For Australians, Balibo will always be synonymous with the Balibo 5 – five 20-something journalists murdered there in 1975. The house they where lived is still there – in commemoration. There is an Australian flag there – preserved from when an Australian journalist painted it in what he hoped was an attempt to protect he and his friends..
However I was headed to, yawn, another 400 year old Portuguese fort, at the end of a long climb up from the coast.
This one had been turned into a pretty nice hotel. The whole hotel was inside the old walls of the fort – still intact.
There was an old colonial building which had been renovated into a guest area – restaurant, bar, etc.
They say the sunsets are pretty special, but sadly the weather intervened and I wasn’t lucky enough to see one.
The fort itself was showing its age, but not in wear and tear. It was holding together pretty well. There was a decent museum within the walls – where I learnt about the history of this country.
A highlight for me was heading to dinner on my first night – a giant gin and tonic in hand. There was a family – husband, wife, 12 year old. As I walked by, I thought… they’re Kiwis.
They were! Clare and Laurie Ngakai and their son Aaron, all the way from Te Anau (pronounced Te Ano – who knew). Really interesting people. They’d both served in Timor Leste around 2003/4. They were back for a battalion reunion. The Prime Minister of Timor Leste attended, as did one Buck Shelford (bring back Buck) who is an army veteran. The Ngakai’s had attended a series of events celebrating the NZ Army, 20 years previously. We had a really nice evening, chatting about all sorts of kiwi stuff. Funny, with total strangers, how you can share personal stuff. Maybe it was the giant gin.
They say, where ever you are in the world, walk into any bar and you’ll find a kiwi. I proved that fact.
In the morning we had breakfast together. And then these lovely people gifted me a very special hat – see below.
Balibo was high, so a fraction cooler. It was peaceful, after the hustle and bustle in Dili. The company was warm and familiar. And for me, a highlight, the staff made me feel like family. Balibo isn’t on the road to anywhere, but I am glad I went.