Sleepless in Balibo

 COUNTRY: Timore-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching, Healthcare and Development
WRITTEN BY: Alisha, Zoe and Holley

Bondia!

Timor Leste team checking in once again to blog about our eventful trip to Balibo with the EO of the Balibo house trust, “Senior Accidentae” Rich Gilmore, with the purpose of putting Balibo on the map for tourists. Despite some information given to us prior to departure, we all left Dili with absolutely no idea of what to expect from this weekend. Little did we know how much we would be cramming into three short days! The weekend started off on a luxurious foot with the first stop for lunch at exotic Tibar, a modern restaurant and hotel about twenty minutes out of Dili. The mouthwatering food was easily the best meal any of us had had in a while, with the highlights being a succulent steak with a coffee sauce of the owner’s creation and incredible freshly-made juices. This would be the last any of us would taste of luxury however, with the rest of the weekend spent in and around Balibo, a charming place where basic living was at its best.

While we saw and mapped many interesting and beautiful sites between Dili and Balibo on Friday, it was Saturday morning which began in a way we will never forget. The first activity on the agenda was exploring caves outside of Balibo, which, as far as any local knows, had not been seen by a foreigner since Australian soldiers in WWII. While we knew that we would be exploring unchartered territory, what we didn’t know was quite the extent of wildlife in the cave, coupled with tight spaces and dead ends. Whilst terrifying at the time it was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. After deciding that reaching the top of the mountain through the caves was impossible, we trekked and rock climbed around the outside to be treated to spectacular views of the surrounding area. After such strenuous exercise, the proceeding swim at a pristine secret tropical beach our guide had discovered was a welcome chance to relax. We then took a walking tour around the town of Balibo whilst geotagging any sites of interest to potential tourists. The night ended with the movie of Balibo, watched whilst in the town of Balibo, a unique experience for all of us.

We can’t go any further without saying that this weekend certainly took four-wheel driving to a new level! Roads that had sheer cliff on one side and dropped 500 meters away to the ocean with no barriers and barely enough room for two cars to pass had us all squeezing our eyes shut and hoping for the best at times! The situation wasn’t helped by the occasional cross on the roadside where trucks full of people had gone off the cliff. Luckily for us we had a skilled driver and despite all these conditions we all arrived at each destination safe, if only a little car sick.

While all of us managed to adapt to living with electricity for only six hours a day and no running water, the lack of sleep we all experienced was not quite so easy to adjust to. The fighting dogs and roosters that began crowing before the sun was even close to coming up meant that we were all bleary eyed each morning. Timor Leste’s untouched beauty and breathtaking views however made the long bumpy car rides and lack of sleep completely and utterly worth it. The diverse landscape of this new country is unlikely to stay hidden for long and we all feel very lucky to have experienced it, albeit briefly one weekend. From seemingly endless rolling emerald green hills, to high rocky cliffs, to pristine white beaches and azure boiling hot streams, Timor Leste continues to surprise and delight at every turn. Additionally, despite Rich’s nickname, the only mishap endured was a flat battery in the middle of town!

Adeus!

Zoe, Holley and Alisha
Timor Leste Team #1