Trekking East Timor

A group of us are sitting on a ridge by a camp fire looking across a valley. The sun is setting behind the highest mountain in East Timor, Mt Tatamailau in the Ramelau Mountains. People and ponies are walking by our camp fire on their way home from the Ainaro market some four hours away, down south in the valley.

Next day as we walk along some of the tracks in the area I realize that these are just a small part of an amazing network,and because there are very few good roads and vehicles in rural East Timor, the tracks are essential to link the communities. Walking the tracks you meet many people and their ponies taking produce to market.

What a beautiful, rugged country this is, blessed with welcoming sociable people, a mild climate, very few cars on the roads once outside Dili and a complete network of walking tracks.  It is indeed an ideal place for adventurere,challenge and a chance to support a developing society.

(Never once during the eight weeks of researching these treks in remote areas have I felt insecure or threatened.)

John Bartlett

February  2010