Lone Mangrove greets the dawn

Lone Mangrove greets the dawn

Security was the main concern I had before embarking my journey to East Timor. I had been eager to assist in the installation of solar systems in a country in desperate need of infrastructure, but in the month leading up to my visit it seemed that Timor was again revising the ‘troubles’ that have plagued its independence. Notionally aware – having travelled through Turkey, Indonesia, and the Middle-East against the advice of the Australian Government – that insecure locations are typically geographically constrained, and one need only avoid war fronts (and five-star hotels), I was generally happy to continue my ‘mission East Timor’. However, when it arose that much of the conflict was occurring in the very region that I was headed, and that after a vehicle was attacked en route to Viqueque the UN had ceased driving through the region in favour of using helicopters, I re-thought my itinerary. I was assured that Dili and the surrounding areas were all stable; consequently my activities focussed on this region, though – as it arose – things seemed to have settled in Viqueque by the time I arrived. Following, then are some interesting insights about the country of Timor Lorosae (translation: where the sun rises) – whatever you call this country, it matters not , for the word Timor itself means ‘East’.

You can read the whole story in pieces across some my images of timor, or all at once on my Writing