Apr 25 - Try to get into the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque but it is still ‘off limits’ to non-Muslims due to Ramadan. Even though it ended several days ago.
Go the the waterfront, where water taxis are everywhere, scanning the pier for customers. If you even walk close to the edge, they will motor over and shout. We had ‘arranged’ a one-hour tour yesterday with one, but are 15 minutes late and the guy is not there. Catch a different boat, and pass by some of the villages that are built out over the water on concrete pilings.
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Go up the Sengai Damuan, a side river that empties into the Brunei River. Up here the mangrove swamps are prolific and (relatively) free of trash. It is obvious that the state gives value to this vegetation as it has not been cut or damaged despite being so close to a major urban center.
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Back in downtown, go the Royal Regalia Museum (which was closed yesterday).
So, now is a good time to explain why this country exists. It used to be an empire, stretching over most of northern Borneo, but eventually ceded almost everything to either the British or to James Brooke. At that time, Brunei obviously did not have much power, just a consistent family line of sultans. It became a British Protectorate in 1888, though this did not stop the Japanese from occupying it during WWII. The current sultan was coronated in 1967 (the above museum is all about that), and Brunei became fully independent, as an autocratic absolute monarchy, only in 1984.
Brunei became known for its wealth starting in the 1990’s, when extensive oil and gas reserves were discovered offshore. Because it is such a tiny country, with less than 500,000 inhabitants, the per capita earnings have made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The GDP grew by 56% between 1999 and 2008. It apparently has no public debt.
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This museum has room after room of state gifts that were given to the sultan at some point or another. Including stuff that looks like toys he used to play with as a kid. It is a fascinating place but way, way over the top in adoration of the royal line.
Last thing we do today is take a walk north to the Tasek Lama Recreational Park. This is a pleasant, forested area with trails that extend for many kilometers to the east. We only get as far as the Tasek Lama Waterfall.
