It was time for exploring Timor Leste a bit so we decided to leave the place from Josh early, to get to an island. The sun was slowly getting up and we were a bit far away from the place we needed to go, at least when walking.
Let’s do hitchhiking!
We were standing on the waterfront road and putting our thumbs in the air, but were not really prepared. The person who was taking us was the first car which passed us. He was driving a pickup truck and let us go on the back. He didn’t speak English, but understood where we wanted to go, he luckily went in the same direction!
It was amazing to lay down at the truck and watch the great sunrise over the ocean. Both Bana and I enjoyed it a lot, but then the ride stopped, because we reached the destination.
The boat is waiting
We arrived at the beach and found, due to help from our port, it wasn’t an official port, it was just a local one. We were told that it would cost $10, so I went to the guy, who was driving and told him about it and he agreed, at the end when we arrived I saw, that the locals were paying only $5, so we basically just gave them $10 for both of us, which was super great! Saving money is always quite satisfying.
We were standing on this dirty beach which smelled more like fish than even fish itself. People slowly arrived and the guys who were driving the boat were slowly packing it up, to prepare it for takeoff. We were the only tourists who were taking this local boat, later we understood why.
The boat didn’t look that amazing and it actually surprised me how well it functioned. We had to walk through the water and waves to reach the boat, which wasn’t good, due to my drone and our passports on us. Surprisingly everything stayed dry after we arrived on deck!
Bana’s nightmare
Bana wanted his premium seat with a perfect view for the island in front. He was hyped for the ride and another guy as well. Both of them were in the perfect position for an uncomfortable ride. I at first also wanted to be there, but due to lack of space I decided to make myself comfortable and lay on my backpack and try to rest or sleep a bit. Best decision from me that day!
The ride started and the waves as well, the boat was doing the best it could to somehow cross the ocean to Atauro Island. The wood on the side of the boat let us float and we ram into a few waves. This was leading the water to just splash right at Bana and the other guy. Bana was getting annoyed and super wet, I mean I was also getting wet but he was soaked. I actually enjoyed the ride, because it was quite comfortable for me. The guys surrounding me were for sure not the biggest fan of me as well. It was due to my lying position and the big backpack, but nothing I could have done against it.
I had to stop making comments and laughing, because he started not finding it funny anymore, which was for sure understandable, but I enjoyed all of it a lot!
Atauro Island
We arrived after around 1 or 1,5h’s at Atauro Island. It was great to be off the boat and have land underneath. It took a while that we started walking, due to no observation of what the others were doing with the payment, for us to do the same. We expected that it might have been cheaper than $10, which it then also was.
With two filmmakers from Timor Leste, who were speaking a bit of English, we went out to find something to eat. The prices were extremely high at the places we went first. Luckily we were cheap, because they almost went to those places. We all took a ride together with a truck, which cost not much, like one or two dollars, to Beloi, the little town we needed to go. There also the normal ferries were arriving, which was useful for us the day after.
In Beloi we were luckily finding some cheap restaurant, which was great, the quality was okay and it was actually quite cheap. The prices were similar to the mainland, which was a bit surprising.
Everyone is talking about Barry’s
We decided to check it out, it was a place for accommodation and also it was possible to go snorkeling there. They are supposed to do tours for good prices. It was nice finding people who actually speak English. A tour to the coral reef would have cost per boat $20 or $25 which was for us a bit expensive, so we decided to just pay for entering the restricted area.
We left all of our stuff with them and went in the water. I was a bit afraid, but knew also that I am a good swimmer, so keeping up with Bana should work and going against my fear can also help myself.
We went in the water and went out. On the way we saw some corals, but they were all dead and not many fish were around them. Some Sea Stars were there and shells, but not really a big variety. Atauro is known for the biggest underwater diversity in the world, we didn’t see that much of it at this time. Bana and I were swimming super far away and were searching for the reef. I tried my best to keep up while sometimes getting distracted while taking pictures of the surroundings.
After a while Bana realized that we probably were not going to find the coral reef without booking the boat, probably knowing that.
Taking the boat out!
The workers even found another person to join us, she was from Australia and actually there as a tourist. From Australia there are direct flights to Timor Leste and one of the biggest groups of visitors are obviously from there.
The boat didn’t really take long until arriving at the coral reef, which seemed a bit unworth the money, but in the end it made sense I guess, also for security reasons.
Jumping in the water and receiving right away a “wow” moment. It looked just amazing, the surrounding was so beautiful and I was hyped in combination with fear. Bana wanted to swim to the edge of the reef, because there supposed to be the best variety.
We were swimming and it honestly took forever. Luckily we stopped on the way often to take some pictures and videos of the surroundings, which was more than just amazing. I really loved seeing all of it and I also felt quite safe. Alone I honestly don’t know how safe I would have felt.
Bana was explaining to me some things about the stuff we saw, which was really interesting, he was in his element for sure! Like you can see on the pictures, it was amazing and if not even better than that!
Edge of the reef and the down part
We arrived at the edge of the reef and it was super scary. They drop into nowhere, into the deep darkness. In the distance a turtle and triggerfishes, which you don’t want to let close to you. Crazy waves started to appear and even though I was able to handle it, I started to get scared. A shark could come from everywhere and nobody would have been able to help us, but I was with Bana so I didn’t panic yet.
We were swimming slowly back to the coral reef and the waves started to get weaker due to less deep water. The coral reef is actually quite shallow, which I started to fully realize. We were swimming into a kind of coral trap. At a moment you were not able to swim anymore. I didn’t want to touch the corals, but it wasn’t possible to not do it. Bana somehow found a way out and I really struggled.
I started to bleed and at this moment it was over for me! I was in this water alone and the panic started. Bana told me “sharks mainly attack when you bleed”, at this moment I just wanted to go back to the boat. He told me later that in the shallow reef no shark could appear. I had a panic attack and was in a highly stressful situation. Somehow and after a while of painful attempts I was finally getting out of there. I just swam straight to the boat at a fast swimming speed. Nothing else was in my mind. Everything between wanting to cry and to scream was in there, but it was my fault, I knew it could happen but swam out there. Staying near the boat would have been maybe the smarter idea, but it was for sure an experience.
Relaxation came back
After a while at the boat I started to slowly relax and also was willing to take some pictures near the boat in the reef. It was because I wasn’t alone and annoyed anymore. I searched a bit about the fault at Bana, but that wasn’t fair, because it wasn’t his fault. Probably didn’t communicate my fear well enough and probably also didn’t know my fear that well as well.
I was happy that nothing happened, no shark was coming and I was safe in the boat. The pictures were amazing. Also going against my fear was of course something positive for me and that I managed to overcome the stress situation alone and without help.
