DAY 75 - MUARA, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM - APRIL 12, 2010

THIS STOP PROVED TO BE MORE INTERESTING THAN WE IMAGINED IT WOULD BE, BASED ON YESTERDAY’S BORING MUSLIN EXPERIENCE. FIRST OF ALL OUR GUIDE, DANI, WAS EXCELLENT.

WE BEGAN WITH A SHORT TWENTY MINTUE RIDE TO THE BRUNEI ROYAL REGALIA MUSEUM. AS WE DROVE TO THE SITE, IN THE TOWN OF MUARA, DANI EXPLAINED THE GOVERNMENTAL WORKINGS OF THE COUNTRY OF BURNEI. FIRST AND FORMOST IT IS RUN BY THE SULTAN, A MUSLIM SOVEREIGN. THERE HAVE BEEN TWENTY-NINE SULTANS SINCE THE 1300’S. THE CURRENT SULTAN, AS CAN ALL PREVIOUS SULTANS, CAN TRACE HIS ROOTS BACK IN TIME TO THE RULING FAMILIES OF LONG AGO.

IN ESSENCES HE IS A KING AND IN BRUNEI HE PROVIDES ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE, EVEN THOUGH WE SAW SOME VERY POOR AREAS. BRUNEI IS THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US, IMAGINE A LARGE PICTURE FRAME. THE PICTURE FRAME REPRESENTS THE ISLAND OF BORNEO. THEN IMAGE THE NAIL HOLDING THE FRAME ON THE WALL. THE NAIL REPRESENTS BRUNEI. NOW, GUESS WHERE ALL THE OIL AND NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS ARE FOUND. HELLO, YOU GOT IT...BRUNEI. ESTIMATED TO BE ENOUGH FOR THE NEXT 350 YEARS.

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE TOUR. WE PASSED A HUGE BLUE DOMED BUILDING, A GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENT...EMPTY. WHY YOU ASK...BECAUSE THE CURRENT SULTAN MAKES ALL THE DECISIONS, WITH THE HELP OF TWENTY-ONE MINISTERS OF WHATEVER. THE PEOPLE LOVE HIM. BUT, I DIGRESS AGAIN.

THE MUSEUM HAS ALL THE REGALIA, INCLUDING THE CROWN JEWELS, SURROUNDING THE CORNATION OF THE SULTAN. THERE ARE REPLICAS OF THE LARGE CARRIGE USED TO TRANSPORT THE SULTAN, REQUIRES FORTY-EIGHT MEN, FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN THE PARADE ROUTE. UNIFORMS, SHIELD, SWORDS, SPEARS AND FLAGS.

THERE ARE MODELS OF THE SULTANS PALACE, OVER 1100 ROOMS, AND SO MUCH MORE. DANI LED THE TOUR AND KNEW ALL THE ANSWERS TO THE MULTITUDE OF QUESTIONS OUR GROUP ASK. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ONLY SCHEDULE FOR FORTY MINUTES WE WERE THERE OVER AN HOUR.

THE SECOND STOP WAS THE WET MARKET. I WAS EXPECTING PEOPLE ON BOATS OR SAMPANS HOWEVER IT WAS ON SOLID GROUND SURROUNDED BY WATER AND ACCESSIBLE BY FOOT BRIDGE. THERE WAS NO COOKING GOING ON, BUT PLENTY OF SPICE, VEGETABLE AND FRUIT STANDS. A FEW FISH STANDS WERE SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MORNING SESSION WAS THE TRIP TO THE MAIN MOSQUE, THE ROYAL MOSQUE AS IT IS. THIS IS THE MOSQUE THE SULTAN ATTENDS. IN A WORD...BEAUTIFUL. THE STRUCTURE HAS A LARGE GOLD DOME, FOUR SMALL GOLD DOMES BENEATH THE MAIN DOME AND FOUR MINARETS WHICH STAND ALONE, ONE IN EACH CORNER OF THE BUILDING.

UNLIKE MOST MOSQUE’S THERE IS SEPARATE AREA FOR THE WOMEN, WHICH CANNOT BE ENTERED BY THE MEN. THE LARGER MOSQUE IS FOR THE MEN, HOWEVER IF ROOM EXSIST THE WOMEN CAN GAIN ACCESS TO IT FOR PRAYERS. THE WAY YOU CAN TELL IF THE MOSQUE ALLOWS SUCH ACTION IS TO LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE DOME. IF THERE IS A CIRCULAR MOON AND A STAR IN THE CENTER...WOMEN ARE ALLOWED IN THE MENS PRAYER ROOM. SO MUCH FOR LESSONS IN THE MUSLIM FAITH.

AFTER LEAVING OUR SHOES ON THE FRONT STEPS, AND FOR THOSE MEN AND WOMEN HAVING PLACE ROBES OVER INAPPROPRIATE CLOTHING, WE WERE GUIDED THROUGH THE AREA WERE THE PEOPLE WASH THEIR HANDS AND FEET BEFORE ENTERING THE MOSQUE. WE CONTINUED UP A LONG CURVED MARBLE STARCASE LEADING TO THE MOSQUE’S PRAYER ROOM, OR SANTUARY. LARGE WOODEN DOORS FROM THE PHILIPPINES.

ONCE INSIDE THE SANTUARY IT WAS EVERYTHING I HAD SEEN ON TV DOCUMENTARIES. ONE LARGE AREA WITH NO PILLARS TO OBSTRUCT VIEWS OF THE PULPIT. PRAYER RUGS COVERED THE ENTIRE FLOOR. THE FLOOR IS ABOUT 150 FEET IN DIAMETER. PRAYER RUGS COVER THE ENTIRE FLOOR, EACH PERHAPS FOUR FEET WIDE TO ACCOMMODATE THREE PEOPLE. WE WERE TOLD THE RUGS ARE ROTATED EVERY DAY. OUR GUIDE SAID HE CAN TELL WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK IT IS JUST BY LOOKING AT THE RUGS. THERE IS A NEW COLOR EVERYDAY. THE INSIDE OF THE DOME EXPOSED A LARGE GOLD CHANDALER. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS SOLID GOLD, EVERY INCH, AND WEIGHED OVER FOUR TONS.

THE MOSQUE IS CALLED JAME’ ASR HASSANAL BOLKIAH.

THERE WAS A MISHAP AS WE WERE LEAVING THE MOSQUE. ONE OF THE LADIES MISSED THE FIRST STEP AND FELL AND HIT HER HEAD ON THE MARBLE SIDEWALK. THE AMBULANCE WAS ON SITE WITHIN SEVEN MINUTES AND THEY HAD HER IN THE HOSPITAL VERY QUICKLY. THE MIRACLE...NO BROKEN BONES, NO CONCUSION AND ONLY SEVEN STITCHES IN HER HEAD. SHE DOES HAVE A GOOD SIZE BUMP ON HER HEAD. IT IS A WONDER SHE IS NOT DEAD.

AFTER HAVING LUNCH AT THE SHERATON HOTEL WE VISITED THE KAMPONG WATER VILLAGE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY. (THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE AREA ALSO.) SOME OF THE HOMES ARE RUNDOWN, BUT MOST ARE JUST MODEST AT BEST.

THE HOME WE VISITED, THE PINK HOUSE, HAD A VERY LARGE COVERED FRONT DECK AND SURPRISINGLY VERY LONG, BUT NOT NARROW, CONTAINING MANY ROOMS. GEORGIA STROLLED THROUGH THE HOME AND WAS AMAZED AT THE SIZE AND QUALITY OF THE OWNERS POSSESSIONS. THE LIVING ROOM HAD A MODERATE SIZED PLASMA TV, LARGE SPEAKERS, DVD, ETC., ETC. THE KITCHEN WAS LARGE AND MODERN.

AS GEORGIA AND I WALKED ALONG THE WOODEN PLANKS WINDING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WE COULD NOT HELP TO NOTICE ALL THE TV DISHES ON THE ROOFS OF THIS EYESORE OF A COMMUNITY. I REALIZE THESE PEOPLE HAVE LIVED THIS WAY FOR PERHAPS CENTURIES, BUT IF THE SULTAN IS AS GOOD AS THE CLAIMS WHY DOESN’T HE HELP THEM TO PROGRESS INTO MORE MODERN FACILITIES. WHATEVER.

OUR STAY LASTED FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR. WE WERE WAITING FOR ANOTHER GROUP TO RETURN FROM THEIR BOAT TRIP UP THE RIVER. WHEN THEY DID ARRIVE WE FOLLOWED THE WOODEN PLANK WALKWAY TO THE BOAT LAUNCH FOR OUR RIVERBOAT ADVENTURE.

OUR GROUP WAS THE SMALLEST OF THE PASSENGERS ON THIS EXCURSION, ONLY ABOUT EIGHTEEN, AND WE WERE NOT CROWDED ON THE BOAT. WE HAD TO TAKE GREAT CARE IN GETTING ON THE BOAT AS THERE WERE TEN NARROW STEEP STEPS DOWN TO THE BOAT. THE BOAT WAS NOT TIED TO THE LAUNCH IN ANY WAY AND IT BOBBED CONTINUOUSLY. OUR WEIGHT HAD TO BE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY TO PREVENT TIPPING. THE SEATS FACE EACH OTHER AND MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR TAKING PICTURES.

ONCE ONBOARD THE DRIVER PLACED IT HIGH GEAR AND WE SPED THROUGHT THE WATER AS IF IN A RACE. WE PASSED SEVERAL LARGE BARGES AS WE TRAVELED UP STREAM. THE MANGROVE WAS GREEN AND LUSH AND UNLIKE THE MANGROVE IN COSTA RICA THIS SHORE LINE WAS FILLED WITH PALM LEAVES. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE TRIP WAS TO SEE MONKEYS.

WE TRAVELLED SEVERAL MILES UP STREAM, PULLING OVER INTO THE THICK BRUSH IN OUR QUEST FOR A MONKEY SIGHTING. THREE TIMES WE ENTERED THE BRUSH NEVER SEEING THEM BUT SEEING THE TREES BRANCHES MOVE WILDLY FROM MONKEY ACTIVITY.

OUR FOURTH ATTEMPT PROVED TO BE SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL. THE EXCITEMENT OF SEEING THE FAMILY OF MONKEYS ALMOST CAUSED US TO TIP THE BOAT. EVERYONE RUSH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND GREAT PANIC SET IN. HAD OUR BOATMAN TRIED TO MOVE THE BOAT, I’M SURE MANY OF US WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE RIVER.

I BEGAN SNAPPING FRANTICALLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH ANYTHING IN A PHOTO. BEFORE WE KNEW IT THERE WERE SIX OR SEVEN MONKEYS WITHIN SIGHT. SOME WITH A CLEAR VIEW TO THE CAMERA AND OTHERS HIDING IN THE LUSH GREEN FOLIAGE. I’M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I HAD SEVERAL GOOD PHOTOS. I WILL NOT DIVULGE HOW MANY WERE DELETED. TWENTY MINUTES LATER WE WERE HEADING BACK TO THE WATER VILLAGE FOR OUR RETURN TO THE SHIP. IT WAS A GREAT TOUR.

WE DID MANAGE TO MAKE DINNER IN THE MAIN HALL TONIGHT. THE PIANIST FROM CHINA, TIAN JIANG, WAS PERFORMING AGAIN AND WE GOT TO THE LOUNGE EARLY FOR GOOD SEATS.