Day 52 - a photo with Carmen and a JDN walking tour - Unfinished Business

June 21, 2023

Day 52 - a photo with Carmen and a JDN walking tour

I was staying in Dili another day to catch Carmen for lunch and to get that photo of us. She postponed yesterday because she needed to see the PM.

Carmen and I at Timor Plaza. Yes, that's the sleazy Gloria Jeans and Burger King in the background, which most Timorese can't afford. Carmen knew half the people at Timor Plaza. I think it's best to meet her in some isolated place!

I conceded defeat on doing some media in Dili, as I tried to get the blog done and organize getting back on the road. There was a pleasant surprise. When I couldn't make lunch with Bernie from JDN, she suggested I go on one of their walking tours.

As I was about to leave Casa Minha, a new guest, Anniek, arrived so I invited her along. We waited 47 seconds for an 09 microlet - the blue one, which we took to Hotel Timor, where we met Delizia. We then wandered the streets of Dili, stopping at a few places where the Indonesians tortured women specifically. At each site Belizea took out her laptop and showed us a clip of a woman narrating her experience when detained.

It wasn't always the Sang Tai Hotel. You'd never know what went on here if just wandering by.

Across the road from the hotel is Tais Market. All the stalls look the same to me but there's regional differences in the ceremonial clothing they produce.

It wasn't always about children. It once housed something far more sinister.

This is where they forced women to strip and to jump into a pool with a crocodile.

Belizea - what a tour guide! I leave any JDN event with a smile. We should just let young people run the show.

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John GrantIt churns my guts, even sitting thousands of kilometres away, thinking about all the torture sights. I can't imagine what it's like being there. It's absolutely heartbreaking pondering what people did to other people.
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10 months ago

Ian WallisTo John GrantJohn- what I find at least as disturbing is the deal between Australia, America and Indonesia to let them invade and to use US weapons. Where was the voice of the East Timorese? Unfortunately it was Gough sucked in to the fear of communism. The Indonesians knew how to deal with communists!
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10 months ago

John GrantTo Ian WallisI've been ashamed of that for many years
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10 months ago