaching and leaving the town of Same, I had pristine new road which made climbing a breeze. Even the road in construction about 5km out of Same was pretty good. I spent the climb listening to podcasts and trying not to get my earphones stuck in my ears.

Mountain road

Mountain road

Mountains

Mountains

My place of residence tonight is with a family in the mountains. I spent the evening talking to the grandpa in Indonesian – one of my last chances to use the language for a while.. Tomorrow Dili again, and then we’ll see how I get to Darwin, Australia.

Day 417. 98km. Beaco – Wedauberek

Posted: July 15, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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‘It’s coming! It’s coming!’
I lie on the bamboo bed structure under the straw roof as the guy pokes the tweezers deep into my ear. I expect the unexpected every day in East Timor. Today it’s not a Tae Kwon Do class on the road deep in the mountains. Today I’m having the rubber piece from my earphones extracted from deep within my ear. It took two hours to get it out.

My ear doctor

My ear doctor

Clement has left. His rim on his back wheel is almost dead, and he didn’t want to venture further on the bad road along the coast, and then into the high mountains. He’s returning to the northern coast and on to Dili. I’ll meet him again there.

He might have been better off coming with me. The road got better slowly. It still had it’s fair share of deep road-wide puddles and mud, and the odd river crossing or two, but it also had a stretch of a few kilometres where I could scoot along at over 30 km/h. It was heaven.

River crossing - the bridge is visible on the left

River crossing – the bridge is visible on the left

The narrow road

The narrow road

I’m staying with a lovely family on the south coast, getting near to my climb into the mountains. No swimming here though. Big crocodiles apparently.

Day 416. 59km. Pointy House – Beaco

Posted: July 14, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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‘Here we are!’
A classic proclamation by Clement as we stood in the mud – the road ending in a quagmire. In the middle of nowhere at the end of a diabolic road we looked from the ankle deep mud down to the uncrossable river. The real road turned off a few hundred metres back, up a rocky scree to cross a pristine bridge. The going is slow on the south coast.

The mud bath (one of many)

The mud bath (one of many)

The bridges are amusing – in the middle of the scree slopes and mud baths stands a bridge (actually many on this road) with perfect bitumen. At the start of the bridge is a sign – funded by the European Union. There was one bridge only half funded by the European Union. The bridge stopped ubruptly in the middle of the river – a river crossing was necessary.

The bridge half funded by the European Union

The bridge half funded by the European Union

We met a Swiss cyclist today – our first in ages – cycling from Switzerland to Australia. He travelled east all the way to Alor Island (what I was trying to do, but ran out of time). Quite an experience. After our meet, we knew more what to expect of the road ahead. The road slowly improved to one that (for brief moments) allowed cycling at speeds of up to 15km/h. My tyre couldn’t handle the road though, and exploded. I expect fewer exploding tyres moving forward.

We were plucked off the street as it got dark this evening, and welcomed into a home, given corn and biscuits as a pre-dinner snack before a lovely, copious meal for the hungry cyclists. Great people!

Day 415. 38km. Cacaven – Pointy House

Posted: July 13, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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About 5km of bad road he said. Another said 100km of bad road or 12 hours by bus. Well, we haven’t left the crappy road yet, and it is spectacularly dreadful. It also bucketed down today as we pushed our bikes up and down a steep, rocky, muddy, riverbed-like surface.

The bumpy road

The bumpy road

We also changed our brake pads, and have almost used the new ones. Even walking next to the bike as it bumps and jumps over the rocks and slurps through the thick mud, you have to use the brakes – and they squeak and scream out as they die, killing the rims in the process. Then pushing the bike up the river floes requires stopping (with full brakes) on a rock before mustering energy to scale the next one.

We are staying with a lovely family in a traditional house – I’ll call it a pointy house. A really cool wooden structure on stilts – high above the ground.

They tell us that the crap road ends in 10km. I kind of think the good road that may or may not follow will be of the quality of the roads yesterday. This means cycling may be possible, and reaching speeds of 10km/h is also on the cards.

Our humble abode for the night

Our humble abode for the night

Day 414. 56km. Tutuala – Cacaven

Posted: July 12, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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And there we were, on the road in the middle of the jungle in Timor Leste, practicing Tae Kwon Do with 30 students. They held out the pad and I executed a turning roundhouse kick. We did some forms (patterns of movements) together on the road. They did the same style that I had studied 25 years ago – and this in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Timor Leste keeps surprising.

Tae Kwon Do class

Tae Kwon Do class

‘That road doesn’t go to Lospalos,’ said one guy. Another said it does, but not for cars – only for motorbikes and bicycles. We gave it a try – a beautiful road through grassy plains bordering a lake, dotted with houses here and there. Oh – and there was a challenging bridge.

The tricky bridge

The tricky bridge

The tricky bridge

The tricky bridge

The tricky bridge

The tricky bridge

Grassy plain

Grassy plain

Satellite dish

Satellite dish

Again today was not rich in kilometres travelled – the road was muddy and bumpy – and peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. After the high altitude plain we passed into the forest exactly on the border between two weather regions. On the right was sunshine. On the left were the darkest of clouds and rain. Tomorrow the road leads south. More rain is in store.

Day 413. 17km. Tutuala – Jaco – Tutuala

Posted: July 11, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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How long should I wait? It had been four hours. There was no sign of Clement as I scanned the waves on the stretch of water between Timor and Jaco island. After the bumpy descent to the beautiful pristine white beach with turquoise water, Clement had set out to swim to Jaco island. I had visions of him drowning in the high waves on the way back, and finally paid the $10 to catch a boat there myself.

View out over to Jaco

View out over to Jaco

Clement arrived at the beach just as I was pulling away in the boat. I only spent minutes on Jaco island before returning, after confirmation that Clement was indeed back on the Timor beach.

I did, however, lie on the white sand, swim in the turquoise waters and generally relax. It was amazing to be in this beautiful place, and nothing to do but just enjoy it. I was looking out over a pristine island with sandy white beaches, and behind was Darwin – as close as I can get to it by bike. I’m quite proud of that achievement.

View out over to Jaco

View out over to Jaco

The ride down had one of the worst road surfaces of my trip. It was like bumping down a rocky creek bed – but very steep. Still, it makes getting there all the more satisfying.

The road down

The road down

Clement returned over the moon. He swam with a turtle, and explored the island with a real Robinson Crusoe feeling – alone on such a beautiful tropical island.

Day 412. 76km. Binagua – Tutuala

Posted: July 10, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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The island has come to an end and the road has come to an end. It feels like the end of the earth. We’re at the end of a bumpy dirt road, on the edge of a high grassy plain surrounded by rocky mountains reaching up to the heavens. Heavy black clouds hang low over the peaks ahead, and the sun behind casts long evening shadows in front of us. There is tranquillity in the air. Here time stands still, and we have come to rest.

Towards the dark clouds

Towards the dark clouds

This island is incredible. Every day – every few hours – the landscape changes. We started the day cycling on a peaceful road bumping along the coast, grassy plains to the left and right. Cows and goat graze, watching as we pass, and water buffalo wallow in the muddy pools.

Coastal road

Coastal road

Then it was time for lunch – 30 fried bananas and a watermelon. A bus stopped – a typical one for East Timor. The busses are always colourfully decorated – usually with paintings of young, attractive women or of Jesus Christ. This one was with young, attractive women.

Colourful bus

Colourful bus

Colourful bus

Colourful bus

Then the road climbed through forest to a high plain with endless grassland and cows, ending in a lake in the distance. The road was very bumpy, and the standard Timor headwind kept our speed down, but our spirits were high as we breathed in the beauty of this remote part of the earth.

The road to the end of the island

The road to the end of the island

The lake

The lake

Tomorrow we will descend to the beach at the end of Timor island, and visit Jaco island – and wave in the direction of Darwin… Australia!

Day 410. 72km. Hera – Lalela

Posted: July 7, 2016 in Cycling, Timor Leste
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Someone has transported me to Australia. The countryside has suddenly changed to the dry rolling hills north of Adelaide covered in dry grass and dotted with trees. The south side of Timor is wet, and the north – where I am – is dry. Sharing the same poor soil as Australia, I’ve left the Indonesian tropical landscape for something more familiar. I feel close to Australia now, and I am happy.

Dry

Dry

Also it is hot, but not infinitely humid. I can cope with this heat. We climbed and dropped following the coast, sometimes in the bright, hot sun, but it was not such a sweaty affair. We stopped for a swim in the clear blue water, and I passed 36000km from Eindhoven.

36000km

36000km

Clement is homesick, thinking of France all the time. I feel I am getting closer and closer to Australia. In a few days I will be on Jaco Island – the closest point I will get to Australia before leaving Timor (hopefully by boat).

The dry landscape is uninhabited. Long stretches without people – something we are not used to. Every now and then the countryside bursts into life with greenery and expanses of rice paddies. There is life, but it is concentrated around the rivers. We stopped early tonight when we passed by a couple of white women in a small village (after a long stretch of nothing). They were from Australia, working for the church and the community as nurses. We got talking, and now find ourselves in something quite close to a monastery. Some friars prepared beds of us, and as I write this, the monks are singing outside my window.

Postscript: Sister Clara had her birthday today. Clement and I sat opposite her at the long table under the bright fluorescent light as we shared a meal with the whole community. It was a meal with lots of singing and clapping. Two sisters, two friars, Bernadette – our nurse friend – and a group of students all sang along. And then the cake appeared, and the champagne. Sister Clara, and everyone, are a very happy, smily bunch, and passionate about what they do. Good on them! What an opportunity to experience such a different life in this remote community on this remote island! There’s a good vibe when good people are doing good work.

Sister Clara cuts the cake

Sister Clara cuts the cake

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