The
trip from Dili to Com is a great escape from the big city for the
weekend. (For those who spend most of the week in Dili).
The beaches between Dili and Baucau are for the most part deserted. You
can just pull up anywhere on the beach and have a party or swim and
snorkel.
If you have the gear the scuba diving is great. Dive Lorosea
and Free Flow Diving both rent out equipment and guide divers that are
into it. There are some untouched coral reefs that are easily accessible from the shore.
You can come across a lot of unusual critters and a great variety of
sponges. There is not an abundance of big stuff but mantas and sharks
are occasionally seen. Dugongs and whalesharks are occasionally seen
but rarely. Trevalleys, tuna, and bumphead parrotfish, and turtles are
not unusual. There is lots of small stuff that is not common elsewhere.
Some of the nudibrancs are rare and there are some creatures that are
not found in most of the fish identification books.
Thorn trees grow on some of the beaches. Take note! These thorns are
really big and sharp and have no problem poking through a flip flop so
beware.
The cliffs along the way are stunning and the views are outstanding.
Pay close attention to the road because it is a long drop over that
edge. Going around the corners slow down and stay well over to your
side.
The first town you go through is Metenaro which has been transformed
into a massive refugee camp (may-aug 2006). Enterprising individuals
set up shop selling all kinds of goods from cookware to laundry soap.
It is kind of like a small city.
This camp sprung up next to a military installation where the refugees feel a degree of safety.
Big
piles
of wood are for sale alongside the road. I hope that the situation
doesn't become like
Haiti where all the trees have been cut down for firewood. The bundles
sell for 10 cents each and most of it is trucked into Dili.
All that cutting must have an affect on the environment. The Timor Sea
is supposed to have some big natural gas reserves so maybe in time the
country will shift to natural gas for cooking instead of wood.
Just shy of Manatutu is a beautiful beach and
dive site affectionately known as K57 probably because it is 57
kilometers from Dili.
It is a great dive site and the current can be brisk. There are some
big cracks in the wall with huge gorgonians growing there. It is a
beautiful sight to look up with the sun peering through the gaps
highlighting those beautiful corals.
As
you approach Baucau you will pass the airport on your right. It has a
greater capacity than the one in Dili but is not very heavily used.
The benzine station at the top of the hill before you descend into Baucau is the best place to get fuel.
There is a large selection of machetes on the wall that you can select
from. The blacksmiths here make machetes and they are used for
everything including fighting.
Baucau itself is ok but there really isn't that much going on. There is
a beach 5 kilometers from town that is ok and I have heard that there
is a guesthouse for tourists down there but didn't look into it because
I prefer to stay in Com.
A
pink hotel with a Miami Beach art deco look is a first rate place to
stay starting at 60.00 US a night. (Pousada De Baucau.) The staff seems
helpful and friendly. This would be a pleasant place to stay if you are
not short on money.
Going straight out from the Pousada is the road leading to Com. It goes
past a big complex of swimming pools. The big one was half full and
the smaller ones were dry. (Dec 2006 update- They are now full and open for swimming)
You will get to a fork in the road with an enormous rock has rolled
down the hill and is resting on the side of the road. Someone wedged a
smaller rock under it so it wouldn't continue rolling downhill towards
the homes and farms down there.
If you want to go to the beach in Baucau bear to the left and follow it for 5 or 6 kilometers. It is a nice drive.
To continue onwards to Com drive around the rock and take the trail to the right.
There are endless miles of beach and shoreline and it is really peaceful.
Herds of buffalo feed alongside the road and occasionally they cross so be vigilant. These are fairly solid animals and are worth
200 to 300 dollars.
The rumor has it that 70 of these critters are what it takes to pay the
dowry for a girl from Los Palos. There are quite a few goats and pigs
out there on the road too. Heads up!
There are a
few shops along the way where you can get drinks,
bread, and fish. Why not stop and help out the local economy.
Lautem has a few roadside benzine dealers if you are low on fuel but it
is up to 1.15 US a liter. Most other places it is still a dollar,
including Los Palos.
Then you approach Com, (also called Comfort) after a nice drive along the shoreline.
There is a resort with electricity just before you get to town. The rooms there start at 25.00 dollars. Watch out for two enormous speed bumps!
Then you come to Alex and Angelo's guesthouse with a short bamboo fence
right on the shore. They can open the gate for you so you can drive right in
there and park in the yard. There doesn't seem to be any crime in Com but it never hurts to keep an eye on things.
Further along is my favorite guesthouse, the Sina Seaside. They
actually have a sand beach and allow camping. Owned by a very nice
family.
On the other side of the street is Rositas. The co-op has tais for sale.
Some of them are real quality unlike the stuff that comes from Colmera
in Dili.
Candles and lanterns are used in this part of town because there is no electricity.
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