Early Morning Dili

Tweet I try to get a walk in every morning before work and before the heat. That means going out around 6 a.m.

Roosters are crowing all about, dogs are lying in the street -- scratching themselves and there is only the occasional sound of a distant muffler-less motor-bike. It's pretty peaceful.

It's still dark, but the mountains to the east are beginning to show just a hint of daylight by 6:30. Thirty minutes later and the tropical sun burst over the mountains and the cool night air begins to mix with the warm rays of the sun.

Lots of people are out and about at this hour -- all for the same reason -- to avoid the heat. This morning, I power-walked past the former Timorese president and his entourage of six or seven bodyguards.

Further along, a man in a worn AIG t-shirt was behind a push cart -- loaded with five liter plastic containers of kerosene -- to be used in cooking stoves.

Some fishermen had built a small fire on the beach -- they sat around chatting -- probably about that morning's catch.

As I wound around the street toward my house, I spotted a man with a backpack at the edge of the soccer field. He was squatting next to a huge puddle of water -- dipping his hands into it -- washing his face, head and neck.

What is considered private? It depends where you are.

Tweet An interesting article compares "privacy" in the US and Europe.

Mann and Art

Tweet "Works of art from a world in which the soul expresses itself are always beautiful to the point of ugliness and ugly to the point of beauty." Naphta, p. 386, from The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann.

Carnival 2010 Timor-Leste

Tweet My second Carnival in Timor-Leste -- and these photos were snapped about 20 minutes before the heavens opened up and dumped heavy rain on this party.


A Brazilian band had the crowd chanting "la la la la la la la la la....."

Too muddy to wear shoes....

Paulo's Wedding Day

Tweet This photo was snapped at the home of Paulo Amaral's uncle. Today was Paulo's wedding day and his uncle hosted the reception.
The three-tier cake was the centerpiece of the table. Tarps shielded the people and the food from the 90+ degree heat.

Uzbek Government Displays Soviet Mentality

Tweet Interesting story out of Uzbekistan -- click on the headline above.

Cats Up the Ladder

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Mankala in the Dirt

Tweet I love playing Mankala and it looks like these kids enjoy it as much as I do! I had stopped at a fruit stand between the towns of Liquisa and Dili and spotted these youngsters playing Mankala in a palm-roof hut next to their stand.

Long Time, No Write

Tweet It's been some time since I blogged here. The problem has been time - or the lack of it. I've been watching and reading the weather stories back in the eastern United States -- and dreaming of snow here -- in Dili! There's lot of precipitation here -- heavy, heavy rain -- so loud on the roof that it's almost deafening. Then, no sooner has it started -- the rain is over -- the humidity returns along with the mosquitoes.

One year ago, the mosquitoes drove me nuts and I fought the good fight -- smacking them out of the air and wearing lots of bug spray.

These days, I've called a truce. Smack downs are rare. They still nab me every now and then, but not so much any more. They usually go for my ankles. I usually don't wear the bug spray -- the chemical smell is just too much.

Dark clouds are moving slowly across the sky just now -- covering the blue -- in the next three or four hours -- there's likely to be rain on the roof -- followed by the humidity and mosquitoes.

A few inches of snow would feel good just about now.

Another Snowy Day in the North Carolina Mountains

Tweet The snow just keeps coming in parts of the North Carolina mountains. These photos were snapped as a new storm descended along with the already bitter cold temperatures -- creating icy art in the streams.

Steamed Up on a Cold Day

Tweet What to do on a bitter cold day when you can't hike? Options include: stay in bed, watch DVDs, read or go to the spa. I chose the last two -- kind of a spur of the moment decision, really. I don't regret it -- one bit.

While the temperature hovered around 12 degrees -- I put on my swimming trunks and headed outside to the large hot tub that is shadowed by the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. The water temperature was 103 degrees Fahrenheit. As steam rose from the tub -- tiny crystals formed on my two-day old beard growth. (It kind of reminded me of my trip to Iceland's Blue Lagoon a few years ago)

After 20 minutes or so, I climbed out of the hot tub and headed for a cold shower and then into the steam room for a good sweat -- another cold shower and then into the sauna -- followed by another cold shower and then the indoor hot tub that has a waterfall -- that doubles as a shoulder massage. Next, I swam a few laps in the indoor pool -- and then repeated the whole cycle again.

It was a great way to spend a bitter cold afternoon. If only I could have taken the steam room home with me.

The picture at the top was snapped from the Sunset Terrace of the Grove Park Inn. The picture below is the Inn, itself.

Rattlesnake Lodge Trail - Blue Ridge Parkway

Tweet This tree had once stood guard over a spring in a forest not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville. The winter storm a couple of weeks ago toppled this old sentinel -- creating a bit of abstract art.
These tall poplar trees survived the winds and heavy snow, but so many trees were downed -- making it difficult to hike the trails.

Day Trip to Greenville, SC

Tweet Not many towns can boast a waterfall right in the city center -- so I was amazed when I visited Greenville and saw the Reedy River Falls.

This photo was snapped from a pedestrian bridge that is an engineering marvel. Only two steel posts with suspension cables hold it up.

When in Greenville -- a must see is the Museum of Art. Check out the Andrew Wyeth collection.

Close to Flood Stage

Tweet The little town of Marshall, NC escaped the flood waters the day after Christmas. This photo was taken on Blannehassett Island -- which is prone to flooding -- but like Marshall -- stayed dry. The awesome power of the water was very much on display today -- there was a constant rumbling sound as huge stones in the river bed where pushing around by the water like tiny pebbles.

The photo below was snapped just below the hydroelectric dam in Marshall - where some giant rocks stood their ground against the flood waters.

Hikes in Snow, Wind and Floods

Tweet Hiking is something I always look forward to when I come home to western North Carolina. I attempted the Rich Mountain hike on Christmas Eve, but high winds on the ridges made it extremely dangerous with dead limbs falling all around me. I turned back.

Christmas Day I stayed off the ridges and hiked the Laurel River trail that parallels the river -- the snow melt and rain the night before caused the river to flood -- so there was a constant roar as I walked the trail -- a cliff on my left -- the raging Laurel River just inches away on my right.The snow melt had created some amazing waterfalls on both sides of the river.And the plant life loved the water!
Tim-Berrrr! The beavers decided to take a break.