Getting 'round town

So, Matt and I decided long before we got here that we wouldn’t need a car, and walking and bikes would be the go in Dili. We were warned off taxis before we came, both by the AVI country briefing and by the DFAT website, but now we’re here we’ve been told what to avoid (don’t get in if the windows are very dark, there is another person in the car, or it looks too clapped-out), and everyone seems to use them. Mostly cheap too: $2 is the standard fare around town (taxis aren’t metered).

Dili is pretty compact, so it is even easier to walk around than I would have expected (if I had had expectations: I was trying very hard to come here with none, except perhaps that it would be very hot). Once we get bikes, most places will be pretty easily accessible. Ironically, the bike shop is a bit far to walk to, but I guess we’ll just catch a taxi and ride our bikes home.

Before I came here I was kind of glad that Dili sounded small: about 100,000 people sounded about right to me. Now I am glad. It’s my size town.