Just got back from the bemo center and got a big place of nasi goring or fried rice and fried egg for 6000 rupiah. Kupang has some good deals.

The beer at Lavalon is 20,000 for the big bintang which is a little high for Indonesia but cheap for Timor. The huge plus is sitting at the Lavalon bar at night. It is nice and cool and you can see a bunch of fishing boats along the horizon with their lanterns attracting fish.

The stars are out tonight and the waves are washing up on the beach.

I hope that Dili in East Timor gets it together one of these days because there is a huge stretch of beach along the waterfront there with vendors selling barbaqued fish and chicken and corn when the city is at peace. It could be very nice when that happens.

I got back to Kupang in West Timor last night.

Went down to the bemo center and got some nasi goring at my favorite warung.
Lots of activity with Garth Brooks music pumping out full volume from the cd shops. Achy Breaky Heart is a favorite here.

It is kind of wierd. Country music in Kupang. They love it in Flores too.
There is kind of a filipino flavor to this part of Indonesia. The bemos are all painted up like jeepneys and there is popular music blaring from the speakers.

Timor travel says that the border with East Timor is closed at this time and they have cancelled all trips to Dili. You can still take the bus to Atambua if you want.

West Timor - Kupang and Roti are in West Timor and easy to travel to.
Surfers will have no problems going to Nembelala. West Timor is a part of Indonesia.

East Timor - Border is closed at this time. Indonesia has evaquated two plane loads of personal from Dili. Australia has evacuated a number of foreigners to Darwin. Lots of tension in East Timor right now.

I am going to try to get over to Dili when it is possible but it will be quite difficult from West Timor because the borders are closed. I do not know if the Indonesian embassy in Dili is open. I have heard that a number of indonesians are camping out on the grounds but that is only hearsay.

I will try to keep updating with fresh info. as it comes in.

I just got back from the bank in Bali. I have an account with BPI, a local Balinese bank.

When you get there you fill out a deposit or withdrawl form and set it on the counter. Then you take one of the 20 seats in the waiting area.When the teller gets around to it he does the transaction and calls your name.

You then go back to the counter and get your bankbook.

The local guy ahead of me had withdrawn about 50 million rupiah which is a large stack and just put it in his bag without counting it.

Bank Central Asia is the most modern bank in Ubud. They can do international wire transfers and have atm machines. They use a 5 digit pin.

They have changed their policy last year so foreigners have to have a kitas or specialvisa to have an account there.

One of the tourists was giving the clerk a hard time because she felt that the staff should be able to show her how to do her own web site. It was really embarassing. She had been at the computer over an hour and the staff had left to go home.

The tourist claimed that she did not have to pay because the staff was not able to fix her website. The clerk finally relented and argreed that she did not have to pay.

When I left I had to apologize for my fellow tourist but the clerk just smiled and said cheerfully “I’m used to it.”

Another tourist moment by dutchpickle.