Kupang was our first introduction to Indonesia, a busy, noisy, chaotic and ramshackle town/city that is the capital of West Timor. It is also the home for the largest university in the southern archipelago and has students attending from all of the other islands giving the place a young, vibrant feel.

The city is a mixture of Muslim and Christian religions although Ramadhan began the day we left.

Rich by comparison with the rest of the island the roads are clogged with small motorbikes, scooters and Bemo’s, the ubiquitous mini/mini buses that provide cheap transport around the island. These bemo’s race around the town at great speed, screeching to a halt to cram yet more people on board and all the time the huge speakers mounted under the seats blaring out a wide range of pop music, the only common link being the deafening noise and deep base levels.

Indonesians are comparatively small in stature so can more easily squeeze themselves under the low door and through the two rows of sardine like passengers. Tall guys like me have a little trouble getting in and out and as the locals do not like to “move along the bus please” I invariably had to move crab like, to the end of the minibus to sit down.

The good folk of Kupang had arranged a couple of celebration dinners for us in the evening that included dancing and music as well as a session from a local pop group and girl singer, both excellent and the sunsets each evening were magnificent.