Brunei, Day One:

There is only one person in this nation of 400,000 people who could have the benefit of an eight hour time difference and still trek out of bed and into breakfast a mere half an hour before closing. No prizes for guessing who that is.

It has been a fascinating day, a trying day in many ways. But, in the spirit of adventure, I totally embrace that. What would going off backpacking be if there weren't challenges, and we didn't make mistakes?

Malaysian morning television is remarkably similar to American morning television; not so much the UK. Quite remarkably so. All the ads are the same, the women just wear hijabs. They had word-for-word Cadbury's commercials that air on UK television, re-made with Malaysian children, in Malay. I watched Buletin Pagi, seemingly Malaysia's main morning news show, while I ate my one-day complimentary hotel breakfast and made plans for how to see Brunei. It was in Malay, so I didn't get very much of it, but one doesn't need to be fluent in Malay to see that the main story seemed to be that Malaysia lost 8-3 to Australia at hockey or something. Ouch.

Even the best made plans can get scuppered quite quickly. The weather is quite indescribable here, everywhere is air conditioned to the high hills, but the minute you step outside, it hits you. It is a mixture of intense sun and intense humidity, but it is penetrating and even the light maritime winds do little to mitigate it.

So, I set off, on foot, to make my way to the majestic Omar Al Saifuddien Mosque, the jewel of Brunei, and to explore the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan. Google Maps said it would take around 40 minutes, but it took me around two hours because I decided I could memorise the instructions and set off in the wrong direction. This was a blessing in disguise, however, as I stumbled upon Jame 'Asr Hassanal Bolkiah mosque, a short five minute walk from my hotel.

Words cannot quite do justice to how beautiful this mosque is, nor photos. You almost need to see it for yourself. I know that is a cliche, but it has a delightful ambiance to it. The minarets are gold, the walls around are stunning architecturally, and it has a wonderfully peaceful sound of fountains and stream water that flow gracefully in the background. All the while, there are few tourists or locals around, so you really capture the feeling of peace. I plan to go back and visit, but today was not the day for visiting mosques.

I also, in this time, discovered that they likely have Asian giant hornets here too, as you see these things buzzing around. I don't know if they are bona fide V. mandarinia or the close relation V. tropica. I don't plan on finding out. V. tropica are certainly present on Borneo, as I have seen these around. They are described as a close relation, but with a black ring around them, and according to Wikipedia "possess a potent sting, which can cause extreme pain and swelling." I would be lying if I said I was thrilled to discover this. I have had one harass me while I was recovering from heat exhaustion (cowards, attacking a man while he is down, but don't tell them I said that): I calmly and predictably stepped back, as you should do if confronted by a wasp or hornet, as sudden movements cause disorientation and increase the risk of being stung. But yeah, I wasn't hanging around.

As I walked through an industrial estate en route to Bandar Seri Begawan, two things of note occurred. Firstly, I saw a lady in a headscarf being harassed by a cat who wanted something she was eating. There is much truth in the wisdom that around the world, human nature is the same. What is even more true is that around the world, cat nature is even more the same.

Secondly, a man approached me and asked me where I was from. He didn't speak much English, but seemed friendly enough. He insisted on giving me his phone number (look mate, I'm flattered but don't let the Sultan find out) and told me something in broken English. The only words I could make out were "I can take you on my boat to see crocodiles." My friend, how much would I have to pay you to take your boat away from the crocodiles? That is an offer I am far more interested in. I joke, but the people of Brunei are very friendly and helpful, and I am sure this man was just honestly interested in showing me around and making some money, but I politely declined.

I stopped off in a public park to rest from the heat. It was quite incredible; a beautifully manicured park in intense heat, and I was the only one there. Quite surreal to be honest. It had a big monument to something or other to do with the Sultan, mangrove trees around the edges, and plenty of shade.

And a warning sign not to go in the river due to crocodiles.

Bandar Seri Begawan is not a big city at all. In fact, from my hotel to the city centre is probably only about 25 minutes at my walking speeds. It is a slightly strange place, however very sleepy and very peaceful. Sleepy is the best word I can use to describe it, there is no hustle or bustle and everything moves very slowly. It is possible to be in the streets near the centre and have only a handful of people around. There are certainly merits to the Bruneian way of life, it is a world apart from London or Manchester, and people do seem very relaxed and sweet, if somewhat shy.

I made it to the city centre after stopping off to see the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien, a large park and memorial to Brunei's indpendence from the United Kingdom. This was where the independence ceremony was formally held on the 1st January 1984. It sits next to Jalan Elizabeth Dua (Jalan Elizabeth II), a reminder of the close links between Brunei and the United Kingdom. The late Queen Elizabeth II visited Brunei twice, once in 1972 while still a British protectorate, and the other in 1998. I bet they didn't make her walk from the hotel.

The call to prayer sounded at around midday. It is a haunting, yet quite beautiful sound, and in Bandar Seri Begawan is not too imposing.

Brunei, I have read, is the most religious nation in Southeast Asia, topping even Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population. The majority of the population are Muslim, although there does seem to be tolerance for other religions worshipping in private. This being said, they cannot proselytise and there seem to be strict penalties for exposing Bruneian children to religious ideas that may cause them to deviate from Islam. Islam is, however, an integral part of Brunei's national identity and governing ideology, particularly since the implementation of the Sharia penal code in 2013.

However, I did pass a church on my way back to my hotel.

In the city centre, I made my way to the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. Another tourist couple very kindly got this photo for me. Please bear in mind this was after a few hours of walking in intense Borneo heat and humidity. I planned to hang around to witness the mosque illuminated in green, as it is at night, and watch the sunset over the stilted water village of Kampong Ayer, however I decided to try and head back to swim in the hotel pool and fell asleep instead.

After lunch in a shopping centre near the mosque sheltering from the most torrential downpour I had ever seen, I headed to the Royal Regalia Museum. I didn't know exactly what it was, but I had seen it on TripAdvisor and it was air conditioned.

I can describe it only as a unique experience. It was similar in spirit, I suppose, to Windsor Castle or other Royal Palaces, in that it was an exhibition to the Sultan of Brunei's life, diplomatic gifts, and the opulence of the Brunei Royal Family. It was an interesting experience. There was a lot of emphasis on how generous and benevolent a leader the Sultan of Brunei was to his people. I will talk more openly about this once I am out of Brunei.

In the meantime, here are some photos.