Kampung Ayer

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In my first post I included a video of being in Kampung Ayer in a water taxi.

"Kampung Ayer" is Malay for Water Village. Traditionally the Malay people lived in stilt houses close to, or over, the water in rivers and estuaries. When Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the world in 1521, his ships visited Brunei. Antonio Pigafetta, employed to chronicle his voyage and its discoveries, described the splendour of the Sultan of Brunei's court and dubbed this village The Venice of the East. It was a bustling and extensive capital city then.

Today the walls and many walkways are made of wood but the palm leaf thatch is replaced with corrugated iron and most of the piles are poured from concrete. In the second half of the twentieth century, buildings - especially those of the government and Royal Family - moved to terra firma and attempts were made to rehouse the water village residents. Many of the Kampung Ayer people resisted; and instead of insisting, the Government supplied piped water and electricity to the houses and built schools, health centres, police stations and mosques over the water.

For the community long-term bonds remain despite modernisation within the homes and the late model cars parked along the water's edge at night. Children run along the walkways or take a boat to school, but their parents need cars to drive to their workplaces and government offices. To reach the cars, or the upmarket shopping centre situated near the riverbank, residents travel by water taxi.

These boats are dubbed "flying coffins" by the expatriate community in honour of the terrifying rides they provide. Built of sturdy hardwood planks and powered by strong outboard motors, they sport names like Roda Impian (Dream Wheel), Singha Utara (Lion of the North), Pepsi Blue, or Liverpool andManchester United. Whether named for a poetic image or for an English football team a ride in a "flying coffin" guarantees an exhilarating trip.

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