On Mar 6, 2024 we anchored in the harbor of Dili, Timor-Leste. Timor is a large, curved island in the Sunda Sea. The island is divided, as it has been for centuries, with the Western half a province of Indonesia and the Eastern side the independent nation of Timor-Leste. In the past, these segments were colonies of the Dutch (West) and the Portuguese (East). After gaining its independence from Portugal in 1975, Timor-Leste was under Indonesian sovereignty from 1976 to 1999. After a popular referendum in 1999, a revolution occured, and the UN kept peace until formal independence was established in 2002. Timor-Leste (East Timor) is one of the youngest countries in the world. The population is approximately 1.3 million people.

We took an excursion in the morning that took us to a Cultural Center where we were greeted by local dancers, and then visited a Resistance Museum that traced the struggles of the Falintil insurgents, and showed examples of indigenous crafts such as textiles, woven mats and pottery.

After that we drove into the hills to visit an old museum honoring the Timorese and Australians that fought together in World War II. From this vantage point we had some good views of the harbor, including one with our ship, the Seabourn Sojourn, and her sister ship, the Seabourn Odyssey, that were in port at the same time.

On our way back to port, we stopped at Teis Market, a local market where we were able to look at many tapestries and woven items, and watch a local lady working on a project.