Timor-Leste (East Timor) 🇹🇱
Transpacific 2016 STOP 1
June 4, 2016
Flight distance: 2714 nm
Hours in the air: 6.35
Due to long flying time to our next destination we rose to an early start. At Singapore’s Seletar Airport handling was very friendly and straight forward. Just before 9am we took off for the first leg to Pontianak on the island of Borneo in Indonesia where we stopped quick for refuelling. It was quite apparent and a big change to before to land in a muslim country just getting ready for Ramadan.
The second part of today’s trip was with 5 hours and 18 minutes much longer and took us over Sulavesi Indonesia, the Flores Sea south of the famous Maluku sea to East Timor. We landed in a perfect setting just before sunset and were greeted very kindly. It was already dark by the time we reached our hotel.
The first “day off” was easy with touring the vicinity of Dili. A highlight was the stations of the cross leading up to the “Christo Rei Statue” with fine overlooks of the bay, a visit to the memorial of John Paul II’s visit and mixing with the locals the traditional and modern way. People certainly are very friendly and open here, nice and relaxed atmosphere.
And last but not least did the Phantom 4 makes its first appearance with overwhelming success. Having said that, internet bandwidth is vey poor which reduced the amount of footage I was able to upload. Let’s hope it gets better soon…
Facts & figures
Timor-Leste (East Timor) was colonised by Portugal in the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until November 1975, when the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) declared the territory’s independence. Shortly after, it was invaded and occupied by Indonesia and was declared Indonesia’s 27th province the following year. The Indonesian occupation of East Timor was characterised by a highly violent decades-long conflict between separatist groups (especially FRETILIN) and the Indonesian military.
In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia abandoned control of the territory. East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on 20th May 2002 and joined the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries..
Dili is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor. It is located on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands.
