The next morning we hiked to a clifftop to watch the sunrise over the ocean. It should have been a serene moment,waiting for the golden orb to crack over the horizon and spill glitter over the sea. And yet I spent most of the time photographing it,my charged brain fizzing with Instagram ideas even though I knew posting was an impossibility. Like a smoker trying to kick the habit,without the ability to use my phone I found my thoughts obsessively returning to it.
As difficult as disconnection was,a destination as relaxed as Timor-Leste gives travellers as good a chance as any of achieving it.
Oceanfront yoga.
Following a painful past,including the Indonesian invasion during which as many as 183,000 East Timorese died,Timor-Leste is finally forging its own path to a more prosperous future,but it's a slow process. Which means it's still quiet and laid-back. A place where local women sit barefoot in the dirt weaving baskets out of palm fronds. Where fishermen sit beneath trees watching their morning catch,strung from the branches above,dry in the breeze. Where visitors are reminded that time is indeed one of the great luxuries.
By day three,thanks to a combination of flogging my body with three-hour hikes,high intensity fitness sessions on the beach,a massage and all that forced relaxation time,the arteries of my mind felt like they had unclogged a little. There was a bit of empty space in there. I found an excellent Ann Patchett book on the communal bookshelf and was able to lie down and read it for hours at a time,finishing the thing in two days. That hadn't happened in about a decade.
As the virtual veil lifted,I could see the world properly for what felt like the first time in a while. I could sit and watch the ocean without itching to share it with an online community of people I'd never met,a habit that started to seem strange when observed from afar. I could enjoy long,rambling conversations without worrying about where they were leading or when they would end.
On our last island afternoon,Sharing Bali&Beyond's fitness and wellness trainer asked us to pluck a seashell from the sand and just look at it for three minutes. I turned that small white shell,with its corrugated surface and mauve-tinged interior,over in my hands. I remembered how as a kid I would sit in our small suburban garden for hours,microscope in hand,inspecting the petals of white paper daisies,the bodies of the skinks I'd find,the ants I'd capture inside my ant farm.
When had I forgotten how to do this? How to take a few minutes from my day to properly look at the things around me? I was grateful for the reminder.
TRIP NOTES
Nina Karnikowski travelled as a guest of Sharing Bali&Beyond.
TOUR
Sharing Bali&Beyond's five-night Timor-Leste adventure,including three nights in an eco-lodge and two nights in Dili,is from $1750 a person,twin share,including boat transfers,snorkelling and guided hiking,three fitness sessions and more. Flights not included. Seesharingbaliandbeyond.com
FIVE OTHER THINGS TO DO IN TIMOR-LESTE
TAIS HANDICRAFT MARKET
Tais,the traditional colourful Timorese woven textile,make beautiful tablecloths. You can find them at the Tais Market,where prices are reflective of quality and the hard-sell doesn't exist.
BONECA DE ATAURO
This Atauro island women's co-operative supports 60 families and produces gorgeous handmade dolls,as well as embroidered pillowcases,bags,decorations and more. Open 8.30am to 5pm,Mon-Sat.
SANTA CRUZ CEMETERY
The site of the tragic murder of more than 250 civilians taking part in a peaceful procession in 1991,this cemetery is worth a visit for both the reminder of how far this country has come,and also to see the beautiful,pastel-hued gravestones filling it.
DILI ROCK
Set on the western outskirts of Dili,this easily accessible dive spot is also said to be a hotspot for manta rays.
RESISTANCE MUSEUM
Chronicling Timor's independence struggle,this museum consists mainly of text running the length of a wall and some artefacts,but is an important memorial to a dark time in the country's history.