Traveling in a rundown taxi and exhausted at Jesus' feet

Mass plain at the final stop of Via Dolorosa

Bog Travel--Beyond the white-sand beaches and vestiges of colonial legacy left by the Portuguese, Dili boasts few places of interest for those traveling to Timor Leste.

The country has a long history of colonization and war, with the Portuguese ruling over the barren territory for 450 years until Indonesia assumed control in 1974.

The former port city is bordered by a mountain range to the east, south and west and the sea to the north. Many of the old colonial buildings, including the old government offices and the post office, still retain their original architectural design. Like many old buildings in the city, particularly around the beachfront, most remain in use and cannot be visited by tourists.

The government complex boasts vast gardens and roads with wide, well-paved walkways. The breezy Dili beaches are a favorite hangout for residents who love to relax under the shady banyan trees sipping locally harvested Arabica coffee or drinking coconut water.

The most renowned is Pantai Pasir Putih (white sand beach), situated about four kilometers east of Dili. As the name suggests, this lazy getaway charms visitors with its white sand and clear, calm water. With just a few minor ripples in the sea, the location is ideal for children.

Tourists at Pasir Putih beach near Dili

Famous as a family picnic spot, visitors to Pantai Pasir Putih can enjoy the gorgeous view of tall, arid hills and the beach itself. During the working week, the spot is very quiet.

Nightlife is virtually non-existent, so don't come expecting a discotheque or movie theater. There are red-light districts disguised as massage parlors, which locals claim cater mainly to expatriates.

With tourist facilities still very rudimentary, Dili has a long way to go before it will attract global travelers seeking out a classy holiday.

At Hotel Lus Clarita, just a stones throw from the post office, expatriates hold parties regularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

Los Palos, at the eastern tip of Timor Island, is becoming a more popular spot for tourists. Around six hours by car from Dili through bumpy roads and seemingly endless hills, the area features some fantastic beaches and a glimpse into local culture.

Timor Leste is acclaimed for its indigenous woven cloth that can be easily found in major shops or being sold on Dili's roadsides, most likely by the villagers who made it.

Jesus Christ the King

A trip to Dili without visiting the Jesus Christ the King statue is like going to Italy without dropping by the Vatican. Or at least that is what my local friends say.

Visiting the giant religious landmark, built by the Indonesian administration during its occupation, is truly worth the exhausting trek through scrub areas and along the ridges of barren hills.

Along the one kilometer paved pathway leading to the statue are small grottos depicting the Via Dolorosa. Beginning with Jesus being condemned to death at the lowest grotto, the frieze finishes toward the top of the path with Jesus being resurrected from the dead. It's a shame the many of the grottos have been vandalized.

If and when you decide to go to the monument, don't forget to double your portions of breakfast that morning and take along extra water. All vehicles have to park by the beach at the foot of the hill, so you must continue by foot. On a hot day, you would be advised to take an umbrella or wide-brimmed hat to avoid sunburn.

People relax under the shade of an old banyan tree by the Dili beach.

The tall bronze statue perches on top of a limestone cliff, which majestically overlooks Dili and the still, clear beaches. The capital's main buildings and mooring ships at the port can be made out in the distance, beyond the wide ocean.

Every Easter, around 5,000 people gather for mass in the large open area surrounding the statue. One final push is needed to actually reach the base of the monument, but it is certainly worth it. The breathtaking view of the blue sea in all directions quickly overcomes feelings of exhaustion.

The gargantuan statue was built in 1996 by the Indonesian colonial administration as an effort to win over the people of Timor Leste.

Transportation is a major headache for visitors, with taxis virtually the only option. Minibuses are available, but learning the routes, switching buses and waiting for long periods is a hassle.

Even though taxi drivers are generally very friendly, some provide terribly poor service. The cars are mostly run-down with no air conditioners or meters. Officially, the fare is supposed to US$1 per in-city trip, but the driver may charge you up to $5 on the pretext that your destination appears to be "farther than he thinks".

Our driver charged us an additional $10 for each hour he waited without telling us beforehand. Another interesting thing about the taxi service in Dili is that they become extremely picky after sunset. Although the streets may be empty, drivers will sometimes flatly refuse to take you, without providing a reason. Later, I learned that they avoid certain areas notorious for crime. Pointing at his broken windshield, a driver said he had had it pelted with stones by drunken youths.

When and if you travel to Timor Leste, bring your sense of humor. It's a lovely country.

Sri Phala Resort

Sri Phala Resort is a tastefully furnished hotel hidden away in quite part of Sanur offering an intimate setting and the personalized service you look for in a holiday resort. This newly built property is comprised of twelve large deluxe room six story bungalows each boasting it's own private balcony, air conditioner, minibar, cable TV, coffe and tea maker, car rental plus swimming pool with lounge area and cocktail bar. Strategically located of Sanur Beach on the south east of the island, a mere minutes walk will bring you to white sand beaches and calm warm water protected by natural coral reef and a beach front walkway that you can stroll a long for miles. The Sri Phala Resort knows to take care of the international traveler. R O O M S Decorated with hand carved four posted beds, tiled floors, paneled walls and textured ceiling to warmth to each bungalow. Spacious well-lit bathrooms with sunken tub and marble basin. Quality crafted teak furnishing offer comfort and style to large glass fronted deluxe rooms with terrace.

Shakespeare's small, serene hometown

Bog Travel---It sits practically in the center of England and there are those that would say it sits at the center of the literary world, thanks to its most famous son.

Stratford is though a quiet little town whose population of around 25,000 people seems to be constantly supplemented by a flow of international tourists.

A statue of Shakespeare sits thoughtfully looking over Stratford upon Avon. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Stratford upon Avon is a fairly typical English market town made exceptional by the fact that it is the birthplace of the literary giant that is William Shakespeare. Indeed the town is so synonymous with the most outstanding playwright in the English language that for miles around road signs tell the traveling public that the town being approached is in fact "Shakespeare's Stratford".

Centuries after his death then, Shakespeare is awarded some sense of ownership of the town and this is fairly well reflected by the way in which his presence seems to pervade throughout the town. The town hall bears his image, enter a bank and his image is watching you. Monuments and statues to him and his characters abound and the Royal Shakespeare Company, which produces his plays here, in London and around the world, is a major resident.

The River Avon runs through the town giving it part of its name. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

But the town's name does include that "upon Avon" and this is due to the fact that it sits upon the Avon River. This river creates scenic vistas as it winds its way through the center of the town. Graceful swans and an abundance of ducks gather round to receive bread thrown to them by local residents and tourists alike.

Docked in a small waterway are long canal boats that have been converted to accommodate the tourist trade. People can dine in restaurants that have been set up in the long boats or shop for paintings or handicrafts in waterborne boat galleries.

Also sitting by the side of the river is the large Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) theatre. Currently, however this (perhaps the largest single building in the town) is undergoing a massive refurbishment, not to say near-total rebuilding. This means the building is not operative for now and the RSC continues its performances elsewhere in the town and in London. The "renewed" theatre is set to open in 2010.

Outstanding amongst monuments and statues to Shakespeare in the town is the Gower Memorial. This impressive monument incorporates a representation of Shakespeare himself surrounded by four of his most outstanding characters - Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth, Hamlet and Falstaff. These five fingers are finely executed in bronze and combine to make up the monument that has something of a Shakespearian tale of intrigue behind it.

The Gower Memorial interestingly commemorates Shakespeare and some of his most memorable characters.(JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

The monument is named the Gower Memorial after the sculptor Ronald Gower who conceived of it and sculpted the figures. In his time Gower was something of a renown sculptor who its seems held a love of both the theatre and the works of Shakespeare. To register his appreciation of Shakespeare, he put forward the idea of raising a memorial in Stratford in the year 1877.

At that time, however, the town's attention was rather predisposed on the development of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, and was not particularly enthused by Gower's plan. This though did not perturb Gower who continued to work on the models for the statues.

In 1880 Gower exhibited the Prince Hal figure in Paris, and two years later he exhibited (again in Paris) a plaster model of his proposal for the complete memorial. Still, however, there was no home for this memorial in Stratford, but Gower worked on and in 1886 exhibited the bronze figure of Lady Macbeth.

Then, in 1887, controversy seemed to come to the rescue of the memorial project. An American by the name of Ignatius Donnelly questioned the authorship of the Shakespeare plays and claimed that the true author of much of the work was in fact Bacon. This controversy it seems stimulated a response from Stratford.

The people of the town felt that the raising of the memorial would represent something of a rebuttal of the Donnelly claim and reflect favorably on the Shakespearian legacy and so too the town of Stratford. Consequently, the memorial was erected in 1888 and received its official unveiling on Oct. 10, 1888.

Somewhat ironically, the Gower Memorial still stands whilst the theatre that took precedence over it in 1877 burnt down in 1926. As a consequence of the rebuilding of the theatre in 1933, the memorial was moved to its current location and this also led to a change of positioning of the figures.

In particular, the Shakespeare figure was turned around to face upstream of the Avon River. But still, that figure of Shakespeare sits looking rather thoughtfully over his characters and Stratford, his right foot at the very edge of the pedestal on which he sits almost suggesting that at any moment he might choose to get up and walk away.

Elsewhere in the town apparent statues to Shakespeare do in fact walk away. Street performers dress up in costumes that are cleverly colored to resemble stone stand motionless in the street, but may suddenly move and frighten the unsuspecting tourist or child that approaches.

These moving statues, or ghosts as they are sometimes referred to, are in a way also memorials and commemorations of Stratford's most renowned son. Just a short distance away from these street performers is the actual birthplace of Shakespeare. It has a modern visitors' center attached to it, but is a typical timber framed building of its time - rather modest with its gables and small leaded windows.

The place of Shakespeare’s birth attracts tourists from all over the world. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

The house that was Shakespeare's birthplace is in many ways representative of both Shakespeare and Stratford. It is a quiet and serene place much like the town in which it stands, and quite small and humble. Shakespeare in his time was certainly well known but would have been relatively humble and certainly be humbled and hardly believe that his plays are now known and performed all around the world.

Shakespeare's humble existence is well represented in Stratford, but so too is his world renown. Taking tea in a tearoom opposite his birthplace one can hear languages from all over the world, and the visitors have come to Stratford because of the language of Shakespeare.