Sometimes, instead of the gruelling three and a half hour drive avoiding goats, cows, buffalo, dogs, goats, pigs, chickens, motorbikes, gangs of goats, (occasionally) monkeys, motorbikes, potholes the size of small towns, crazy UN drivers, goats, people sitting on the side of the roads, cliffs that beg you to fall over the edge, school kids, toddlers playing on the road, buses laden down with a ridiculous amount goods, the occasional witches hat or drum full of rocks, convoys of cars that drive down the centre of narrow roads transporting important people at high speed, other cars and goats I am lucky enough to jump on the 20 minute scenic flight that is the UN chopper.
It's not every day you get a free ride on a helicopter!
This is the helicopter….it’s hard to tell in the photo, but this thing is HUGE! It lands just outside of town, not far from my work. When I first arrived I would go out and watch it every day, but now I’m so used to it that sometimes I don't even hear it. Didn't think I would ever get used to a massive UN helicopter land 200m away from everyday.
Sometimes it feels like the chopper came just for me. They are big old rattly things...but i don't think it's going to all apart. At least, I hope it doesn't.
This is the Nunaro Plain, which Maliana is located on the edge of. Bobonaro (the name of the District) is one of the biggest rice growing regions in Timor, as you can probably see! This was taken in the middle of the wet so there are lots of “natar” – rice paddies.
Just on the right of the photo you can see part of the UN Compound (the blue roof). The building with the red roof is right next to my office.
Natar and mountains in the distance mostly surround us. It is beautiful. A quick walk outside is a good way to calm down when things get a bit much!
I went for a ride with a friend of mine down this road one day to visit her family’s rice paddy. It just goes on and on and there are heaps of people walking and riding between their homes and their natar. If your family owns a rice field and you don’t have a paying job you have to work the fields. The vast majority of people here (90% of rural poor) rely on agriculture to survive. Depending on the season sometimes they have some spare to sell and make money, but mostly they eat it. If there is not enough rain, too much rain or any other crop damage there are serious food security issues. For families in the Bobonaro district this season is not looking good. Many crops have failed due to the too much rain.
You can just see the meeting of two huge rivers. During the wet these river beds usually have some water running through them (which you can see on the left), but are not normally full, unless there has been a series of days with big rains...and if that's the case there are most likely several families who have lost homes because of flooding.
Mountains mountains mountains. They are spectacular and never ending. I am blown away anytime I head into the mountains with how beautiful it is here.
The north coast of East Timor flying into Dili.
Yes, I really am that lucky.
