I have just returned from a trip to Viqueque and Baucau. It was a fun trip, similar to my outing to Ainaro a few months ago. What was interesting this time was the government presence at what was essentially a traditional Timorese ceremony organized to symbolize the bringing about of peace in Viqueque, a district that has seen a lot of tension dating back to the Indonesian occupation.

Several secretaries of state showed up. The convoy of about 11 vehicles was totally over the top and probably drew far more attention to the group than if they'd just driven like regular folk.

As usual, I took a lot of photos. I think some of them came out rather well. You can see a selection on my FlickR account in a set called “Viqueque dialogue meeting”. Next week, I will have a story about the meeting.

On a side note, I had forgotten just how bad the road from Baucau to Viqueque is. Perhaps someone should dig a tunnel.