Photos from Our World

Baucau, the second town of East Timor

Baucau is 123 km east of Dili and East Timor's second largest town, with about 16 000 inhabitants. it sits at an altitude of 330 m, above the sea and, although much of the infrastructure of the city and the surrounding area was damaged or destroyed during the riots that followed the referendum for independence in 1999, it still has many colonial Portuguese buildings, like the Pousada de Baucau (or Hotel Flamboyant, as it was called during colonial days or Hotel Baucau during Indonesian occupation), a large pink hotel, recently renovated after it was thoroughly trashed in 1999. The impressive Mercado Municipal buildings are due for renovation; meanwhile, Baucau's market is centred on the street alongside it. The Catholic church is flanked by a pavilion, built in the style of the Fataluku people who live in the east of the island.

Two kilometres from old Baucau, above the cliffs that form the backdrop of the town, is Kota Baru (New Town in Indonesian), featuring a market and administrative buildings (some thrashed), established during the Indonesian period. Five kilometres downhill from Baucau, past rice fields and small villages, is Osolata, which used to be Baucau's port; the old Portuguese "Alfandega" or customs house still fronts the beach, Pantai Wataboo, lined with coconut palms. Osolata is now just a small village with outrigger canoes drawn up the beach.

	Trashed building	Shop, Kota Baru	Catholic church	Mercado Municipal
	Main street, Baucau	Pousada de Baucau	Timorese statue	Thatched houses
	Near Osolata	Osolata beach	Pantai Wataboo	Canoe, Osolata

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