Prepping for deployment in Kupang

We finally navigated the challenging immigration procedure in Jakarta and made our way to our field base, Kupang. By all means, this is an entirely different place - we may as well be in a new country. The culture is different, the government seems to operate independent from the capitol city, and transportation is achieved through much different means. Getting around Kupang is most commonly done via bima, a small minibus that is crammed with riders and blasting all kinds of western culture dance/party music.

This example is from an early morning, yet to be fully loaded. 

Bima by day.

Building and construction materials are sparse and of low quality, making our prep for field work challenging. All assembly is guided by word of mouth. The only thing that is clear is that our ultimate station design will be unconventional...

Kupang is located along a quiet shielded north facing cove at the westernmost tip if Timor island. The scenery is beautiful, an the evening brings a satisfying cool down.

A view from the Aston Hotel looking northward over the coast. 

Evening sunset in the west of Kupang. 

For now, more assembly, field prep, and testing of equipment. We are working on Sunday - typically the day off for the dominantly Catholic population in this region.  Things are moving along, we all are approaching good health - Cooper has weathered some bad stomach bacteria and a likely viral infection, I (Leland) am working through a mild cold, and Nova remains awesome. A LOT more work is to come.