Timor Mornings

 
There is a rhythm that I fall into almost immediately after arriving in Timor.

First, we were incredibly lucky to have discovered the Arbiru Hotel on the seashore on the western side of Dili. It has become home and the people there treat us as family. This photo is taken from our balcony at the hotel.

Every morning at exactly 6:15 am the first outrageously loud rooster crows and sets up the beginning of an all morning competition with the 1000s of other roosters in the city. I can almost tell the time, just by listening to the number of roosters crowing.

Sitting out on the balconey having morning coffee, there is an "Apocolypse Now" phase when you see passenger jets clearing our roof to land at the Dili airport nearby. At the same time a huge cargo helicopter flies directly overhead, taking workers out to the oil platforms. Sometimes charity and military groups join in the air traffic.

As the roosters begin to quiet, the goats and pigs take their turn. All of these sounds were a bit startling during the first week of the first trip. After three trips, they are part of the rhythm of life for me in Timor - and I miss them.