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Facts for the Visitor
Last update: August 2001
Getting to East Timor
There are flights from Indonesia and
Australia as well as the road link from Kupang in West Timor. Check the flight
schedules for Airnorth
(Australia) and Merpati (Indonesia).
Road
Travel from Kupang in West Timor to the East Timor
border is fairly safe at last reports (14/May/2001).
You can catch a bus from Kupang to Atambua.
From Atambua you can catch an Ojek (motor bike taxi) to the
border village of Mutain.
At Atambua, you will need a "Surat
Jalan" border pass which you can obtain for free from the
local army head-quarters. Failure to obtain this pass could
result in a large fine.
The Indonesian border post is a short
distance from Motain. After passing the Indonesian border
post, it is a two km walk to the East Timor border post.
There is no transport from the East Timor
border to the next town of Batugade, you may get a lift to
Batugade or may have to walk 4km to Batugade.
From Batugade there is a bus to Dili.
Information from Timor Aid personal in West
Timor say the Atambua area is fairly safe. However make an
effort to learn local news and try to be aware of any problems
or possible tensions.
Teddy's Bar in Kupang is a good place for
local information and a possible Kupang to Dili bus service.
1) A traveller, Edwin van de Koolwijk who used the border crossing in
late June 2001 reports that, "the border at Atambua is quite safe, no problems with Visas."
Edwin goes on to report that in order to return to Indonesia by the land border, you need to apply for another
two month Indonesian Visa which is available for US$30 at the Indonesian consulate in Dili which is situated at the Pertamina Wharf.
The phone number for the Indonesian consulate is: (Timor: 670) (Dili: 390) 312 333
2) Some people have been 'fined' fairly large
sums by the guards at the Atambua border for not holding a
"surat jalan" border pass. These can be obtained at the
'Sektor' military base just outside
Atambua, and should cost nothing.
I crossed on the 27th of July with the pass and
experienced no problems. Matt Goodhind (UK).
Australia
Daily flights connect the northern Australian city of Darwin
with Dili, East Timor's capital. For information on Australia
visa requirements, visit the Australian
Department of Immigration.
Indonesia
Indonesia's Merpati Nusantara Airlines has a service from
Denpasar, Bali in Indonesia to Dili, East Timor. Most
nationalities get a two month Indonesian visa on entry. For
more information, visit Indonesia's Department
of Foreign Affairs website.
Health
Volunteers
should follow the advice given by Australian Government health
agencies regarding immunisation and preventative medications for
travellers to East Timor. Volunteers who choose not to have the
recommended immunisations, or not to take malarial or other
recommended medications, must sign an indemnity to that effect.
Their insurance policy will not cover those particular illnesses.
Recommended
vaccines include:
Visitors
do catch dengue fever and malaria. Please take precautions. Taking
doxycycline is a popular preventative method. Mosquito nets are in
use at the Timor Aid house and you can use repellent, mosquito
coils, wear long shirts and pants particularly at sunset. Herbal
treatments have not proved adequate in preventing malaria.
Geography
East
Timor is a mountainous country (which is one reason why the
guerrilla army was able to survive).
Dili is hot but other places could get slightly chilly at
night. July through to November should be mainly or completely dry.
Food
Rice,
noodles, beef, goat, pork, fish, tempe, green leafy and other
vegetables, tropical fruit, beer. There is very little cheese,
herbal teas, good wine or chocolate. If you want these things, bring
your own. If you are a strict vegetarian please consider your
protein needs while in Timor as there will not be the same protein
supplies you are used to.
There
are now many markets, food stalls, cafes, restaurants and shops.
Water
Good
idea to carry water around with you to drink. Local water must be
boiled before drinking. Bottled water is widely available.
Washing
Traditionally,
showers or bathtubs are not used in East Timor. Timorese (and
Indonesians) use a Mandi - a water receptacle (concrete or large ceramic
tank)
from which you scoop up water using a plastic jug or ladle to
pour water over yourself. Once wet, you soap-up before rinsing
off with the ladle. It is considered very bad manners to
hop into a mandi to bathe.
Money
and Banks (Check
Exchange Rate)
Change
your money in East Timor - you get a better rate there. The official
currency is the US dollar; it is now illegal to use other
currencies and a fine can be imposed. However, the Timorese
still tend to use the Indonesian Rupiah in local exchanges. There
are many money changers standing around the bank and post office.
There are 2 banks in Dili:
Banco Nationale Ultramarine (BNU) which is a Portuguese bank. If money is
transfered to this bank, you will only be able to withdraw
it in Portuguese escudos.
ANZ, which is an overseas branch of an Australian bank. ANZ has a bank
machine, and can give cash advances on credit cards (phone
324 800). In general however, one can use credit cards at
very very few places eg travel agencies. If money is transferred
to this bank, you will only be able to withdraw
it in Australian dollars.
You can possibly also arrange to pick up money at the Westpac foreign
exchange. Ask the Westpac bank in Darwin, phone: 132032.
There
are also bank teller machines at the Hello Mister and Jape
shopping centres
Postal Service
East Timor now has a functioning postal
service however many countries still route mail for East Timor
through Indonesia. Mail which is routed through Indonesia will
not reach East Timor and in most cases it will be returned to
sender.
Ideally mail should be sent to a PO Box
number in Dili. If mail is addressed to a well known institution,
postal staff may contact the institution telling them mail is waiting but
it is a bit risky. Even trying to send mail to the leadership
without a PO Box number is not guaranteed.
Use the following method as an example to
address your mail to East Timor. Note the important addition
of 'via Darwin, Australia'. This will ensure your mail to
routed through Australia and will reach East Timor.
Name of Recipient
c\- Poste Restante
Dili
East Timor
via Darwin, Australia
or
Name of Recipient
PO Box ****
Dili,
East Timor
via Darwin, Australia
Mobile/Cell
Phones
Mobile
phone, on the Australian Telstra network, works in Dili, areas
of Suai, and at Baucau airport.
Electricity
The
electricity cuts out on a regular basis due to substandard power
generators. UNTAET (UN Administration) is unable to guarantee a
reliable power supply. In accommodation without generators, the lack of
power to drive air-conditioning or fans can be extremely
uncomfortable.
Cost of
Living
You can
live in ET for $50 a week if you are not a drinker or constant
restaurant goer. There are no camping grounds.
Souvenirs
The most
popular souvenir of ET is a "Tais" which is Timorese woven
material. One would pay approx. USD $25 or Rp250,000 for a good one the size
of a sarong. One can also buy carved wooden figures which come from
the island of Autauro, north of Dili, and pottery from the
town of Manatuto.
The
People
The
Timorese are a gracious and hospitable people and if they
offer you food and/or drink it is polite to accept and eat/drink at
least a small amount. Shake hands with people when you meet them and
when you see them again.
Women
often "cheek kiss" both sides of the face. Everyone
usually likes getting their photo taken or being videoed but ask
first.
What to
Bring
-
hat and sunglasses if used to wearing them
-
sleeping bag
-
sandals, thongs, walking shoes
-
clothes for hot weather, something warm for the towns in the
mountains
-
some “good” clothes if you get asked to a wedding etc
-
torch, mosquito
repellent
-
bathroom bag and towel
-
there are no tampons, though pads are for sale in most shops.
Dress
Standards
Wearing
brief swimmers is frowned on, wearing singlets and shorts for men
and short skirts and skimpy tops for women is not done by the
locals. Timorese mainly wear very clean and well-ironed clothes -
this is important to them.
Traffic
Traffic in
Dili is chaotic - there are many traffic accidents. There are many
cars and much reconstruction activity. The footpaths have uncovered
drains under them so be careful walking, especially at night.
Crime
and Security
CIVPOL (police), the UN and local contacts
have all confirmed that the number of attacks on people are on
the increase, as are the severity of the incidents. Recently, there was a serious attack on a woman who was walking
alone in Dili at night, and a number of other robberies and
assaults have recently been reported including a serious
assault on an Australian soldier.
We strongly urge and advise everyone not to go out walking alone after dark
under any circumstances.
There have been reports of people being attacked even when
in pairs, so extreme caution should be taken at all times at
night in and around Dili.
In these incidents so far, women have been the main
targets. We advise that when you are out with others
at night time to ensure that you think ahead and plan how you
will get to and from your destination safely. We also advise
that you take measures to let people know where you are going
and when you plan to arrive at your destination.
The advice that we have been given is that you should not
assume that it is safe to travel by taxi when you are alone,
either at night or during the day. Neither can you assume that
you will be safe if you are travelling by motorbike even with
two passengers.
Other advice that we have been given is that there are
risks for foreign women who go jogging around Dili for
exercise, and we advise you to seriously consider these risks
before making this decision. Our information at this stage
leads us to advise against this activity, unless in a group
and in daylight hours.
There have been several serious incidents reported on the
beaches at night time, and Australian Volunteers International
strongly urge you not to visit the beaches after dark for any
reason.
People carrying mobile phones should have the numbers for
CIVPOL and the Timor Aid Ambulance Service keyed into their
speed dials.
The numbers are as follows:
CIVPOL 0408839978
Ambulance 0418826649
The reason there has been such an increase
in crime is due to the destitution, extreme poverty and
unemployment caused by Indonesia's destruction of the
territory in 1999.
Religion
Timor is
about 95% Catholic. People don't use much in the way of
contraception and families are large. 12 children is common. The
head of the church is Bishop Belo
Leaders
Xanana Gusmao (pronounced "Shanana",
rhymes with banana) was head of the CNRT, and long-time leader of
the resistance to the Indonesian presence in East Timor. Many
believe he will be the country's first president.
The head
of UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor)
is Sergio de Mello.
CNRT
was
the National Council of Timorese Resistance - an umbrella organisation
supposedly representing all Timorese groups. It has now been
disbanded, and individual political parties have once again
formed.
Terms
You Will Hear
1) Fretilin is a political party with a left of centre flavour
2) UDT is a political party with a right of centre flavour
3) Falintil is the guerrilla army which at present is assisting International Peace Keeping Forces patrol the Indonesian border area. Plans to be part of the future security force of East Timor
4) Tau Matan Ruark is the commander in chief of Falintil
5) PKF - Peace Keeping Forces - from many countries, mainly male
6) Civ Pol - UN Civilian Police - from many countries, mainly male
7) OPMT - Organisation Populere Mulhere Timorense - A women's organisation which has been
operating clandestinely since 1975 supporting the struggle for independence.
Info on
the Web
There
are regular Update of events in East Timor on Timor Today website
http://www.timoraid.org/timortoday/
Language
Tetum
Current
research suggests Tetum and eight other Austronesian
languages, except Lóvaia,
descends from a language introduced from the Buton region in
Celebes about a thousand years ago.
The
invasive Austronesian speech displaced the older Papuan vernaculars
of which only three survive to this day.
The
Austronesian proto language underwent drastic simplification
called pidginization or creolization. This process was accelerated
by later invasions of Austronesian speakers from
Central Moluccas who left their strongest imprint on the
languages of West Timor.
Today
the main language of East Timor, Tetum, is a hybrid language,
basically Austronesian but with a heavy Portuguese substratum.
The impact of Portuguese on Tetum was similar to the impact of
French on English after the Norman French conquest. (Taken
from “Standard Tetum-English Dictionary” by Dr Geoffrey
Hull ISBN: 1 86508 206 6).
Today
Tetum is spoken by about 60% of people as a first language and
20% as a second language.
Portuguese
Despite
Indonesian attempts to erase the Portuguese language from
Timor by banning it in 1981, it has remained. Portuguese is
spoken by the older generation. The
Portuguese language has had a profound effect on Timorese
culture and the Tetum language has been greatly enriched by
the infusion of Portuguese making it distinct from the Tetum
spoken in neighbouring West Timor which had a Dutch colonial
past.
Portuguese
is spoken by around 10% of the population.
Indonesian
Bahasa
Indonesia (Indonesian Language) is not very different to
Malaysian or Bahasa Malay and as the long time trade language
of the Indonesian archipelago, it has always been understood
by many in East Timor.
However,
following the Indonesian invasion in 1975, Indonesian was
introduced into the education system bringing East Timor in
line with the rest of Indonesia. Young people know it well and
there has been some discussion of keeping it as one of the
nation’s official languages, but renaming it Malay.
Indonesian
is spoken by 90% of people under 30 years of age and by 50% of
people over 30 years of age. Indonesian was used in all
schools and universities during the occupation. Although there
is a large body of teaching material for the language, it is
of poor quality. Bahasa Indonesia phrase books are available
in any bookshop with a good travel section around the world.
Tetum Sound System
A ‘a’ as in car
E ‘e’ as in bet
I ‘i’
as in fit
O ‘o’ as in hot
U ‘u’ as in put
OU ‘ou’ as in coal
EI ‘ei’ as in eight
AE ‘ae’ as in kite
EU
difficult for English speakers to pronounce. Practice
combining the ‘e’ (as in bet) with the ‘u’ (as
in put).
OO
‘oo’ as in poor
EE
‘ee’ as in hair
Most
consonants are the same as in English with a few exceptions.
J
‘j’ as in pleasure (educated pronunciation)
or ‘z’ as in zebra (popular pronoounciation)
LL
‘ll’ as in million
Ñ
‘ñ’ as in canyon
R
‘r’ pronounced slightly trilled
RR
‘rr’ pronounced with hard trill
S
‘s’ as in save, never as ‘z’ as in rose
V
popular pronunciation = ‘b’
X
‘x’ as in shop, wash or as ‘s’ in
popular pronunciation.
The
glottal stop (‘) in Tetum words is not really pronounced. So
words like di’ak and ne’ebé are pronounced as ‘diak (ia
as in fear).
Useful
Tetum Phrases
Good
morning
Bondia
Good
Evening
Botarde
Good
Night
Bonoite
Goodbye
Adeus
How
are you?
Di’ak ka lae?
Well,
thankyou
Ha’u di’ak
There
is/are
Iha…..
There
isn’t/are not
La iha…..
Excuse
me (I’m sorry)
Deskulpa
Please
excuse me
Konlisensa
I
am hungry
Ha’u hamlaha
I
am thirsty
Ha’u hamrook
I
am sick
Ha’u moras todan
I,
me
Ha’u
You
(when speaking to a child)
Ó
You
(when speaking to an adult)
Ita
You
(speaking to a group)
Imi
He,
him, her, she,it
Nia
We
(but not you)
Ami
We
(and you)
Ita
They,
them
Sira
Where
Iha-ne’ebé
Here
Iha-ne’e
There
Iha-ne’ebé
Inside
Iha laran
Outside
Iha li’ur
When
Bainhira
Now
Agora, oras ne’e
Today
Ohin
Tomorrow
Aban
How
much?
Hira?
How?
Oinsá
Why
Tansá
1
Ida
2
Rua
3
Tolu
4
Haat
5
Lima
6
Neen
7
Hitu
8
Uala
9
Sia
10
Sanulu
11
Sanulu-resin-ida
12
Sanulu-resin-rua
13
Sanulu-resin-tola
14
Sanulu-resin-haat
15
Sanulu-resin-lima
16
Sanulu-resin-neen
17
Sanulu-resin-hitu
18
Sanulu-resin-uala
19
Sanulu-resin-sia
20
Ruanulu
21
Ruanulu-resin-ida
22
Ruanulu-resin-rua
23
Ruanulu-resin-tola
24
Ruanulu-resin-haat
25
Ruanulu-resin-lima
30
tolunulu
40
haatnulu
50
limanulu
60
neenulu
70
hitunulu
80
uanulu
90
sianulu
100
atus ida
200
atus rua
1
000
rihun ida
5
000
rihun lima
1
000 000
okan, millaun
Tetum
Language Manual of East Timor
(Phrase Book) by Dr Geoffrey Hull. Published by
Academy of East Timor Studies, University of Western Sydney
McArthur, Australia. E-mail: s.lester@uws.edu.au
Phone: (Australia +61) 2 9772 6334, (Australia +61) 9774 2390
This
book is available in Australian bookshops.
Mai
Kolia Tetun, A Beginner’s Course in Tetum-Praça by Dr Geoffrey Hull. Published by Caritas Australia and
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. ISBN: 0646 150715.
Pages: 345.
(This book is also
available with accompanying audio cassettes.)
Standard Tetum-English
Dictionary by Dr Geoffrey Hull. Published by Allen &
Unwin in association with the University of Western Sydney
MacArthur. ISBN: 1 86508 206 6. E-mail: frontdesk@allen-unwin.com.au
Pages: 340
This
book is Tetum-English only.
Short
English-Tetum Dictionary by Dr Geoffrey Hull.
Published by the Academy of East Timor Studies.
This
is an interim dictionary while Dr Hull prepares his full-sized
English-Tetum dictionary.
A Traveller’s
Dictionary by Cliff Morris. Published by Baba Dook Books.
ISBN: 959 1922 2 0 Pages: 77
This dictionary has a good introduction to the
different flavours of Tetun and to Timorese culture.
East
Timor Phrasebook by John Hajek and Alexandre Vital
Tilman. Published by Lonely Planet. ISBN 1740590201 Pages 253
A
very recent publication - July 2001.
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