I'm not overly active at this blog business. I came across to TL with the idea that i would be keeping this updated with lots of interesting tid-bits about me being involved in all kinds of activities. It turns out that i play guitar a lot... but i've a new wind and a refreshed idea about things so maybe that means i'll be better at communication with the outside world.
Fun fact; it takes me 6.5 hours to ride between Los Palos and Dili. It's a beautiful ride but can be quite challenging to conditions suitable for life with all limbs, but i'm still in one piece and hope to remain so for some time yet.
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| Lovely on left; M.Hero on right. |
The lovely came to visit a long time ago. There was a bike, some bags, some bad roads, some beaches, some beautiful places. A return trip from Dili – Baucau – Los Palos – Tutuala – Jaco Island took about a week with time showing the lovely around Los Palos. She agreed that i should kill all the roosters that have made the choice of becoming my enemy. That was about 3 month ago and i haven’t progressed the idea in much action yet. I did hit one on a bike once. Well i hit something with feathers. That was enough to get one run on the board; M.Hero (1) Vs Roosters United (2453). Slowly slowly... it made me smile.
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| View from road between Baucau and Dili. Lovely. |
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| Yep. |
Jaco is pretty special. No one lives there. A tiny island at the
far eastern tip of Timor-Leste. I have a
spear for fishing but i’m not overly good at it. But yep, Jaco, my closest beach. Not the worst of times really...
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| Over 3 years in the tropics, evident by the amazing tan... |
Last time i was at Jaco I cut
up a small perch that i had caught for bait when i was miles off shore swimming alone. Soon after I cut up the fish a small white tip
reef shark turned up; harmless I found out later. It probably shouldn't have come as a surprise since i just spilled alot of blood into the water. Yep. Smarts. Another 5 minutes later when
a school of perch/snapper were getting used to me being there a larger
shark came in (possibly a grey reef shark), with his pectoral fins lowered and
zig sagging around (which I later learned was a sign of aggression and that they
are feeling threatened and that they like biting divers!). It started swimming up to me and cutting back and
forward about 5-10 m away. Close enough to scare me out of the water for a bit;
unfortunately I was a long way off shore by myself in poor visibility water.
Freaky. I swam backwards pointing my spear into the darkness with my heart
racing for about 20 minutes (really not the most efficient way to swim!). I had the ingenious idea at the time that if i hold my spear against my leg and swim backwards that the shark won't like the sensation of metal on his teeth and will let go of my leg when it bites me. Yep. Survival instincts where happening. All i could think was that "sheeeeet, i'm 300m from the shoreline, on a remote island, with no way of getting back to the main land, with an 45min ride up a terrible road and then 7hrs to the nearest emergency ward!"It I
haven’t been out to that corner of the island again as i heard apparently
there are lots of sharks there... bummer. The next morning a scorpion bit my head. It was a very exciting weekend...
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| The lovely; does like boat rides. |
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Demonstrating that a) helmets are appropriate attire at the beach b) scarves are required when riding motorbikes in the tropics and c) racing stripes on helmets are hot. Fact
Helmet courtesy of Sam and Kitty Speer; they aren't bad folk.
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| Rice paddies at the bottom of the Baucau hill on the Manatutu side. Pretty |
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| Road, power pole, clouds, rice paddie. |
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| Somewhere with a nice view. Actually, most times i ride to Dili this tends to be my toilet break. I've got a whole series of photos from peeing at amazing views. Peeing with a view is a very relaxing experience. |
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| Haan diak moos!!! |
My language teacher, Mestri Aurelis spends most lessons telling me
what animals he has eaten and how amazing they taste. Toke (big gecko) is one
of his favourites even though it’s considered luluik (bad spelling – but a sacred
item in some areas). He used to pay the kids 25 cents to go and find them in
the palm trees. I think he still says naan asu with some tua sabu is his
favourite (dog meat washed down with local whiskey). I told him that i have
dogs that are my friends and that my friends wouldn't like me eating their
friends. But i have offered Mestri free access to any of the 8 dogs that live
at my place and any roosters while he is here...
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| Looking down at Manatutu, a larger town between Dili and Baucau |
