Escape to Atauro Island

It's been a while since I posted a blog, mostly because 1> the power has been out in my home most evenings which means I cannot access my wireless connection that I borrow from my neighbours and 2> I have been travelling around Timor-Leste and exploring some local sites.

Last Saturday I ventured over to Atauro Island, which is an island 30 km directly north of Dili. The Portuguese used Atauro Island as a prison island in the late 16th century, not long after they first moved to Timor, but the island has managed to escape some of the intensity of the more recent conflicts in 1975 and 1999. Today it is a simple little oasis from the busyness of Dili.

I had heard from one of my colleagues that every 2nd Sat of each month there is an Atauro Cultural Day where they have various demonstrations of singing and dancing, and local handicrafts for sale over on the island - but the trick is getting to the island....

There is only one ferry which leaves around 9 AM Sat mornings but you have to arrive about 7:15 AM to buy your ticket and navigate through general chaos, as this is the main weekly ferry run to the island and carries not only people and vehicles, but pigs, goats, fresh produce, various supplies, etc etc etc.

Luckily, my colleague knew exactly where to get the tickets, so we bought ours fairly early and then had time to enjoy the view from the ferry port...a bit of mist before the heat of the day.



The ferry ride itself was long (2+ hours) but pretty uneventful except for some dolphins that seemed to follow us most of the way. Once we got to the island we walked around a bit and checked out the local accommodation - there are only 2 places to stay and both are very simple; the one below is just a series of open-air huts situated along the ocean and a 30 second walk to the beach - idyllic! I am planning to return with my paints (once my stuff arrives from the UK...) and spend a weekend relaxing and soaking up the sun and capturing the mood of the island...



After a walk in the ocean, we stopped and had lunch - there was a little shop offering fresh fish, but we did not realize exactly how fresh it was, until we saw the shop owner wander out into the ocean and gather some fresh from his net...



After lunch, we watched the cultural singing and dancing, including this very energetic dance that involved men thrusting their weapons into the air, shouting and getting very boisterous....



This little girl was sitting beside me - she liked looking into my digital camera after I took photos and was thrilled when I showed her this photo of herself :-)

All in all, it was a good day, albeit long and hot and tiring - but I am sure to visit Atauro again!