Mataruak

Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste, the smallest and newest country in Asia. And this is the least visited country in Asia.
The 1st picture is the Christ the King statue on a hilltop overlooking Dili and the harbor. It is reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio.
The 2nd picture is the presidential palace, and the 3rd picture is a portion of the parliament building. The 4th picture is of a former presidential house that has been converted to a museum commemorating the life and presidency of Jose Ramos-Horta. Mr Horta received the Nobel Peace prize which is show in the 5th picture.
The 6th picture is one of several traditional markets in town.
The 7th picture commemorates a dark time. When the people is Timor-Leste voted overwhelmingly for a independence, the anti-independence group went on a rampage and scorched earth retreat. It became a genocide. This cemetery is when those killed at the time are buried. This particular monument is to a journalist who brought news of the killing to the world community, cementing international support for independence.
The 8th and 9th pictures are of the Roman Catholic cathedral.
The last picture is of the headquarters of the political party and that became the party of the early national government. As is typical of revolutions, the group leading the rebellion often takes power in the new government. That is the case here, and this is the party descended from that group. They remain a political party, albeit in opposition these days.
Our visit coincided with both the national (independence) day and national elections. So many places were closedRead more