-- From Batugade to Dili, then to Baucau
The road tracklog
From Batugade to Osolata
from 24/08 to 30/08/2009
The 24/08 by the Indonesia’s exit gate I entered into Timor Leste. After a barrier there were three hutments, the first for the recording by the police, the second for Immigration Office, payment of the VOA, Visa One Arrival, $30 then the third Customs Office for the carnet de passage en douane of my truck. The visit of my truck was symbolic too. There were brief formalities.
Entrée en Timor Leste
Motoain
24/08/2009
The road towards Dili is sometimes acceptable sometimes degraded but always bumpy. The coastal road crosses dramatic landscapes twisting in mountain or skirting the coastal seashore. I found a bivouac before the village of Liquiçà.
En route
towards Liquiçà
24/08/2009
The 25/08 was a long day in Dili to do administrative steps. Initially a stop at the consulate of France lodged in a common building for the European Union countries, except of course England and ex colonizing Portugal. I announced my exit from Indonesia and my few-day stay in Timor Leste before going to Australia. The met employee was very courteous and gave me all requested information. Then to organize the transfer of my truck from Dili to Darwin I went to SDV, French forwarding agent of the Bolloré Group, where I was welcomed very cordially by Mario, French native of Rheims. Then I went to a cybercafé, at the corner of the street, where I published the last pages of my website by correcting strange disappearance of former publications. I passed there more than two hours; Internet connection by satellite was very slow, at a cost of $6 per hour –ten times the cost of the same connection in Kupang, West Timor! Finally in the late afternoon accompanied by Mario I went to EDS, to have a quotation for setting in conformity with the AQIS Australia’s requirements. I was to go back the following day there. Back to Dili I went to another company "A1 Service" where after a long discussion I obtained a quote to carry out the work in five days. Weary I left Dili to bivouac on a deserted beach in the west.
En route
towards Dili
25/08/2009
Bivouac
25/08/2009
The following day was one day of not very profitable complementary steps requiring patience. I decided to entrust the setting in conformity with the AQIS to "A1 Services". I had appointment the 01/09 for a presentation at the harbour the 07/09. In my peregrinations I took some pictures. Fortuitously I met a German guy by motor bike with his Thai girl friend of who I met in Islamabad. Then I found another cybercafé whose cost was only $1 per an hour with a same speed of Internet connection. At the end of the day the proposal of SDV Logistics was finished off. I returned again to the campsite at the western entrance of Dili.
Virgin Mary statue
Dili
26/08/2009
In the morning I went to the embassy of Australia to take a 48R form of request for visa of long duration. It is necessary to provide a bank statement proving the existence of sufficient financial resources. At the time of the deposit of the file I learned that I had to have a medical examination, I was to return the following day at 11:00am to have information.
The giant Jesus statue was built during the Indonesia rule at Cape Fatucama. Its 27 meters height symbolizes the 27 provinces of Indonesia including East Timor. From the carpark of Areia Branca the access path passes by the 14 Stations of the Cross. The panorama on the bay is stunning.
Jesus statue
Dili
26/08/2009
Stations of the Cross
firth station
Dili
27/08/2009
Curiously the following day there was no traffic on the road close to the beach; intrigued I went for my appointment at the embassy of Australia as of 09:30am. I was stopped shortly after the Comoro Bridge and I due giving up my truck and continuing on foot. Information taken, the road was blocked because the President of East Timor arrived this day. At the embassy the employee meant me that I was to pass a X-ray then to meet a doctor at the Australian Medical Clinic on Monday. Always on foot I was going to pass the X-ray before 12:00. Then I had lunch with my German friends. In the afternoon the road being always blocked I established my bivouac at the carpark of the Jesus Statue. I was very annoyed with this hitch which blamed my planning and appointments of the following week to put my truck in conformity with the AQIS before loading it the 07/09 for Darwin. Planning became tended. To enter Australia was proved more complex than all previous visited countries. I could not consider a refusal of a visa.
Peter & Su
Dili
29/08/2009
The 29/08 I had decided to go to visit Baucau, Portuguese old city, praised by the Lp. From Jesus Statue, the road curves along the coast with remarkable landscapes. Then it joined the direct road from Dili to Baucau which was very attended in this Saturday morning. It is in general in good shape with like always some old degradation. Of course it is narrow requiring vigilance at the time of crossings and overtakings.
Panorama
Vers Osolata
29/08/2009
The town of Baucau located at approximately 500 meters of altitude is fixed on mountainside. It does not have anything particularly remarkable. I headed to Osolata to bivouac on Pantai Wataboo where I met two Polish UN members with which I conversed lengthily on Timor Leste.
Pantai Wataboo
Osolata
29/08/2009
Membres de l'ONU
Osolata
29/08/2009
Shortly after, I gave T-shirts to children of the village. Alas I was badly rewarded for other children came throw stones to my truck. To avoid other nuisances in particular during the night I decided to leave this pleasant but inhospitable spot.
Osolata
29/08/2009
I had seen an access to a beach on the 25km milestone. I installed the bivouac there, certainly close to the road but traffic was non-existent during the night. I returned to Dili on the 30/08 in the late afternoon.
25km milestone
en route
309/08/2009
a twin-towered pastel-pink Church
Laleia
30/08/2009
On Monday I carried X-ray radio to the embassy of Australia and I left my passport which I was to recover the 03/09 with or without the visa! But let us be optimistic. The following day I headed to A1 Services to put my truck in conformity with the AQIS requirements, works were to last 5 to 6 days.
