Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Timor Leste - The Tracks to Independence












TIMOR LESTE,THE TRACKS TO INDEPENDENCE.

AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF FOLLOWING EAST TIMOR'S TRACK TO AN INDEPENDENT NATION,IT WAS FINALLY REWARDING TO BE ON AN AIR NORTH FLIGHT FROM DARWIN HEADING TO DILI THE CAPITAL OF TIMOR LESTE,MY FIRST TRIP TO THE EX PORTUGESE AND INDONESIAN COLONY,MY PLAN WAS TO GET OUT INTO THE RURAL AREAS AND SEE WHAT THE PEOPLE AND COUNTRY HAD ACHIEVED 10YEARS AFTER INDONESIAN OCCUPATION ENDED IN BLOODY SCENES AND MASS DESTRUCTION IN 1999.AFTER 24 HOURS OF WATCHING CONTINUAL STREAMS OF WHITE TOYOTA FOUR WHEEL DRIVES WITH THE BLACK AND WHITE INSIGNIA OF THE UNITED NATIONS ATTACHED DOING LAPS AROUND DILI, I WAS HAPPY TO BE ON THE ROAD AND HEADING ALONG THE COASTAL STRETCH TOWARD MANATUTO,MY DRIVER ALPHONS AND HIS BATTERED OLD CAR ALSO SEEMED HAPPY TO ESCAPE THE U.N. COMPOUND OF DILI,AS WE STRUGGLED OVER THE MOUNTAIN RANGE,I LOOKED DOWN ON THE CAPITAL AND BID FAREWELL FOR THE NEXT MONTH.

PASSING THROUGH METINARO WE WITNESSED THE LAST OF THE DISPLACED PEOPLE CAMPS IN EAST TIMOR,SET UP AFTER THE TURMOIL OF 2006,THEY HAVE FILLED THE VOID OF PEOPLE WITH NO HOMES TO RETURN TO.WITH THE FRETILIN FLAG FLYING ACROSS THE ROADWAY,IT SERVED AS A REALITY CHECK THAT THIS COUNTRY IS STILL ON STRUGGLE STREET.AS WE DROVE THROUGH MANATUTO SEARCHING FOR SOME ACCOMODATION,IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THEY HAD COPPED THE BRUNT OF INDONESIA'S EXIT IN ANGER,ONCE A MAJOR STRONGHOLD OF INDONESIAN MILITARY AND ADMINISTRATION,A LOT OF THE TOWN RESEMBLES A WAR ZONE WITH A MULTITUDE OF BUILDINGS JUST CONCRETE SHELLS,RE-BUILDING IS UNDERWAY AND PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY UPBEAT ON THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THIS DISTRICT CENTRE.

AFTER ENJOYING THE HOSPITALITY AT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GUEST HOUSE FOR TWO NIGHTS,IT WAS TIME TO LUCK MY WAY ONTO A BUS HEADING TO BAUCAU..AS MY BAG WAS THROWN ON TOP OF THE BUS ROOF,I FOUND A SPOT KNEELING ON A SACK OF RICE NEAR THE BACK WINDOW,AS WE TRAVELLED ALONG THE COAST THE TERRAIN REMINDED ME OF THE HARSH LANDSCAPES IN THOSE MAD MAX MOVIES,ALMOST LIKE A GRAVEL PIT WITH THIS SNAKY ROAD STUCK IN THE MIDDLE..THE CROWDED BUS WAS FULL OF SLEEPY LOCALS RETURNING HOME,THEY SEEMED LIKE THEY HAD DONE THIS ROUTE TOO OFTEN,THE WAY TO SIGNAL TO THE DRIVER TO STOP IS TO TAP A COIN LOUDLY ON THE METAL SUPPORTS,NOTHING FANCY HERE!TOWELS SHOWING EAST TIMOR'S FLAG ARE PROUDLY ON DISPLAY ACROSS THE FRONT DASHBOARD ALONG WITH THE PORTUGAL SOCCER TOWEL.

ARRIVAL IN BAUCAU WHICH IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY PUTS YOU IN THE AREA CALLED "NEW TOWN",THIS SECTOR IS WHERE INDONESIA ESTABLISHED IT'S ADMINISTRATION CENTRE AND THE SURROUNDING MARKETS AND SHANTY STYLE SHOPS STILL RESEMBLE MOST INDONESIAN TOWNS,JUST 2 KILOMETRES DOWN THE ROAD IS THE ORIGINAL PORTUGESE CENTRE-"OLD TOWN",FULL OF FINE OLD BUILDINGS INCLUDING THE FAMOUS POUSADA de BAUCAU(HOTEL),MUNICIPALMARKET,CHURCHES,SCHOOLS AND THE SURREAL SIGHT OF A SWIMMING POOL WITH DIVING PLATFORM AND STARTING BLOCKS,YES THERE WAS WATER!AS YOU WANDER THROUGH THIS FORMER GRANDIOSE AND OPULENT STYLING IT IS EASY TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE STEPPED BACK TO 1948,AND YOUR THOUGHTS GATHER ON WHAT THE PORTUGESE HAD PLANNED FOR THIS SMALL OUTPOST?THE TIMORESE HAVE HELD ONTO THEIR LOVE OF ALL THINGS PORTUGESE,SOCCER,WINE,FOOD,NAMING OF CHILDREN,HORSES,STREET NAMES AND AREAS,THEY EVEN RE-INTRODUCED THE LANGUGE INTO SCHOOLING,AND IN A STRANGE TWIST OF FATE MOST PORTUGESE BUILDINGS SURVIVED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MILITIA FORCES AND INDONESIAN ARMY AS THEY FLED.BAUCAU HAS A PROUD VIBRANT CHARM TO IT'S PEOPLE,SURROUNDED BY BEACHES AND MOUNTAINS IT IS A LOCATION THAT TOURISM WILL FIND AGAIN,LET'S HOPE THE AIRPORT RE-OPENS FOR FLIGHTS DIRECT FROM AUSTRALIA AND INDONESIA,AT THE MOMENT THE U.N. PEACE KEEPERS ARE BASED THERE AND ONLY USED FOR U.N. MISSIONS.

BIZARRE FACT:IN THE EARLY 70S MORE TOURISTS VISITED TIMOR THAN BALI!WITH A LACK OF TOURISM COMES A LACK OF TOUR OPERATORS,DILI HAS A SCATTERING,BAUCAU NONE!SO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVISE,FOR MY JOURNEY OFF THE MAIN ROADS I HIRED A TRUSTY 4WD FROM DIANNE AT THE MARIST BROTHERS SCHOOL,ENLISTING THE SERVICES OF LOCAL WOMAN FELICITY AS MY GUIDE AND HISTORIAN WE HEADED OUT ON THE ROAD TO VIQUEQUE,OUR AIM WAS TO FIND THE JUNGLE MONUMENT ERECTED TO RESISTANCE LEADER AND NOW PRIME MINISTER XANANA GUSMAO,ALONG THE WAY WE VISITED THE FRETILIN CEMETERY,INDONESIAN MILITARY CEMETERY,THE NATURAL SPRINGS POOL WHERE ONE END IS COLD ,THE OTHER IS WARM(THE BISHOP OF BAUCAU MAKES A VISIT HERE ONCE A YEAR TO BATHE),THE JAPANESE WORLD WAR 2 CAVES,MT ARIANA,VENILALE TOWN,OSSU WATERFALLS AND THE MOUNTAIN PASS WHERE THE INDONESIAN ARMY GENERALS TRIED TO LURE XANANA TO SIGN A PEACE TREATY.

WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THE HISTORICAL MONUMENT ERECTED TO XANANA IN 2003, IS THAT THIS IS THE EXACT AREA HE HID IN CAVES FOR 2 YEARS TO AVOID CAPTURE FROM THE INDONESIAN ARMY,THE LOCAL PEOPLE HELPED HIM SURVIVE. I WAS TOLD STORIES OF THE LENGTHS THEY WOULD GO TO IN FOOLING INDONESIAN ARMY OFFICERS SEARCHING FOR HIM,SECRETLY SMUGGLING FOOD HIDDEN UNDER SCRAPS MEANT FOR THEIR PIGS,AND PLACING FOOD IN HOLES COVERED BY LEAVES.THE SIMPLE BUT POIGNANT STONE MONUMENT IS ALREADY BEING ABSORBED BY THE JUNGLE WITH A THICK MOSS COVER,A SMALL FLAG POLE AND STONE SEAT ADD THE FINAL TOUCHES TO THE PEOPLES GIFT TO XANANA.

THE ACTUAL AREA IS NAMED WAIDABA NEAR THE VILLAGE OF BERCOLI.NEXT STOP WAS A VISIT TO THE TOWN OF QUELICAI
(KELIKAI IN INDONESIAN RULE)AT THE FOOT OF EAST TIMORS SECOND HIGHEST MOUNTAIN-"MATEBIAN"(MOUNTAIN OF DEAD SOULS),AROUND 2 HOURS DRIVE FROM BAUCAU THROUGH
LAGA AND UP AN IMPRESSIVE SCENIC ROAD WITH GREAT VIEWS BACK TO THE COAST,THE AIR IS COOL AND CLEAR,PERFECT FOR SOME TREKKING,HERE THERE IS A DISTINCT WET AND DRY SEASON,THE BEST TIME FOR CLIMBING IS THE APRIL-NOVEMBER "DRY".THIS AREA PROVIDES A BIG PART OF TIMORESE HISTORY,FROM 1976-1979 ALL LOCAL PEOPLE FLED THE INDONESIAN INVASION AND LIVED IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS,HIDING IN CAVES AND LIVING OFF WHAT THEY COULD FIND IN THIS HIGH TERRAIN,BY 1980 LACK OF FOOD FORCED THEM TO RETURN TO CONTROLLED PEOPLE CAMPS SET UP BY THE INDONESIAN MILITARY.

A NEW GUEST HOUSE IN THE TOWN IS OPENING, OFFERING A GREAT CHANCE TO TREK AMONG THE HISTORY AND TALK WITH LOCALS WHO LIVED THROUGH THIS BLOODY PERIOD OF RESISTANCE.THE LOCAL MARKET ON SATURDAY MORNING IS A GREAT CHANCE TO "RAMBLE"AMONGST THE STALLS AND BUY FRESH VEGETABLES,FRUITS AND MEAT.OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I VISITED VIQUEQUE,BEACU,LOSPALOS,TUTUALA,LORE,COM,LAUTEM..ALL PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE STRUGGLE THESE PEOPLE HAVE ENDURED AND THE HARDSHIP IS EVIDENCED IN THE AMOUNT OF POVERTY THE MAJORITY HAVE TO LIVE WITH DAILY.IT IS NOW COMMON TO HAVE CHILDREN IN RURAL AREAS CONSTANTLY ASK FOR MONEY FROM FOREIGNERS,AND WOMEN YOU PASS ON ROADS ASK FOR BOTTLED WATER,SURVIVAL ON THE MOST BASIC LEVEL,DIMINISHING DIGNITY IN DANGEROUS TIMES!

I REFLECTED ON ALL THESE STRONG INDIVIDUALS I HAD HAD THE PLEASURE TO TALK AND WALK WITH AS THE OVERCROWDED BUS WOUND IT'S WAY BACK ALONG THE COASTAL TRIP TO DILI IN POURING WET SEASON RAINS,I HOPED THAT WITH SO MANY AID ORGANISATIONS AND U.N. PERSONNEL IN THE COUNTRY,TIMOR LESTE COULD TAKE TINY STEPS FORWARD FOR ALL IT'S PEOPLE,AND NOT JUST AID THE LIFESTYLE OF THOSE PROVIDING THE AID!TO ALL THOSE TIMORESE I MET,AND THOSE I HAVE NOT,"OBRIGADA"(THANK YOU).
DON FOSTER /JANUARY 2009