Rivers of Oecussi

Oecussi rivers – rainy season

Oecussi is usually very dry but when the rainy season starts many of the rivers swell and make travel difficult.

These people just deal with it and just wait for the river level to drop and then resume business as usual.

Some communities can be cut off for several weeks when the bigger rivers peak. During the dry the riverbeds are used as roads.

There are very few motorized vehicles in Oecussi but even the big lorries can not pass when the water is high.

When the level is low the rivers are used to wash the trucks and collect gravel for making concrete.

Oecussi

Dry riverbed

Riverbeds are used as roads during the dry season but use extreme caution during the “wet” or rainy season. Heavy rains will flood these rivers and vehicles can be swept away in the current.

These piles of rock were gathered to be used in construction projects – road building or whatever. They had to be removed by truck before the rains began or the rushing waters would scatter them all over.

Land of Fire – East Timor