Brunei: Bandar Seri Begawan

As the sun set in Bandar Seri Begawan, I walked along the banks of the Sungai Brunei towards the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, one of Brunei’s most famous landmarks. The contrast of the white marble, storm clouds and reflections in the lake produced the typical surreal images seen in the tour guides. These books however, fail to mention the smell of sewage in the area and the brown frothy effluent collecting around the circular lagoon.

I was almost crushed in the charge of people (two boys) that crossed the bridge from the kampung toward the mosque – where was everyone? Storm clouds thickened as night fell forcing a short sprint to the hawker centre near the hotel. The air was heavy with moisture and so were my clothes by this time. As the heat of the cooking and the lack of fans created a sauna effect, I decided to dash back to the hotel for a shower, fresh clothes and food. I should have returned to the hawker centre - the restaurant’s nasi goring was extraordinarily dull.