The Nomadic Nixons: Kupang: Not a tourist destination

I had heard Kupang was not the best place to visit. “It’s dirty and it’s loud,” they said. A trip to this city was not on my “to see” list, but it couldn’t be avoided. We are helping Novi and Esti get passports. In Indonesia, everyone who wants a passport must personally visit the main office for the province they live in. For Nusa Tenggara Timor (where we live), that office is located in West Timor in the city of Kupang.

So.... Novi, Esti, Colby, and I ventured to Timor. We rented a room at a hotel on the beach.

I was thinking “ocean views”. Fun! Unfortunately, you can not see the ocean do to the concrete walls “protecting” the rooms. And the TV you see in the above photo – it was only there to tease. It didn’t actually work. Nor did the hot water. There was a real toilet, but no real toilet paper. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?

Kupang is a large city that sprawls. Walking is not recommended due to the distances between attractions (and I use the word loosely) and due to the widespread drug problem. Absolutely everywhere we went had a sign reminding visitors that the use of narcotics is not permitted. Seriously....everywhere.

We ventured to the mall via bemo. A bemo is a mini-bus that doubles as a discotech regardless of the time of day. Here Colby demonstrates how to “stay cool” on the mobile dance club.

Here he shows his true colors.

Warning: If you do venture to Kupang and decide to utilize bemos (as they are cheap and relatively efficient), beware they are the only place I did not see the No Narcotics Signs. This lack of the ubiquitous reminder was sometimes evident in the bloodshot eyes of the bemo driver.

The mall had an escalator and a KFC with a playground – a step in the right direction for someone missing modern conveniences.

We had planned to check out Gua Monyet (Monkey Cave), but were advised not to by the hotel staff, a waitress, and a bemo driver. Apparently in addition to monkeys in the cave and a large traditional gong, Gua Monyet is a popular spot for drug and sex trafficking.

The more we learned about Kupang, the more I realized it was not the best place for a “family” outing. It became clear that we would be traveling only to the passport office and staying close to the hotel until time to return to Sumba. Fortunately, there was a decent beach spot not a 20 yards from the hotel.

Colby is now an excellent fisherman. He caught many little fish in the tidepools. He “befriended” one little fish.

Poor thing. Can you see it? Here, let me help.

He continued to dump water on this little fish washing back into the tidepool and recatch it. It did not live long. It might even be dead already in the picture above. He wanted to bring it back with us. I know they had become good friends and all, but a dead fish a good pet does not make.

The girls successfully got their passports and we RAN to the airport, which does boast a few statues