The Manatuto District capital, of the same name, is located 64 km to the east of Dili, and stretches from the north coast at the Wetar Strait all the way to the Timor Sea in the south. As you drive into the town, past rice paddy fields, over the bridge that spans the wide river from the mountains to the sea, you will notice a vibrant roadside selling and market scene. Manatuto is famed for its ‘balixaun’ – a pungent and strong dried shrimp paste eaten traditionally with ‘sasoro’ – a morning rice broth. The district is also know for its ceramic earthenware made from its red clay embellished with hand painted designs. High on the hills of the town, the Saint Isabel College walls still stand, a reminder of the colonial Portuguese times. The vibrant market capital is known for its salt production and abundance of tamarind. Manatuto is also a successful model of foreign investment, from Macau, with the Tak Kang Electronics factory now employing 400 workers in its assembly line production facility.