Brunei Tour: Mosque To Palace To Mosque Joyride

After passing by Masjid SOAS, we went on following the main road. Left and right of this thoroughfare are beautiful big buildings of national offices and/or landmarks. It then turns left to a historical bridge.

Edinburgh Bridge - named and inaugurated as such, in February 1959, during the visit of Prince Phillip Mountbatten, The Duke of Edinburgh, The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, The father of Prince Charles.

Note that the bridge has pedestrian walkways, and the views form there are wonderfully memorable.

At lower-left-corner (with a boat) is part of the Balai Bomba Pelancaran or Fire Station Launch Area. In fact, that boat is one of their emergency/rescue fleet. Parang patrol boat, and they have a lot of those.

Still on the left side, at the bank of the river (the little platform with golden dome) is Darussalam Jetty. Further to its left (not seen in picture) is Istana Darussalam - what locals now call as the Old Palace. It was the original home of SOAS III, and the very birthplace of the now sitting Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Sayang it's not open to the public (baka inaayos), but you can see it from the promenade. You'll realize it is/was nothing but a lovely-looking middle-class wooden residential home (kung sa standard natin).

Behind the jetty, still at left are parts of Masjid SOAS and Yayasan Mall Complex. Elsewhere out there is Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas (Golden Jubilee Crown Park), including that pedestrian bridge crossing the river (Sungai Kedayan), and finally, that beautiful building at right, is the country's Supreme Court.

I haven't been to that Supreme Court Building, but I heard the design was from a winner of a contest.

Anyway, after the Edinburgh Bridge, it's still a wide nicely paved highway, usually without heavy vehicle traffic, yet, especially if you were driving, you will have no choice but to slow down. Why is that? Well.., the views on both sides of the road are interesting. There are many of the big wide edifices of national institutions that all look a bit new. And there seem to be few residential houses, if at all there even are.

Well, some buildings could be condominiums, but it felt like we were amidst some government center.

Hey, look at somewhere in the middle of the picture, you should see one golden dome in the distance.

Yes it is! We continued on the joyride amidst beautiful buildings and sceneries, until we reached this!

The golden dome we saw in the previous photo is in there. That's the main gate of Istana Nurul Iman.

Syempre pa, without further ado, I got off the car for a closer look and photo-ops! At bakit, kayo lang?

That's the most important place in all of Brunei. Istana Nurul Iman means Palace of the Light of Faith.

Dyan sa loob ng malawak na bakuran na yan ang palasyo kung saan nakatira ang kanilang Sultan.

Syempre pa, bawal pumasok. Hanggang gate lang tayo - even the regular/normal citizens of Brunei.

Of course nanaginip ako.., kung pwede lang sana basta-basta nating kalampagin ang gate na yan 'no? Sabay sigaw ng "hoy Hassanal, hala daw buksi anay ini nga gate kay mapa-kodak ako didto ha sulod"!

But thanks that my driver/guide told me.., that the Brunei general public (including us tourists) have a once-a-year opportunity to enter the palace compound (of course not all of it), AND even get to meet the Sultan himself, plus his wife (at times even their children), live, and interacting - not in a ceremony!

Hindi biro yan, as in totoo yan at pawang katotohanan, no stir!

I learned that, during Hari Raya Festival (Eid al-Fitr, end of Ramadhan), for three consecutive days, the palace opens its gates to receive the general public, regardless of religion or nationality (basta tao ka) in what they call the Istana's "Ruma Terbuka" (open house). Syempre strict ang security, hari yan 'no?!

There is a buffet at the banquet hall, then you can follow the many who line up to meet and greet and king and queen (the sultan and his wife, sometimes with their children). Hmm, I know some old ladies ("old" kasi mas matanda sila doon sa prince) who would jump to their feet on just hearing that phrase "children of the sultan"! Ewan ko ba sa matatandang iyan (friends ko eh hehe), they are very avid fans of Prince Mateen! They even attend the SEA Games and Asian Games, makita lang ang prince na yan!

Oh, I am told the sultan gives out gift boxes containing some dessert (parang moon cake).

So, ayan children, remember Eid al-Fitr, hindi nalalayo sa Easter natin ang dates nyan. Go to the palace and just say "aw excuse me your royal highness, andito rin ba ang anak nyong si Abdul Mateen" haha!

Tip: my guide says they (legit accredited travel guides) have a way of "ensuring audience"!

Hey seriously, though I would guess you already know this... the architect of Istana Nurul Iman was no other than our very own National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin, while the build was done by a consortium called Ayala Abbott and Butters, ibig sabihin Ayala Group ng Pilipinas din. Yaring Pinoy!

Tip pa more: my driver/guide say some tourists do like waiting it out while doing pictorials at the gate (photo above), for a chance to see or even wave at the sultan when he drives into or out of the palace.

Did you know that? It is true, and a common knowledge amongst Bruneians, that during normal office days (meaning on non-ceremonial activities), the sultan does like driving on his own - with no escorts.

Eh, tao din lang naman sya, at mahilig sa sasakyan, so he drives. Remember, he's not just a politician. Above being head of state, he's also a revered cultural and religious leader. Who will want to hurt him? So he is safe on their streets. Unlike in our or other countries, na ang mga leaders madaming kaaway!

Teka, hindi naman ako puro pakinig sa aking driver/guide. I also informed him that their sultan is fond of durian flavored ice cream. Oh ha? When he asked why and how do I know, I said "I just know"! Kayo, my dear pinoy travelers, did you know that? Aba, hindi lang basta durian flavored, Magnolia pa 'kamo!

Okay, tama na muna yan. But if you want more "pinoy-pride" about the Istana, just search the web. You can find amazing info online, like 'thousands of Pinoy hands were involved in constructing the palace'.

Thousands talaga? Yes. Not only workers transported to Brunei to work on-site, but there were others back home, like those who prepared narra wood used as native-looking ceiling of the entrance's foyer!

Okay okay.., let's go on with the joyride. Worried na si driver/guide baka gabihin kami hehe!

After the Istana gate we went onward (mlayo pa ang dulo ng compound na yan, probably 1km more),

I just enjoyed this scenic highway with few vehicles. Pang-shooting, pang-pictorial ang surroundings!

Even away from the palace complex, the sides and middle of the road are lined with trees and greens. And structures are relatively new, you would think they have started to like building on land only lately!

By the way, did you notice that red traffic signage? "PERLAHAN" means 'Dahan-dahan' or 'Slow Down'!

I noticed too, there are no "black spaghetti" along these areas. Obviously, their wires are underground!

And I noticed too, their per liter price of gasoline was something like the equivalent of P18, samantala sa atin it was running at P42. Tapos, bottled water nila is like 1BND, so mas mura ang gas kesa tubig!

Of course, pumasok din sa isip ko that education in this country is free (all levels). Hospitalization too is free, even for us foreigners, and workers anywhere in this country do not have to pay income taxes!

All I could say was "mamatay tayo sa inggit" hehehe!

This was indeed one educational, bitter-sweet re-familiarization joyride tour of Bandar Seri Begawan's environs. Namangha, naglaway.., before heading back to near the city center, to see another mosque!

Another mosque? Yes, bakit ayaw nyo maka-rinig ng more Pinoy Pride?

That's next!

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