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Published: September 29th 2007
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A ferry to Labuan Island and then one to Muara brought us to Brunei, providing a welcome break from bus journeys and a chance to see one of the richest countries in the world, run by one of the richest men in the world. Free education, free health care, subsidised housing, subsidised cars, and no income tax are just a few of the perks of being a citizen of the Sultanate of Brunei. Downers are the legality of detention without trial, a lack of democracy, and having a ruling family peppered with members hell-bent on spending money ill-advisedly (e.g. on thousands of cars, a boat called SS Tits, a number of young female models hired (unbeknownst to them) to be sex slaves, etc), however the citizenry don't appear overly unhappy with their lot, which will presumably continue as long as the oil keeps flowing.
Bizarrely, the country is not a contiguous piece of land, with Sarawak having grabbed a sliver of real estate in the late 19th century that split the sultanate into 2 parts. For extra novelty value, Singapore dollars are an accepted currency here too.
The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is a small, quiet town that makes
Vientiane look crowded and rushed. I didn't get much of a sense of being in a rich country - sure, the place was cleaner and more orderly than many I've visited, but it wasn't as if everyone was driving a Porsche. In fact, a large proportion of BSB's population lives in Kampung Ayer, an enormous village on stilts that sprawls in the Brunei river and seems to have a fair number of scratty-looking buildings.
In terms of sights, BSB is limited but one upside is there is minimal hassle. We visited the main mosque where we were asked to don long black robes before entering. Amusingly a woman in micro-shorts and a short-sleeved top was asked to put on her robe outside before she was even allowed over the threshold (we were allowed to change in the entrance). I do wonder just what preparation some people do before coming to countries with different cultures to their own. The mosque was impressive enough but, at just under 50 years old, looked a little too squeaky clean to inspire awe.
The central bus station helpfully presented boards next to each bus showing the entire route, and there was none of
the unholy scrummaging that had accompanied our recent bus station visits in Malaysia and the Philippines. With such a small population, though, services are by no means frequent. We caught a bus to the Brunei Museum, where there was an excellent gallery of Islamic art including intricate calligraphy and illuminated Korans, but then had to endure an hour in the sun waiting for a return journey. The buses seemed to be fitted with alarms that beeped if 50 km/h was exceeded and, since no bus driver worth his salt is going to do only 50, this meant we had a constant beeping to entertain us.
Though there was another mosque as well as the sultan's palace on the tourist trail, we gave them a miss due to reasons of relaxation and, after 1.5 days of moving amongst people with an average annual income of about US$20,000, continued heading west.
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