On the way to Lospalos...

As the Country Director of Plan Timor-Leste, I oversee approximately 100 staff in multiple locations, including a place called Lospalos which is about a 5 hour drive east and then south of Dili. This week, I visited the Lospalos office and some of the development projects that we are implementing in the area. The ride to Lospalos was pretty amazing - the first hour or so we followed the coast line very closely and wandered back and forth going up the side of a mountain - which is fine for us in a sturdy 4 x 4 vehicle but rather risky for others such as the crowd below...road safety does not seem to be a priority....



After passing one of the last IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, we turned inland and went through an area that was lush with rice paddies, near a city called Baucau...



Then we travelled through a plateau area for awhile, with a view to mountains in the distance



We stopped for lunch by the ocean (more fish, also fresh from the ocean just like on Atauro) and enjoyed watching some kids play in the waves....

We finally arrived in Lospalos mid afternoon and spent some time in the office before venturing to our guest house - very basic set up, power only from 6-10 PM but great food :-) Check out the next posting for photos from the next day...