Second largest city of Timor Leste

Paolo and I shared a ride with some others in a taxi to the bus station by the beach, to take the bus to Baucau. We waited on the bus for about half hour for it to fill and finally set off around 0915.

This was a proper bus rather than truck and the road conditions meant that we moved faster as well, with the journey of 123km covered in 3h15. As we approached Baucau, we passed the airport to see cows on the runway. While it is equipped to handle large jets (useful for the Portuguese and Indonesian military, and also for aid), there are no commercial flights.

We got dropped off in Kota Lama (old town) where we had lunch straight away. Paolo’s vegetable soup at USD2 was OK value but mine Spanish omelette with tiny bits of potato and a small side salad was a hefty USD4.Then the rain started so we sheltered in the restaurant before finding a brand new guesthouse where we were the 9th and 10th guests.

They charge USD30 per room and there were no twins, so Paolo and I had to share a double to fit within our budget. Again, it was Bangkok 3-star prices for something much lesser in Timor Leste.

We checked out the surroundings to find locals had set up a venue for some Catholic celebration. They said they were preparing to “receive God”, a term I’m not familiar with. But with kids dressed completely in white, I gathered it was a confirmation ceremony.

The old Portuguese pousada was just next door. We then found the old market; it seemed like a waste that it was left to wither away despite having been done up during the Indonesian era. Market stalls operate from sheds around the area instead.

The town cathedral is a modern(ish) building decorated with azulejo of Mary and St Anthony. Finally we headed to the natural spring-fed pool to find that it had closed for the day only minutes before.

I ran off to get some beer and found some El Diablo 12%, a brand from the USA but it doesn’t say where it had been made under license. Not so easy to find were the kerepek singkong (tapioca chips) or any snacks to go with it; this is not the kind of place where people spend on luxuries like that.

We had dinner at the very elegant restaurant of the pousada next door. We shared two vegetarian options at USD6 each. It was expensive for what it is, but Timor Leste is expensive. Prices for accommodation and food seems to have been jacked up to meet NGO budgets.

Baucau had a more Portuguese flavour with its buildings and more people speak Portuguese as well.

Despite being the country’s second largest city, it is very small relative to Dili. There isn’t that much to see and do but it’s more about experiencing … the same can be said about Timor Leste.