Timor Leste is behind me now and I am spending a few days in Digby with Mervyn before re-opening the gallery and resuming paintings classes in Eltham. We returned from Timor Leste last Sunday night and spent a few days in Darwin prior to flying back to Melbourne. This was my first time in Darwin and I wanted to have a look around while the opportunity was there.
Timor Leste. What an experience. I am sitting here trying to reflect on the past weeks spent in Dili. I am not feeling all that well either. Have a dull headache and still have some stomach issues left over from Dili. Four of our colleague volunteers have been hospitalized since returning to Melbourne. Dengue Fever. Dengue was common in Dili. Two of the nuns from St. Dominic’s convent where we stayed had contracted Dengue and another nun to our knowledge was hospitalized in Dili from the city orphanage. Dengue, I understand is a mosquito born disease from mosquitoes breeding in fresh water. Malaria, on the other hand I understand is from mosquitoes bred in unclean water. There is no cure and no preventative vaccination for dengue – and it can kill. These are the risks we take when travelling to remote and third world tropical locations.
It’s a mixed blessing returning to the Melbourne chill. I am not one for tropical steamy conditions. This time of year was supposed to be the cool (er) time of year and the dry in Timor. It was in the high thirties every day and humid. Mervyn and I shared a single bed in the convent and slept end to end with the fan on all night. When the fan was facing away it felt as if the heater had been turned on. So to feel the cool of the Melbourne and Digby chill is refreshing. And Digby is so cosy with the wood fired stove alight and some bread in the oven. These small and simple pleasures make living in Melbourne special. I am looking out across the paddocks to Pauls cows and the sun is dancing a patchwork on the green grass along the creek.
The green is something Digby has in common with Timor Leste. The green is the colour that strikes when the plan begins the long decent across the over side of the Timor Sea. The tall mountains are covered in green vegetation and large rivers can be seen cutting swales across the valleys and the tiniest of villages can just be made out through the dense cover.
When the plan flew along the coast coming in to land the enormity of tall coconut and banana trees was apparent. The intensity of the green. The brilliance of the sun against the azure of the sea, the strip of beach and long fronds of leaves was exciting. Landing in a tropical forest for the first time; I knew I was going to enjoy the days ahead.
We embarked from the plane and followed the dotted line along the runway to the casual entry into Timor Leste. A show of passports, payment of ten dollars US for a visa and luggage viewed through the xray machine. Simple enough. We were in and being greeted by the lovely sisters of the St. Dominic’s convent. No sooner had we been greeted our luggage was taken away and stowed on the back of a ute and we watched as our belongings were driven off into the day. That was a bit strange. We were then boarding a bus and dropped off at a camping ground hotel where Ian went in to hire our Land cruiser vehicle. This seemed to take forever. I spent the time photographing the numerous roosters and hens roaming freely throughout the grounds. A number of security guards sat at the entrance to the compound. Razor wire was everywhere. Impressions – bikes, traffic, bikes, bikes with two, three passengers; without helmets. A lady selling bananas outside the compound gate from a small stall under the sun. Water laying around from recent rain. Steamy conditions and a desire to stay in the shade.
