- Enjoy some pictures of the worldrecordtour, taken in Brunei
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More websites from Borneo:
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| Brunei
Darussalam – “The Abode of Peace”
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| Coincidentally, we already decided to ship from
the Malaysian peninsula over to Borneo for the urgent car repairs. And Miri, the town we
chose to have the engine repairs and intensive body work done, is situated only about 40
miles South of Kuala Belait. What a wonderful chance and what a perfect timing! How did
Julie and Ruedi find out about us in the first place?..... “I read the article in the
Swiss Revue about your
journey and have been really pleased about your courage and endurance to travel for more
than 20 years…..” are Ruedi’s exact words. The Swiss Revue is a monthly
publication for expatriates all over the world. Due to the same article, invitations from
other Swiss citizens living abroad flowed in later: From Egypt, India, Ireland, Malaysia
and the Philippines. So it happens that soon after our arrival in Sarawak, we hop already
over the border to Brunei to visit our new friends. Immediately, we notice some
differences: The traffic is smoother and more orderly; the many noisy scooters that are
common in most of the Asian countries are hardly seen here; life is more peaceful and
safer (less fences) and there is no visible poverty. Later, however, we learn that there
is nevertheless, especially in areas, where tribal people like the Iban and Murut live.
The most delightful difference however is that the luxurious green of the rain forest is
increasing considerably – 78% of Brunei is still covered with virgin rain forest
– a reason more why we like this tiny Sultanate at first sight.
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| When did we taste our last Fondue, our last
Raclette – both wonderful traditional Swiss dishes with melted cheese? It is long,
long ago – we cannot even remember it anymore. Never ever would we have dreamed to be
able to enjoy a Fondue party in the very heart of Borneo – in tropical Brunei –
on a very normal and very hot mid-week day while sipping white wine, exchanging adventure
stories, experiences, plans and dreams with Julie and Ruedi. Their hospitality is unique,
and only one week later, we are served Raclette, and the following week it starts all over
again ..… Everyone who knows Emil also knows that there is nothing more delightful
for his palate than cheese – he easily could survive with it! Yes, while our
LandCruiser is undergoing an intensive “rejuvenation” in Miri, we are guests in
Kuala Belait many times during the next weekends, hopping over the very easy border from
Sarawak, first with Ruedi’s Daihatsu, called “Liseli”, which he generously
offered us for two weeks, and afterwards with a rented car – a Malaysian Proton Saga.
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| The Sultanate of Brunei is an Islamic country
where the law strictly prohibits alcohol for Moslems. People from a different faith
however are officially allowed to import some limited booze: Twelve cans of beer and two
bottles of either wine or spirit per person, which has to be declared on a yellow form and
handed over to the customs officer who stamps it. During our various border crossings, we
never have been checked once. Of course, at each border crossing, we always make use of
this quota to top up Ruedi’s stock which decreases always considerably during our
visits! And each time, it is also a good opportunity to easily renew our monthly stay
permit in Sarawak (whereas Peninsular Malaysia grants a three months stay, Sarawak is
limited to one month only). As a senior engineer at Baker Hughes, Ruedi spends many days
out on oilrigs with his colleagues from different countries. He tells us a lot about the
sometimes boring life “out there” and explains us also a lot about the
complicated drilling of oil, which is also paid above the average. But he also entertains
us with many amusing stories from his earlier job with the Red Cross in Central Africa and
Angola. Very soon it shows that there is so much common interest and so much to talk
about! And from Julie, his young charming wife, we learn a lot about Borneo’s culture
and its tribes.
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| The tiny and split-up nation of Negara Brunei
Darussalam is wedged between the Malaysian state of Sarawak, facing the South China Sea
along the Northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is an absolute monarchy, ruled by
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah (“Haji” means that he
made the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca) and is home to one of Asia’s oldest kingdoms.
Its sovereignty once stretched across the entire island of Borneo and parts of the
Philippine archipelago. It gained independence in 1984 (the year we set off on our world
tour) and has the reputation to enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world.
The citizens of Brunei enjoy a level of social benefits most people can only dream of. The
government of Brunei collects no taxes, grants free schooling and health care. His
Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, known as one of the richest man in the world, is highly
respected by his people. Traditionally, he joyously celebrates his birthday on July 15th
– this year 2006 his 60th – together with his citizens in all the four districts
of the Sultanate. On July 22nd, the festivities take place in Kuala Belait, and we have
the unique chance to join them.
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| The sun is already burning hot from a blue sky at 8am on this festive day, when we arrive at the richly decorated stadium and are greeted from every corner by huge billboards commemorating the Sultan’s 60th birthday. Children of different ages in colorful costumes start grouping under the shades of the tents. Slowly more and more people in beautiful attires are pouring in – Malays, Indians, Chinese, a few Westerners and tribal folks. The atmosphere is simply unique – the diversity of costumes and colors is eye-catching. Especially exotic looking are the men in their traditional clothes, the “Kain Samping” – a kind of an “apron” made of precious brocade tied around their waist. We line up with a happy crowd to wait for the Sultan’s helicopter to arrive near the stadium. I had always a fascination for monarchies. Therefore, when finally the helicopter carrying his Royal Highness appears, rumbling in the clear skies above our heads and making a smooth landing just a few hundred yards away from us, whirling up a cloud of dust, I feel probably as excited like most of his patiently waiting people too. When his black Rolls Royce drives slowly through the festive gate towards us – headed by a small, motorized police escort on heavy motorbikes – people cheer at him in loyalty and wave little Bruneian flags.
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Huge portraits of the Sultan are greeting us all over in Kuala Belait, commemorating his 60th birthday
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| Then, the crowd breaks up and returns to the
stadium. We mingle with them and try to get a good shady spot in the front rows. Seats are
anyway only available for the invited guests on a special platform under a shady tent.
Ruedi, who is representing his American company, is one of the privileged ones. The next
two hours, we are fascinated by the variety of special performances and the colorful
parade of the children and students. Only at noon, when under a burning sun the splendid
birthday celebration comes to an end with a wonderful cascade of a firework (!), we
realize how tired, hot and thirsty we are. But we have no time yet to relax, as we do not
want to miss the moment when His Excellency is gathering with the people. Being not a tall
man and dressed in his sportive outfit, it is quite hard to catch any glimpse of him at
all, as he makes his way through the massive crowd that waits eagerly to shake hands with
him – but the dozens of (video)-cameras and cell-phones held high in the air always
reveal easily his royal presence though. With some endurance, we also manage to catch a
glance of this quiet ruler, who shows not at all his age. One question just comes to our
mind: Why does he appear in such a sportive gear instead of wearing his royal garments
while his people dress up in their best clothing?
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| The capital Bandar Seri Begawan – also
called BSB – is a modern city with broad avenues and well-maintained buildings, the
streets are packed with cars and a parking fee is enforced. After Oman on the Arabian Peninsula, Brunei is our second visit
to a Sultanate during our long journey around the world. We have always felt a strong
fascination for the Arab culture (we visited the Middle East three times). Strolling
around the city, this special feeling hits us fiercely once again: Its many beautiful
mosques, its towering slender minarets and golden domes gracing the skyline, and the Arab
script. When we approach the ‘Omar Ali Saifuddien’-Mosque in the heart of the
city with its glistening dome built up of 3.3 million pieces of Venetian mosaics and
situated peacefully on the shore of a quiet lagoon, our timing could not be more perfect:
The muezzin’s calls for the noon prayer sounds and echoes from all directions over
our heads. The richly decorated copy of the 16th-century Royal Barge mooring next to the
Mosque – previously used for religious ceremonies such as the Quran reading
competition –, highlights the splendor of this site. It is even more stunning in the
evening, when the sunset colors the clouds and both – mosque and barge – glow
like gold and reflect beautifully in the motionless water, spreading an irresistible
fairytale mood.
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| A totally different world is ‘Kampung
Ayer’, the traditional water village of Brunei – also called ”Venice of the
East”. It consists of about 40 villages built on stilts, spreading in the middle of
the Brunei River for about two miles, and is reached and connected by boardwalks and boats
only. It houses around 30’000 people. The river is alive with motorized and roaring
water taxis. We hire one and are ferried over the river in a racing speed. Strolling
through the maze of wobbly wooden walkways, known as “Jambatan”, and admire the
brightly painted houses on stilts, their verandas crowded with pots of orchids and
bougainvillea, is quite amazing. It is an autonomous world in itself with schools,
mosques, police station, fire brigade etc., – where nowadays their waterborne
lifestyle is combined with the conveniences of modern life. Children appear on windows and
greet us with broad smiles. Is it a perfect place to live? May be – probably not for
us! Since there is one thing, which destroys this illusion: The piles of floating garbage
– plastic, bottles, styropor, etc. – accumulating underneath the dwellings.
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| There is another most impressive building in
BSB: The Empire Hotel, built by Prince Jefri, the younger brother of the ruling Sultan,
who was finance minister and had a special passion for a flamboyant lifestyle and
extravagancy which brought him into troubles with his ruler. He invested so much money
into five additional luxurious hotels overseas – including the Beverly Hills in Los
Angeles – that he brought the tiny Sultanate close to bankruptcy. Everything is
exaggerated in this 1.1-billion-US-Dollar-Empire-Hotel, but in a way that it is also
unique in its “eccentric” architecture, decor and extraordinary surroundings.
Everything is there: From a golf course to a bowling alley, from a cinema to a beach and a
dinner theatre. Long before this world-class hotel gave us a lavish welcome, Ruedi told us
that it boasts with superlatives: Starting from the magnificent lobby with its 265ft high
atrium and its crystal chandeliers to the stairway railings plated in 21 carat gold. It is
a gigantic feeling! Gigantic, of course, are also the room prices: They range from US$335
to US$15’513 (! – for the Emperor Suite) per night!
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| Of course, we never would have dreamt to step
into this luxurious world, would we not have been welcomed to join a special dinner for
the tiny Swiss Community in Brunei, offered by our Ambassador in Singapore, Mr. Daniel
Woker, responsible also for Brunei. The invited guests are happy; the table is decorated
lovingly; the menu card bears our white-red National flag, which – we have to admit
– revives a special feeling for our home country – when we arrive. We enjoy the
following menu: Well, it started with “Amuse Bouche”, little seafood entrees to
awake our appetite, followed by “Penne Pasta” (Pasta with sauce arabiatta,
pomodoro or pesto), “Veal Scaloppini” (served with spinach, carrots, asparagus
and broccoli) and a trio of sorbet as desert. It ended as usual with coffee and tea and
“petit four” in addition – delicious chocolate that melts on your tongue
– Swiss quality of course. Being in a “dry” country, in a way it is amusing
to see that, at least in a closed party as ours, alcohol is still served, but in
nontransparent blue glasses! Automatically, we remember the many private parties in Saudi
Arabia, when we were invited and where was also never a shortage of alcohol.
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| Situated also on the banks of the Brunei River
in BSB, is the “Istana Nurul Iman” – the official Sultan’s residence
and seat of the Government. It is said to be the largest residential palace in the world.
Unfortunately it is open to the public only once a year, at Hari Raya Aidifitri –
marking the end of the Ramadan (we nearly make it, but only nearly!) .At this occasion,
the ruler and his family are apparently present to shake hands with the people. But from
the “Rough Guide Book”, we learn some phenomenal figures about its grandeur: It
is bigger than the Buckingham-Palace or the Vatican. It has 1’788 rooms, 257 toilets,
18 elevators and 44 escalators. It is illuminated with 51’000 bulbs. The Royal
Banquet Hall can accommodate 4’000 people, the Prayer Hall 1’500, and the
underground parking garage the Sultan’s 100 vehicles! Living in a small car for
almost 22 years – as we do – it is a bit hard to imagine life in such an
extravagant surrounding! Probably we would need “walkie-talkies” to find each
other again!
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| Never would we have expected to get stuck so
many weeks in this small Sultanate with a total area of 2’226 square miles and
approximately 360’000 inhabitants only. The reason is the never ending car permit
bureaucracy for the Philippines, which we already initiated in February. Finally
everything seems to be settled and the date for the ferry from Sandakan to Mindanao is
fixed for September 19th. Additionally, the SuperFerry – the second largest
Philippines Ferry Company – offers us a sponsorship for all the transport within the
islands. But we are not yet there and shortly before the set date, the Filipino Customs
jeopardizes our whole project. We are asked to place a bond covering 150% of all the
duties, taxes and other expenses. Up to now, we never complied in any country with such a
request, knowing that we will (if ever) get back the money only after our car has left,
and then only in local currency, which moreover can take months. This risk is so big that
we definitely are not willing to bear it. But despite of this sudden knock-down, we do not
give up yet. We make contact with the Philippine Embassy in Brunei, explain the whole
story, and get a positive reaction for assistance from its very friendly Consul as well as
from its Ambassador. Both promised to do their best to find a way to help us –
probably to convince the Department of Tourism in Manila to place a bond in their name for
us (it worked out that way in St. Lucia). However, this new situation means for us that we
need to change our plans, as probably it would take weeks or even months again to make it
work. But at least, we have now a new reason for hope!
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| Luckily, we have a wonderful time in Brunei and
are able to enjoy an exceptional hospitality. Besides Julie and Ruedi in Kuala Belait, we
meet other people – mainly teachers – who came to this remote part of the world
to experience another culture, a new way of life and a new environment: First the
Australian teachers Nancy and Ray who contact us after reading our interview with the
“Borneo Bulletin”.
They invite us spontaneously for a cup of coffee. But it does not end with that cup; it
ends with staying in their home for three nights. Then, they recommend us to their New
Zealand teacher colleagues Monique and Beane in Bangar in Brunei’s district and
exclave of Temburong, where we stop on our way to and from Sabah – each time for four
enjoyable, relaxing days. There, we also meet their friend Alex from Malta – of
course also a teacher – and because of him the entire “Temburong Nights
Basketball Club”. As a special honor, Emil is proclaimed an honorary member on
October 1st. But the ball keeps rolling, the hospitality goes on: On our Southbound stop
in the capital BSB, we are welcomed at Dan’s place, another Australian teacher, where
we have a good time during another four days, meeting and partying with his friends,
washing our clothes and taking also the chance to visit the Brunei Museum. While Emil
spends there most of the time in the oil and gas history exhibition, I am especially
attracted to the Islamic Gallery of Art with its numerous illuminated Korans – mainly
from Turkey, but also from Iran, Syria and Egypt. Each single page is a master piece in
itself – with golden ornaments and delicate, decorative paintings. The timing happens
to be also just perfect to get our visa for Indonesia in BSB – now our next and 155th
country.
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| The most beautiful spot for us is Monique and
Beane’s place in Temburong. They live right next to the jungle, which turns out to be
a true treasure box of wild animals and exotic plants. Looking out of the window as soon
as we wake up, there is always a great excitement. Sometimes, our “friends”, the
long-tailed macaques are already sitting on the huge tree in front of the house, sometimes
they just emerge from the dense bush and then swing precariously from branch to branch. It
is an ongoing entertainment. We never get tired to watch them foraging, to look how
mothers teach their youngsters to climb, how they louse each other or how they sit just
quietly, but alert on a branch, disappearing hastily at the slightest movement in the
dense forest again. Exceptional beautiful are also the huge butterflies and bugs in their
sizes and colors flattering above our heads. And when night falls, we even hear the gentle
sound of a “barking lizard” – which can reach a length of three feet. It is
simply beautiful – an expensive jungle lodge could not make us happier.
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| Our last stop on the way South is once more
Kuala Belait, where the circle closes in. Not without regret, we say good bye to our good
friends Julie and Ruedi, then fill our 62 gallon tank with cheap gasoline of 0.36
Brunei-$/Lt (=23 US-cents) and stock up with Dutch cheese and other imported goodies that
are a bit expensive in Brunei though, but not available in Malaysia. When the border gate
closes behind us on October 21st – after having spent 43 days in different stages in
this tiny Sultanate – we know that it left a beautiful imprint on our memory as a
very special place.
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More websites from East Malaysia and Brunei:
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