WEBVTT
00:00:06.110 --> 00:00:06.320
Bondi.
00:00:06.740 --> 00:00:12.410
Welcome to exploring Tim Este, the podcast that talks about Southeast Asia's best kept travel secret.
00:00:12.710 --> 00:00:17.660
I'm your host Jte, and I'll share firsthand insights, expert interviews and practical travel tips.
00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:22.309
Whether you're a traveler, a cultural lover, or just curious about places rarely covered in the mainstream.
00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:23.480
You're in the right place.
00:00:23.570 --> 00:00:24.800
Let's explore two more.
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.219
Less day.
00:00:31.867 --> 00:00:36.787
Today's episode is about Amira, which is one of the better known municipalities of Timor-Leste.
00:00:36.968 --> 00:00:41.648
So it's just to the southwest of Dili and is best known as one of the major.
00:00:41.893 --> 00:00:45.012
Coffee growing areas of Timor Tte along with a naro.
00:00:45.283 --> 00:00:51.823
So during the harvest season between May and September, it's a popular time to visit plantations, to see coffee beans being picked and processed.
00:00:52.122 --> 00:00:55.722
And it's also home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.
00:00:55.823 --> 00:01:09.733
The summit of Mount Ramala is actually in a mirror, although you generally access it via a naro, but in many places around Amira, you get good views of Mount Ramala, and it's also home to the Bandera waterfall, which is the highest in the country and outside of Dili.
00:01:09.733 --> 00:01:16.362
Amira is the most densely populated part of Timor Este with villages and hamlets scattered around the many hills.
00:01:16.362 --> 00:01:20.533
So it's quite a interesting cultural place to visit, and the scenery is amazing.
00:01:21.033 --> 00:01:27.977
So to start with the capital of a mirror, which is Glen O, which is by far the easiest place to get to in the municipality.
00:01:27.977 --> 00:01:32.477
So generally, the roads in the mirror are some of the worst in Timor Este, which is saying something.
00:01:32.718 --> 00:01:35.778
They're almost entirely unsealed, almost impassable.
00:01:35.778 --> 00:01:40.218
During the wet season, you need a decent four wheel drive vehicle and a tolerance for bumps.
00:01:40.268 --> 00:01:42.727
But it's worth the effort to get to the places.
00:01:42.727 --> 00:01:44.587
'cause a mirror does have quite a lot to see and do.
00:01:44.837 --> 00:01:47.507
Glen o though is a sealed road all the way from Dili.
00:01:47.507 --> 00:01:48.947
It's maybe like an hour's drive.
00:01:48.947 --> 00:01:49.817
It's pretty straightforward.
00:01:49.817 --> 00:01:51.528
You just wind your way up into the hills.
00:01:51.798 --> 00:01:54.138
It gets gradually cooler as you gain altitude.
00:01:54.138 --> 00:01:56.298
It's about 900 meters above sea level.
00:01:56.537 --> 00:02:00.257
And Glen o is a relatively bustling town of about 9,000 people.
00:02:00.757 --> 00:02:08.307
There's big markets there every Thursday, and the main site to see in town is the huge Catholic church, which was built in the last 10 years or so.
00:02:08.487 --> 00:02:14.147
And I don't know this for sure, but it feels larger than the cathedral in Delhi, especially when you're inside.
00:02:14.147 --> 00:02:16.478
It's a very cavernous impressive church.
00:02:16.687 --> 00:02:30.848
Just down the road is the much smaller Protestant church, which has a traditional Timorese roof at the front, and then there's not a huge amount of other sites in Glen o but the stadium is quite colorful and there are a number of murals to Timor's independents heroes painted on the walls.
00:02:31.057 --> 00:02:38.538
It's where the peace Corps volunteers from the us go and learn the local language tetin in Glen o when they start their assignments, spending a couple of months there.
00:02:38.538 --> 00:02:44.932
So it's a bit different from Dili and it's relatively easy to get to, and it gives you a bit of a flavor for what a timor's town is like.
00:02:45.717 --> 00:02:49.497
Now on the way to Glen, you'll pass through the town of ko.
00:02:49.687 --> 00:02:52.117
That is home to a number of coffee processes.
00:02:52.117 --> 00:02:58.478
So that's a good place to go if you want to see during harvest season how coffee plantations work and how they process the beans.
00:02:58.698 --> 00:03:02.237
And there's also some quite nice views and a few walks around from Rako.
00:03:02.737 --> 00:03:15.018
They heading further into a mirror from Glen O As I say the roads get a bit tricky, but they're worth it to head into letter foho, so that's one of the most cynically located villages in the country.
00:03:15.018 --> 00:03:19.337
You get fantastic views on the clear day of Mount Ramal and the surrounding landscape.
00:03:19.557 --> 00:03:26.668
It's home to an interesting church where the steeple is in the shape of clasped hands, which I haven't seen anywhere else in the world.
00:03:26.818 --> 00:03:31.698
And then further up the hillside behind the church is the statue of crystal lure.
00:03:31.997 --> 00:03:39.198
Similarly, you've got Christo Ray in Dili, and this is a sort of similar statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched.
00:03:39.288 --> 00:03:43.367
It's not quite as big as Christo Ray, but the location is even more spectacular.
00:03:43.418 --> 00:03:46.207
On a clear day, fantastic views from the summit there.
00:03:46.388 --> 00:03:50.948
And it's an interesting design because the statue of Jesus is standing on a.
00:03:51.228 --> 00:03:54.888
Forked tongue serpent and the steps to reach the statue.
00:03:54.888 --> 00:04:01.418
You basically walk up the back of the snake and then you come around the other side and you'd see the mouth of the snake with the forked tongue.
00:04:01.687 --> 00:04:03.307
And then you come down to complete loop.
00:04:03.578 --> 00:04:07.747
So this was built in 2019 and it's a real attraction in the area.
00:04:08.247 --> 00:04:09.627
And a bit further on from letter.
00:04:09.627 --> 00:04:13.948
Fho is Asbi, which is one of my favorite places I, in Timor-Leste.
00:04:14.337 --> 00:04:16.108
It's a beautifully situated town.
00:04:16.108 --> 00:04:18.447
We've got fantastic mountain views all around.
00:04:18.718 --> 00:04:22.947
It probably has the ideal climate or for, certainly for a malai or a foreigner.
00:04:23.158 --> 00:04:27.418
It's a lot cooler up here in the mountains and less humid than it is down at the coast.
00:04:27.687 --> 00:04:32.963
SBI and Tijo are known for being particularly religious places in an already very religious country.
00:04:33.112 --> 00:04:37.403
And they have a sizable new church in a sabi in front of the old church.
00:04:37.593 --> 00:04:44.372
The church has a nice grotto shrine to the Virgin Mary, and there's a large statue of a needling work per in front of the church.
00:04:44.603 --> 00:04:47.423
And even local markets there have some fantastic views.
00:04:47.423 --> 00:04:50.872
So it's a very relaxed place to go and spend a bit of time up in the mountains.
00:04:51.372 --> 00:04:52.908
And if you really want to get off the grid.
00:04:53.408 --> 00:05:04.807
20 minutes drive west from AAB along a rough road is, and this is not a tourist site, this is just a village, but it's very cynically located, beautiful mountain views very relaxed kind of place.
00:05:04.807 --> 00:05:08.877
I visited there with work I was doing, sporting local health NGO.
00:05:09.088 --> 00:05:11.278
And it was just a nice place to spend some time.
00:05:11.778 --> 00:05:18.108
Now between letter Foho and Asab is the Bandera waterfall, which I mentioned earlier, is the highest in the country.
00:05:18.108 --> 00:05:21.648
So it's about 200 meters from the top of the waterfall to the bottom.
00:05:21.927 --> 00:05:23.338
You can hike to it.
00:05:23.387 --> 00:05:24.648
You'll probably need a local guide.
00:05:24.648 --> 00:05:28.338
It's not the most obvious place to reach, but it is an impressive waterfall.
00:05:28.517 --> 00:05:32.598
You wanna allow at least an hour to get there and return from the base of the road.
00:05:32.898 --> 00:05:37.757
I also mentioned a couple of times the roads in the mirror are not great, but it is a fantastic place for hiking.
00:05:37.757 --> 00:05:44.528
Again, you probably want to go with a local guide to avoid getting lost, but there is really good hiking terrain in terms of some of the scenery.
00:05:44.622 --> 00:05:46.452
There's a couple of things I mentioned before.
00:05:46.452 --> 00:05:48.403
You can hike out to the base of the waterfall.
00:05:48.562 --> 00:05:51.502
There is hiking around Glen o from ko.
00:05:51.502 --> 00:05:56.892
There's a really nice half day hike across the river, around the hills and then back across into town.
00:05:57.112 --> 00:06:01.853
So those things are all worth considering if you're interested in exploring a mirror on foot.
00:06:02.103 --> 00:06:05.853
Hopefully that's given you a little bit of an overview of the municipality of Amira.
00:06:06.403 --> 00:06:09.223
Thank you so much for listening to exploring Timor Less Day.
00:06:09.252 --> 00:06:13.213
If you've enjoyed today's episode, please consider leaving a rating or review.
00:06:13.423 --> 00:06:15.583
It really helps more people discover the show.
00:06:16.002 --> 00:06:18.642
If you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you.
00:06:18.882 --> 00:06:24.312
Drop me an email at exploring Timor lessDay@gmail.com.
00:06:24.702 --> 00:06:26.682
Until next time, or Bodo ADEs.
00:00:06.110 --> 00:00:06.320
Bondi.
00:00:06.740 --> 00:00:12.410
Welcome to exploring Tim Este, the podcast that talks about Southeast Asia's best kept travel secret.
00:00:12.710 --> 00:00:17.660
I'm your host Jte, and I'll share firsthand insights, expert interviews and practical travel tips.
00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:22.309
Whether you're a traveler, a cultural lover, or just curious about places rarely covered in the mainstream.
00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:23.480
You're in the right place.
00:00:23.570 --> 00:00:24.800
Let's explore two more.
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.219
Less day.
00:00:31.867 --> 00:00:36.787
Today's episode is about Amira, which is one of the better known municipalities of Timor-Leste.
00:00:36.968 --> 00:00:41.648
So it's just to the southwest of Dili and is best known as one of the major.
00:00:41.893 --> 00:00:45.012
Coffee growing areas of Timor Tte along with a naro.
00:00:45.283 --> 00:00:51.823
So during the harvest season between May and September, it's a popular time to visit plantations, to see coffee beans being picked and processed.
00:00:52.122 --> 00:00:55.722
And it's also home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.
00:00:55.823 --> 00:01:09.733
The summit of Mount Ramala is actually in a mirror, although you generally access it via a naro, but in many places around Amira, you get good views of Mount Ramala, and it's also home to the Bandera waterfall, which is the highest in the country and outside of Dili.
00:01:09.733 --> 00:01:16.362
Amira is the most densely populated part of Timor Este with villages and hamlets scattered around the many hills.
00:01:16.362 --> 00:01:20.533
So it's quite a interesting cultural place to visit, and the scenery is amazing.
00:01:21.033 --> 00:01:27.977
So to start with the capital of a mirror, which is Glen O, which is by far the easiest place to get to in the municipality.
00:01:27.977 --> 00:01:32.477
So generally, the roads in the mirror are some of the worst in Timor Este, which is saying something.
00:01:32.718 --> 00:01:35.778
They're almost entirely unsealed, almost impassable.
00:01:35.778 --> 00:01:40.218
During the wet season, you need a decent four wheel drive vehicle and a tolerance for bumps.
00:01:40.268 --> 00:01:42.727
But it's worth the effort to get to the places.
00:01:42.727 --> 00:01:44.587
'cause a mirror does have quite a lot to see and do.
00:01:44.837 --> 00:01:47.507
Glen o though is a sealed road all the way from Dili.
00:01:47.507 --> 00:01:48.947
It's maybe like an hour's drive.
00:01:48.947 --> 00:01:49.817
It's pretty straightforward.
00:01:49.817 --> 00:01:51.528
You just wind your way up into the hills.
00:01:51.798 --> 00:01:54.138
It gets gradually cooler as you gain altitude.
00:01:54.138 --> 00:01:56.298
It's about 900 meters above sea level.
00:01:56.537 --> 00:02:00.257
And Glen o is a relatively bustling town of about 9,000 people.
00:02:00.757 --> 00:02:08.307
There's big markets there every Thursday, and the main site to see in town is the huge Catholic church, which was built in the last 10 years or so.
00:02:08.487 --> 00:02:14.147
And I don't know this for sure, but it feels larger than the cathedral in Delhi, especially when you're inside.
00:02:14.147 --> 00:02:16.478
It's a very cavernous impressive church.
00:02:16.687 --> 00:02:30.848
Just down the road is the much smaller Protestant church, which has a traditional Timorese roof at the front, and then there's not a huge amount of other sites in Glen o but the stadium is quite colorful and there are a number of murals to Timor's independents heroes painted on the walls.
00:02:31.057 --> 00:02:38.538
It's where the peace Corps volunteers from the us go and learn the local language tetin in Glen o when they start their assignments, spending a couple of months there.
00:02:38.538 --> 00:02:44.932
So it's a bit different from Dili and it's relatively easy to get to, and it gives you a bit of a flavor for what a timor's town is like.
00:02:45.717 --> 00:02:49.497
Now on the way to Glen, you'll pass through the town of ko.
00:02:49.687 --> 00:02:52.117
That is home to a number of coffee processes.
00:02:52.117 --> 00:02:58.478
So that's a good place to go if you want to see during harvest season how coffee plantations work and how they process the beans.
00:02:58.698 --> 00:03:02.237
And there's also some quite nice views and a few walks around from Rako.
00:03:02.737 --> 00:03:15.018
They heading further into a mirror from Glen O As I say the roads get a bit tricky, but they're worth it to head into letter foho, so that's one of the most cynically located villages in the country.
00:03:15.018 --> 00:03:19.337
You get fantastic views on the clear day of Mount Ramal and the surrounding landscape.
00:03:19.557 --> 00:03:26.668
It's home to an interesting church where the steeple is in the shape of clasped hands, which I haven't seen anywhere else in the world.
00:03:26.818 --> 00:03:31.698
And then further up the hillside behind the church is the statue of crystal lure.
00:03:31.997 --> 00:03:39.198
Similarly, you've got Christo Ray in Dili, and this is a sort of similar statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched.
00:03:39.288 --> 00:03:43.367
It's not quite as big as Christo Ray, but the location is even more spectacular.
00:03:43.418 --> 00:03:46.207
On a clear day, fantastic views from the summit there.
00:03:46.388 --> 00:03:50.948
And it's an interesting design because the statue of Jesus is standing on a.
00:03:51.228 --> 00:03:54.888
Forked tongue serpent and the steps to reach the statue.
00:03:54.888 --> 00:04:01.418
You basically walk up the back of the snake and then you come around the other side and you'd see the mouth of the snake with the forked tongue.
00:04:01.687 --> 00:04:03.307
And then you come down to complete loop.
00:04:03.578 --> 00:04:07.747
So this was built in 2019 and it's a real attraction in the area.
00:04:08.247 --> 00:04:09.627
And a bit further on from letter.
00:04:09.627 --> 00:04:13.948
Fho is Asbi, which is one of my favorite places I, in Timor-Leste.
00:04:14.337 --> 00:04:16.108
It's a beautifully situated town.
00:04:16.108 --> 00:04:18.447
We've got fantastic mountain views all around.
00:04:18.718 --> 00:04:22.947
It probably has the ideal climate or for, certainly for a malai or a foreigner.
00:04:23.158 --> 00:04:27.418
It's a lot cooler up here in the mountains and less humid than it is down at the coast.
00:04:27.687 --> 00:04:32.963
SBI and Tijo are known for being particularly religious places in an already very religious country.
00:04:33.112 --> 00:04:37.403
And they have a sizable new church in a sabi in front of the old church.
00:04:37.593 --> 00:04:44.372
The church has a nice grotto shrine to the Virgin Mary, and there's a large statue of a needling work per in front of the church.
00:04:44.603 --> 00:04:47.423
And even local markets there have some fantastic views.
00:04:47.423 --> 00:04:50.872
So it's a very relaxed place to go and spend a bit of time up in the mountains.
00:04:51.372 --> 00:04:52.908
And if you really want to get off the grid.
00:04:53.408 --> 00:05:04.807
20 minutes drive west from AAB along a rough road is, and this is not a tourist site, this is just a village, but it's very cynically located, beautiful mountain views very relaxed kind of place.
00:05:04.807 --> 00:05:08.877
I visited there with work I was doing, sporting local health NGO.
00:05:09.088 --> 00:05:11.278
And it was just a nice place to spend some time.
00:05:11.778 --> 00:05:18.108
Now between letter Foho and Asab is the Bandera waterfall, which I mentioned earlier, is the highest in the country.
00:05:18.108 --> 00:05:21.648
So it's about 200 meters from the top of the waterfall to the bottom.
00:05:21.927 --> 00:05:23.338
You can hike to it.
00:05:23.387 --> 00:05:24.648
You'll probably need a local guide.
00:05:24.648 --> 00:05:28.338
It's not the most obvious place to reach, but it is an impressive waterfall.
00:05:28.517 --> 00:05:32.598
You wanna allow at least an hour to get there and return from the base of the road.
00:05:32.898 --> 00:05:37.757
I also mentioned a couple of times the roads in the mirror are not great, but it is a fantastic place for hiking.
00:05:37.757 --> 00:05:44.528
Again, you probably want to go with a local guide to avoid getting lost, but there is really good hiking terrain in terms of some of the scenery.
00:05:44.622 --> 00:05:46.452
There's a couple of things I mentioned before.
00:05:46.452 --> 00:05:48.403
You can hike out to the base of the waterfall.
00:05:48.562 --> 00:05:51.502
There is hiking around Glen o from ko.
00:05:51.502 --> 00:05:56.892
There's a really nice half day hike across the river, around the hills and then back across into town.
00:05:57.112 --> 00:06:01.853
So those things are all worth considering if you're interested in exploring a mirror on foot.
00:06:02.103 --> 00:06:05.853
Hopefully that's given you a little bit of an overview of the municipality of Amira.
00:06:06.403 --> 00:06:09.223
Thank you so much for listening to exploring Timor Less Day.
00:06:09.252 --> 00:06:13.213
If you've enjoyed today's episode, please consider leaving a rating or review.
00:06:13.423 --> 00:06:15.583
It really helps more people discover the show.
00:06:16.002 --> 00:06:18.642
If you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you.
00:06:18.882 --> 00:06:24.312
Drop me an email at exploring Timor lessDay@gmail.com.
00:06:24.702 --> 00:06:26.682
Until next time, or Bodo ADEs.
