Day 388: Bandar Seri Begawan

Apr 26 - Try again to get into Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. I try the ‘dumb tourist’ method, only to be politely told that non-Muslims cannot enter for a few days more. Ramadan ended five days ago, so it seems really excessive.

Instead, sort out which public buses go to another large mosque to the north. Once we know the bus numbers and where to find the stops, it turns out to be an easy way to get around. The e-hailing taxi service here is a different app than in Malaysia (called Dart), and doesn’t seem to work on Janet’s phone.

Get into the mosque just before is closed for visitors at 11:30 (!). This mosque is named after the current sultan, and was completed for his 48th birthday in 1994. It is a neatly constructed, efficient place of worship, with an amazing ablution chamber, and lots of polished floors for Odette to slide around in her stocking feet.

While waiting for a bus from here, a couple stop and ask if we want a ride somewhere. They are charging for it, but it beats waiting around. We go to the Istana Nurul Iman, the sultan’s royal palace. When we get there it is pouring rain, so we stand in the guardhouse. The only guard on duty explains that since Covid, no one is allowed even into the gardens outside the palace. This is not explained anywhere where I was looking for information, so a bit of a disappointment. While we are standing around, a motorcade leaves, and the guard says it was the princess.

Catch a bus back to downtown and stop by a Taoist temple.

Take a long walk over a bridge to the western side of town. Here, stop in a supermarket and then on to Masjid Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.

We thought we could get back to our starting point by wooden bridges, but the final bit was blocked off. Went out to a water taxi point and got a ride back to downtown.