Children of Suai, Timor-Leste

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Walking the Beat in Dili, Timor-Leste

Tweet Australian Peacekeepers are a common sight around Dili. Admittedly, it is still a bit unsettling to see automatic weapons carried on the street -- and in restaurants.

Azerbaijan's "spin" on the Conviction of Two Bloggers

Tweet Nearly a week after two bloggers were convicted on trumped-up charges of hooliganism, the Azeri authorities are responding. Ali Hasanov, who is the deputy of the Parliament and also part of the presidential apparatus, says "the judicial system in Azerbaijan is independent and executive authorities cannot affect its decisions." He adds that "Azerbaijan has more freedom of speech, than such European countries as Germany and France."

Hasanov is quoted in various news reports.

On November 11th, the two bloggers, Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli were sentenced to two-and-a-half years and two years, respectively, in prison on the charge of hooliganism.

They were arrested last July after being beaten up as they dined at a restaurant with friends. Adnan and Emin have criticized the government in their blog.

Kafka in Baku

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Imagine coming home from work and finding a metal fence around your apartment building. When you attempt to go through the fence, security guards forcefully refuse to allow you inside.

According to press reports in Azerbaijan, it happened to Gurban Aliyev and the other residents of 95/97 Neftyanik Avenue – which is near the historic Maiden Tower – at the edge of Baku’s old walled city.

Aliyev says “all our stuff is in the apartments.” She said several days earlier, water, gas and power to the apartment building was suspended. She says the city plans to demolish the building. Aliyev says some residents have been driven to despair and are threatening to throw themselves off the top of the multi-story Maiden Tower.

Police apparently anticipated such a move, the Maiden Tower is closed and is guarded by police.

Who Needs Elections?

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The deputy of Azerbaijan’s ruling party, Aydyn Hasanov, has a novel way of saving money. He’s proposing that parliamentary elections scheduled for 2010 be postponed until after the war in Nagorno Karabakh – an area claimed by Azerbaijan, but occupied by Armenia.

“The draft budget for fiscal year 2010 allocates 50 million manat (62 million US dollars) for elections. We cannot afford ourselves such a luxury during the world economic crisis,” Hasanov said on Friday during a discussion of the draft budget for fiscal year 2010. He went on to say “all deputies, including me, are worthy people. Why do we need to conduct elections? Do you think people will elect someone better than we are?”

Ali Ahmadov, the deputy chairman of the ruling party, Yeni Azerbaijan, said Hasanov was making a joke. He said parliamentary elections will be conducted in 2010.

The Parliament is a rubber stamp for President Ilham Aliyev.

And Azerbaijan Calls Itself a Democracy....

Tweet Shame on the Azeri government.

On Tuesday, two young bloggers were sentenced to prison -- one for two-and-a-half years, the other for two years -- on the ridiculous charge of hooliganism. The whole thing is a sham -- driven by political motives, but it is not surprising.

The bloggers, Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, have been jailed in Baku since last summer -- in an effort by the government of Azerbaijan to silence those who criticize the policies of Ilham Aliyev - the president.

Adnan and Emin were arrested on the evening of July 8 after having dinner with some friends at a Baku restaurant. During dinner, witnesses describe how two thugs came up to Adnan and Emin and started beating them. Afterward, when the bloggers went to police to report the crime, it was they, not the thugs, who were arrested.

Tuesday's verdict sends a strong message that the government of Azerbaijan is frightened of any dissent or criticism and will use any means to attempt to intimidate and control its people. It also further signals that the Azeri government has no intention of honoring international agreements it has signed to ensure the people of Azerbaijan have the right to express themselves. In the past, Azerbaijan has jailed a number of journalists -- and several are still behind bars.

Since Azerbaijan is an oil-rich fiefdom, the West has treaded carefully in responding to this very undemocratic behavior by the Azeri government.

The Azeri government must be strongly condemned by the democracies of the world that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.

Home By the Sea

Tweet This photo was snapped in the village of Maubara, about 90 minutes west of Dili. Beautiful beaches and a nice little restaurant. It was a rest stop on the way to the village of Balibo, where in 1975, five journalists working for Australian media where killed while covering the invasion of Timor by the Indonesian military.

All Souls Day in Timor-Leste

Tweet Except for Christmas, All Souls Day is probably one of the holiest of days in Timor-Leste. It's the day that the dead are honored -- families go to the cemetery -- light candles and place flowers on the graves of their loved ones. If the family is unable to travel home then they go to the nearest cemetery -- where there is always a large communal cross -- families can pray for their loved ones and place candles and flower pedals around the cross.

The photo above was snapped in Dili's Santa Cruz cemetery -- where thousands of people came today -- some have relatives buried there, but many others don't -- hence the large bonfire around the cross.

Below, a young woman places candles at the gravesite of a relative.It's a beautiful idea and one that I was unfamiliar with, first hand, although I had read about All Souls Day and Day of the Dead. It is nice to experience these ceremonies, celebrated so intensely, after a number of years living in Muslim and Buddhist countries.

The bonfire at the cemetery reminded me of the Novruz (New Year's) ceremony in Azerbaijan each spring -- around the middle of March. Bonfires are built in the streets and people jump over the flames as a way of cleansing the soul.

All Souls Day comes from the ancient Pagan Festival of the Dead, which celebrated the Pagan belief that the souls of the dead would return for a meal with the family. It's always celebrated on November 2.

Low Tide at Tanah Lot

Tweet The Tanah Lot Temple in South Bali is the most popular in all of Bali -- according to the guide books. It was certainly packed the day I was there -- only Balinese are allowed inside the temple -- which sits on a rock -- most of which is artificial. Much of the original has crumbled after being pounded by the surf for thousands of years.

Getting down to the sea temple involves walking a gauntlet of vendors -- selling cheap t-shirts and other souvenirs -- always ready to give visitors "the best price."

During high tide, you need to roll up your pants and wade to the temple steps -- as the entire rock on which the temple sits is surrounded by water. The tide was just beginning to come in during my visit -- occasionally catching photographers who got too close to the water -- off guard and all wet.

Below is a smaller temple that sits on a cliff to the right of Tanah Lot.

Up Close

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It's rare to be able to get really close to a bird, but this little guy had apparently banged into the wall at the little hotel where I was staying -- called Abangan Bungalows in Ubud. One of the staff helped the bird, which he called a "honeybird" onto a tree limb. It sat there passively for a while, no doubt collecting its thoughts, after seeing stars. I was able to get really close and snap this shot.

The bird eventually flew off.

The Day of the Iguana

Tweet The first iguana I ever saw was on TV, in the Richard Burton movie, The Night of the Iguana. On a trip to Bali last week, I finally got to hold one. This one is a real beauty.

Turtles at Nusa Dua

Tweet I spotted these guys in a preserve at Nusa Dua. The attendant said the bigger one is about 40 years old.
I arrived on "turtle island" aboard a glass-bottom boat and waded ashore in bath-water warm water. The "preserve" includes a variety of critters -- including this guy.

Sunset at Ulu Watu in South Bali

Tweet Made, the taxi driver, is racing the sun as it drops toward the horizon. Our destination is Ulu Watu Temple -- which sits on a cliff overlooking the sea. We have left in plenty of time, but a traffic jam had put us behind schedule. We arrived with a few minutes to spare.

The temple, built in the 11th century, literally sits on the edge of the rocky cliff -- below the surf pounds against the rocks.

One thing one must be mindful of while visiting this temple are the monkeys. They can be quite aggressive. They will grab anything -- so visitors are reminded not to wear glasses, carry bags, to keep a tight grip on cameras and other items.

At one point, a large male monkey grabbed a man's prescription glasses -- and started to place them on his own face and then dashed into the bushes. After a lot of coaxing, the man got his glasses back -- but he had to climb near the edge of the cliff to do so.

Durian, Anyone?

Tweet Durian is in season in Bali -- it's a fruit that is native to southeast Asia -- and it's not for everyone. It has a creamy-like filling and the taste is a bit strong -- however, the most difficult part is the smell. Durian smells like rotten onions or sweaty socks.

Most airlines will not allow Durian on their planes because of the smell.

Hold your breath and take a bite!

The photo above was taken in the Ubud Market.