Atauro in bad weather

I woke to the sound of falling rain. It was bucketing down. It was also the day of the Dili Marathon and our boat trip to Atauro, a nearby island that’s supposed to be great for snorkelling and diving.

Incidentally, it is largely Protestant (like Indonesian Christians) rather than Catholics like East Timorese.

I decided against going but changed my mind when the rest of the group were happy to go regardless. I guess, it wouldn’t be very interesting in Dili on a wet day anyway, being confined to the verandah by the hostel courtyard.

We boarded the big ferry at 0800 via its lower vehicle deck and the journey began at 0900, taking 2h30.  Entertainment on board started with lots of a local singer by the name of Tonny Pereira (who looks like Mike Tyson).  He sang exclusively in Indonesian rather than Tetum, another indication of how the neighbour’s influence still permeates many aspects of society.

We commented how small some children are on board the ferry.  At one point I saw what looked like a newborn baby walking (guided by both hands by a parent).  Obviously the child would have been older, but that’s how small some kids are.

Upon arrival the weather was slightly drizzly. We were told to expect a majestic green Jurassic Park kind of scenery upon arrival but the lighting conditions didn’t cooperate.

We walked through the litter-strewn market to find an eco-resort called Barry’s where we had lunch. Normally, guests would pay a small fee to be taken out snorkelling from here, but the weather wasn’t right for it. We played Scrabble instead.

We walked back to the jetty on the beach, taking in a ghastly view of all the plastic litter. We boarded at 1500 jostling with locals taking bags of produce, chickens, goats and freshly-caught fish (which they hung on the wall).

While the day hadn’t been what we had hoped for, it was probably better than staying indoors in Dili.