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Published: April 1st 2013
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The Center of it All
Distances are measured from this clock tower. My friend and I arrived in BSB around 4pm. We exchanged money at one of the few exchange places--conveniently located next to the bus station--and then set out to find Pusat Belia. Pusat Belia is the cheapest accomodation in all of Brunei ($10 USD a night for a bed) and if we couldn't get beds there we knew we'd need more money since everywhere else is quite expensive.
We found Pusat and waited around a bit for someone to help us. While we waited, middle school children ran all around us with fencing equipment. I finally checked in around 5pm and my friend... well, he was told to come back around 10pm and they might have a bed for him. With the fencing tournament it seems most beds were occupied, even though there are twice as many men's rooms as women's rooms. (Men and women are housed in separate wings, no exceptions.) I put my bag down on what looked like an unoccupied bed (the room was a disorganized mess with twelve beds and linens strewn everywhere), while my friend left his bag locked in the empty check-in room.
It turns out the mosques aren't just closed on Fridays,
but Thursdays also, so we were unable to go in. Quite a shame, too, since the outside of the building and the grounds were stunning. Instead, we moved on to tour downtown BSB... which took us about an hour.
We had dinner on the riverfront at the footcourt and took in a beautiful sunset. Rays stretched out like they do in the drawings of children, colors vivid and changing.
After dinner we toook a water taxi to see the Sultan's palace and the mosques at night. It's hard to see the palace because there are so many trees, but everything was stunning. Only $5 each, too, and our driver kept asking again and again if we wanted to see the stilt house village where most live. Both of us have seen a few stilt houses villages before and just couldn't be talked into spending $20 each for the tour. Luckily, the driver didn't push the sale too hard and took us back to the stone steps to debark.
We went back to the hostel a bit before ten and luckily my friend got a bed. No pillow, but a bed. There was confusion in my room because
the bed I thought was empty wasn't and sheets that were strewn about were clean. Of course, I got the bed right under the AC. Lights went out around 1030 while I was still reading my book. I guess the other guests were bored and ready to sleep.
Most of my roommates seemed to have early departures, two of them rising at 530. My friend and I met up at 730 and went for breakfast at a coffeeshop for only $5, a steal in this country. We mailed our postcards home and went to the Royal Palace Regalia Museum. Of all the sights in Brunei, this was the one I wanted to see the most. And it was everythign I hoped for.
We put our bags and cameras into a locker and then immediately were met by a tour guide. The guide explained who was who in photos and many of the objects and pieces used in the coronation. The crown weighed 5 kg and His Majesty had a golden hand and arm to prop up his chin should he tire. The first floor was complete with a full recreation of his Jubilee parade, with guards and air
conditioned, open-air chariot. We also saw numerous gifts of state presented by other countries. The whole tour took about an hour.
We made a mad dash for lunch since many restaurants were closing for Friday prayers at noon. Then we got our luggage from the hostel and sat down to wait for our bus to Sarawak.
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