Nico's statue is actually a fountain!

'Twas a month before Christmas
When all through the city
Every creature was stirring
And some were buzzing


Freshly washed socks were hung
On the clothesline with care
All hoping they’d dry
Before the rains would appear


That's all the rewriting of the famous poem I'm going to do today. It was meant to be an introduction to this week’s unexpected sight: the statue of Nicolau Lobato is actually atop a rather large fountain. I'm not sure if the fountain is now spouting water because of Independence Day, or because there’s been rain almost every day. But spouting it is. It's rather magnificent.


The rain here is NOTHING like rain at home. It generally falls for 30 to 45 minutes, usually in the late afternoon or early evening. It's heavier than West Coast Canadian rain, but not often as heavy as a Central Canadian thunderstorm. In other words, I only got soaked through that one time.

Even so, the river had water in it today.  Until now, every day I've walked across an impressive bridge over a broad riverbed. The water is still not abundant enough to be flowing.

However, I've noticed more mosquitos and more mosquito bites.

By the way, the large billboard near the statue has had the same sign all week: one that shows men should not lift up a woman’s skirt. It's sponsored by the UN. There's some writing on the billboard. However it's not in English, so I'm guessing at the message.

Today, I spent the day putting photos into the annual report. I've got a few more decisions to make. Then, once I get feedback from Sierra and incorporate it, I'll be done!

I change accommodation tomorrow morning. I've changed my flight from East Timor to Wednesday December 7, and am going to see if I can get an afternoon flight from Bali to Jogjakarta. I'll go to the temples at Borobudur. My plan is to then fly to Penang on Sumatra, and make my way to Payakumbah for the duck races. I know it's a long shot to actually see a duck race, but I want to try.

Anita arrives on December 16, so I might not be able to fit both steps in. Stay tuned.