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with shared laughter and many fist bumps. A moment in time that will last a lifetime.
A day later in the wonderful village of Rabilau where the Mambae people welcomed us traditionally before proceeding to share their lives and learn about ours. These were mostly older people who had probably been witness to far more than we could ever imagine and yet they were warm and welcoming to strangers. Laughter abound, a shared local‘ cigarette’ offered, and a comforting touch. Another encounter that reinforced the importance of connection, and not of a digital kind. Gradually I could see this mindset sweeping across our small group.
Riding on, toward the south coast, encounters like these became the norm. Fishermen on the beach wanted to be a part of our antics as we played on the sands, the police that had decided an escort was required joked with locals about an overloaded bike, the fish were obscuring the number plate. Handshakes and hugs offered when a few of us helped to drag an outrigger fishing boat from the Timor Sea. Connections again being made.
It seemed to culminate when a picturesque waterfall, backdrop to a small roadside market and restaurant area, welcomed with a small lad asking what language I spoke. His perfect English took me by surprise as I replied,“ the same as you”.
His calls to others were quickly answered with more children arriving, an older girl keen to practice her English. It had been quickly established that the kids were learning English in a local school that insisted on speaking this language.
“ We must learn English,” the girl suggested.“ It will make us better people.”
Shocked, I’ d replied to the negative, suggesting that indeed English is the universal tongue, and yet a specific language does not make one better. I was sure the girl understood as she smiled with a thank you.
We conversed for several minutes as the last of the riders passed by, each welcomed with a wave and shout of“ malae, malae”. In that moment I realised that the local term for foreigner, despite its original connotations, was not one of race, religion, or nationality, it was one of welcoming a stranger, a foreigner, to one of the most wonderful countries on this planet. LW
Traverse was invited to Timor- Leste by Dili Dirt to highlight this little nation and its tourism opportunities. What we discovered was something much greater than mere tourism, Timor-Leste left an indelible mark that will see us return to discover much more.
Dili Dirt is a startup project that provides opportunities to local people through initiatives that support development through tourism projects and adventure riding into remote regions. This trip was supported by the Australian Government through Market Development Facility( MDF), a program to facilitate sustainable economic development, through higher incomes for women and men, in the partner countries.
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