Interesting Times

Very late blog tonight, sorry about that. I was going to do a 1%er post today, but I just haven't quite had the time. I haven't been flat out, but just a constant niggle of getting things done. Pretty much done for the day now though.

Not a lot to report on my front, just another day up here in Dili. A bit of a quieter day today with not so much running around, but just one big meeting instead. Still a very interesting day though. I have to say that Dili is growing on me. I have been coming up here for nearly 5 years now and it is amazing to see the amount of progress the country has made in those 5 years. I talk to people who have been coming up here since the end of the troubles and apparently the changes that have occurred in that time are staggering, as you can imagine. Even still, what I have seen in 5 years is impressive. Much of the progress in Timor Leste is Dili centric, but I guess it has to start somewhere.

When I first came up here in 2013 I was struck by how third world elements of the city were. I think most Australians would be surprised to see just how impoverished parts of Timor Leste are, given that it is our nearest neighbour. Now when we drive around Dili signs of that poverty are still there, but signs of development and improvement are everywhere. I suspect Australia will discover that it has a potential holiday destination right on its doorstep. At the moment it would be holiday's for those with a slightly more adventurous streak, but I suspect that will only keep improving. People talk about Vietnam being like Bali was 30 years ago and I can see some of those parallels here in Timor Leste. It doesn't have the resorts and the established tourist infrastructure yet, but I get the impression that the desire is there to create it. If those sorts of facilities are built well then I can see it becoming quite a popular location. Time will tell I think, but the changes are definitely coming.

It is funny being on this trip. In many ways it has felt like one of the race trips I have been taking for the last couple of years to South East Asia. This has been a trip to a new country with unfamiliar ways and customs, a country that I am not actually visiting as a tourist, but as somebody with a job to do. Just like a race trip. The main difference has been that I don't have the anxiety that comes with an impending race and I also have the freedom of knowing that I am not paying for this trip, which is a nice little bonus. Still, it has sort of been a little stroll down memory lane, at least in the way the trip feels, although I am not sure whether it has been a welcome stroll or an unwelcome reminder. I might have to get back to you on that one.

With today done my time in Dili is coming to an end and tomorrow it will be time to fly back to Perth again. I can safely say that there will definitely not be a post tomorrow, but I will be back on Friday. Really looking forward to being home and getting back on with life. Getting back into the groove of coaching, seeing Dr Stobie and finding out where I am at heart wise etc. Generally just getting back to all that I know and love.