April 21 Muara, Brunei

Here we visit the Sultan and his people.  A small country, 400K total.  We chose the half day tour of some cultural items and a boat ride through the water village.

After a bus ride from the port, we boarded a boat to cruise through the water village.  It was much better built and more structurally sound than the water village in Ganvie we visited  months ago.  

Brunei is a Muslim country.  Mosques are everywhere, here overlooking the water village.

The golden dome and attached big white building is the palace of the sultan.

 We were unloaded from the boat and went into a "tearoom" which looked suspiciously like someone's house.  We were served tea and cookies.  The pictures above the doorway are of the sultan and his wives.  The sultan has had three wives so far, divorcing the second and third.  Since a Muslim male can have four wives, here either he has one more left, or three left.  Not sure how that works,  He can never divorce the first and original wife.

 A suspension bridge under construction.  This is the furthest end.  You can make out the suspension wires to the upper left.

 This is the Royal Regalia Museum, where they have all of the sultan's things that they want to display.  Lots of gold and silver, lots of pictures showing the sultan as just an ordinary guy -- playing golf, participating in a tug-of-war, family time.

 No pictures allowed in the museum part but there was the entrance hall.

 I'm not sure what this was.  I doubt that the sultan collects hubcaps.

 The sultan's mosque.  He shows up every Friday and has his own escalator. 

 Another mosque, this one near the prime minister's office -- who just happens to be the sultan.  He's also the defense minister and finance minister.  It must be nice to be the sultan of a country floating on a lake of oil.

 Much more mundane mosque located back near the port.  Notice the speakers on the minaret to call the faithful to prayer five times a day.

Brunei seems to be slightly more progressive than Saudi Arabia, for example.  Women can drive and do not need to be veiled.  However, Sharia law covers all Muslims in the country, and the rules for citizenship are strict.  Our guide, whose grandparents came here from China, is not a citizen, failed the citizenship test in 2008, took it again in 2012 and is still waiting for the results.  Until she becomes a citizen of Brunei she is stateless.   No passport, no travel.  She loves the country.