September 23, 2002
East Timor - A Peaceful Stopover

	What could be nicer than drinking a beer while watching the tropical sun go down behind your own yacht?

Closing land is often marked by the arrival of tropic birds, but on this occasion the "bird" was a white helicopter with the letters UN emblazoned on its side. It was as good a confirmation as any that we had arrived in East Timor.

We threaded our way through the reef and took in our first sights and smells of Dili. Although we believed that since independence following the intervention of the UN life had returned to near normal, we still approached with care and were ready to leave if we felt at all uncomfortable.

Dili is the capital of East Timor and has been the focal point of this fledgling nation's struggle for independence. As we walk down the high street we see burnt-out buildings alongside splendid examples of restored colonial architecture. It is sad to know that behind each smiling face that greets us lies the grief of lost family members. Well over 100,000 people of this tiny nation lost their lives. No one here was untouched by the violence the Indonesian army unleashed upon these people while the world looked on and did nothing. Yet they seem to have rebounded and are slowly rebuilding their lives.

Coincidentally, on our boat, world service radio stations were broadcasting the memorial services for 11th September. It seemed as if we would be surrounded by sadness for our time here. But the natural exuberance of the Timorese people lifted our spirits.

Restored government house.

The huge market at Comoro, a short cab ride from town, was one of the most interesting we have visited. Apart from averting our eyes from the cock fighting, we spent a lovely hour or so wandering around the hundreds of stalls. The fresh produce was excellent, the local coffee aromas heady, and the odd assortments of household goods astonishing.

Walking around in Dili we didn't attract as many curious looks as we did on the more remote islands because the town is full of UN troops (now beginning to pull out), Australian support and training teams, and volunteers from the Peace Corps, Oxfam etc. From our point of view it was interesting to talk to the personnel from these agencies to get their perspective on how things are developing here.

Dili provided us with a pleasant interlude from quieter island life - great restaurants, a well stocked supermarket, a bank with an ATM (almost unheard of in Indonesia except in very large towns), even Internet access.

Notes

	Interesting dress code for the Dili Hotel.

Very few yachts are visiting East Timor at present. That will no doubt change as things settle down. The anchorage area is adequate--though you wouldn't want to swim, and the amount of wreckage around makes you fear that your anchor will have snagged--but we had no problems. Interestingly, the UN and other support agencies offered to clear the wrecks out of the harbour but the Timorese declared them part of their heritage, and so they remain.

At the time of our visit (September 2002) border control was not yet fully organised. We did check in with immigration and got a UN stamp in our passports. No Visa is required. We also visited the harbourmaster who took copies of our papers, but it was all very low key. There were no charges. Be aware that in time these procedures will inevitably change.

Fuel is available by jerry can (50 cents US per litre) but we teamed up with another yacht and had a tanker come to the wharf (40 cents per litre plus a charge of $25 for delivery).

The currency is US dollar. Nowhere accepts Rupiah (Indonesian currency).