Not only was my flight late, but the visa and customs processing on arrival took longer than I had planned. By the time I got to my hotel, it was after 6:00 pm and the sun was already setting.

Seaside Walk In Dili, Timor-Leste

It was too late to visit Cristo Rei, Dili’s version of Rio Di Janeiro’s Christ statue, but the inkeeper suggested that I have a stroll along the water.

I could see the water from my room and thought that sounded like a great idea. My phone did not work (Timor-Leste is not part of T-Mobile’s international network) and Gig-Sky also did not work, so I downloaded my Google map and set out for a café called Loja.

As I walked along the beach, I saw young people playing soccer and seaside dining on the sand with plastic tables and chairs that reminded me of my trip to Goa. I figured I would return here for dinner if my café did not work out.

With the strong Portuguese influence, Timor-Leste is an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation, with over 95% of the population identifying with that faith tradition. As I walked, I passed by an evening prayer service at the Church of Saint Anthony of Motael, the oldest church in East Timor. Anthony of Padua, who lived from 1195 – 1231, was a Portuguese Catholic priest and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

There were statues of Mary in many parts of Dili, often with candles lit under them.

Without cell phone reception, I took several wrong turns and ultimately never found the restaurant. In fact, when I arrived at what I thought was the right place, a dog bolted out and started barking at me. But I didn’t even see the café and am pretty sure I just walked to the spot.

It was taxingly hot and humid and by this time I was absolutely drenched in sweat. I ducked into a grocery store and purchased a large bottle of water for 50 cents. USD is the de facto currency in Timor-Leste and looking around, I saw that grocery prices were high…I’m not sure how people do it when the average salaried employee makes $252 per month.

Then the rain started, and not just a few sprinkles, but a torrential downpour…and I was wearing a t-shirt and had no umbrella!

I was not going to eat dinner on the beach in the rain, so I hopped into a taxi, had to negotiate a price (from $10 to $5 for a one-mile drive), and headed to a restaurant I had noticed earlier on my walk.

Next: dinner with the ex-pats

I’m sharing about my whirlwind trip through Asia.