Philippine Travel Notes

In the previous story , I said I stood in front of the police station for some moments, as I was appreciating something that looked imposing. This was it across the road. A cluster of lovely-looking colonial-style buildings in a security-gated compound. While appreciating it (from across the road), that gate opened to let a car out. I ran to cross the street, and that startled the 2 guards (at left). One shouted "hey hey, why"? I was too late, that gate was already closing fast. So I stopped to answer that guard with " take picture, inside ". He smilingly said " come back opening time, 8AM, go inside "! I realized only now as I write this, that what I did (running towards a closing gate with armed guards) , was a dangerous thing to do. Eh kung nabaril ako dahil nabigla sila? Ayay my gash abelgash ! Kung nagkataon goodbye earth ako! Iskandalo na, damay pa ang ating inang bayan! Lesson learned: dapat cool lang palagi, huwag pabigla-bigla! Eh...

This has reference to the last sentence I said in the previous blog story where I was supposed to have been done with my day's worth of roaming Bandar Seri Begawan. But, my driver/guide offered that we peep at this museum as it is just across Radisson Hotel where I was billeted. Of course I said let's go! My guide knew that I was supposed to see this museum tomorrow morning, but he said we could just have 'a quick look-around' for him to tell me 'this-and-that', so I would know what to look for tomorrow, when I come back alone. There's no entrance fee anyway - but better if still annotated by a local guide. So we entered the museum. Here's my guide registering (required) at the information counter for me! Note that all visitors are supposed to do the registering for themselves by writing on that logbook. But as you can see, guide did that for me. Maybe because I was a VIP (very ignorant person)! What is next? You'll be given a key to a locker...

Don't be confused, what many Bruneians refer to as Kiarong Mosque or Masjid Kiarong is actually the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque - the biggest and most important mosque in their whole country. And why are we talking about it? Alams na.., Pinoy Made! Pero mamya na yan, yung tour ko muna! Just about 15min leisurely drive from Istana Nurul Iman, I could already see it from the road. Exciting! Why was I excited? Eh, this was that thing I saw on arrival day , and I said this was on my bucket list. In my bucket list? Yes, because, while I see it everytime I pass from/to the airport, I haven't been to it yet! Here's an interesting part of BSB (short for BS Begawan, short for Bandar Seri Begawan).., a rotunda! Clean and beautifully simple as it looks, it is not that 'ordinary' (kaya ko nga pinektyuran eh)! Under the roundabout with flowers and greens is actually the wide highway, Lebuhraya Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. It's not a tunnel. It's like an...

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...

Masjid S ultan O mar A li S aifuddien III or Masjid SOAS . That's how most locals refer to it, while visitors and tourists like you and me would know it like I wrote in the title of this blog entry. Quite a long name! Hmm, maybe SOAS Mosque would be a shorter way to refer to it, at least for us non-Malay-speakers. I do know though, that "masjid" is "mosque". Now that you know it too, let's just stick with Masjid SOAS! I kept saying Omar Ali Saifuddien " Ai Ai Ai " Mosque, instead of the usual " the third " that had my guide laughing. At least, I made him laugh! Ah, I don't remember, but I guess I picked that from some private joke at home, school or office. Like we'd say Queen Elizabeth 'Ai Ai' instead of 'the second' or "QE two" ! Mr. Guide thought I was saying "ayayay"! But, still giggly (ewan ko nga ba ba't tuwang-tuwa sya) he did suggest I stop saying that in front of the Brunei...

This article's title should have been " The Perpuspaan Main Gate 1968 And The Lost Kampung Sultan Lama ". But it is too long, so I settled with what you see above! The first I saw on my land-side joyride. "Joyride" was the appropriate thing to call this 'remainder of my afternoon tour'. I told the driver/guide that there was no worry if we were unable to visit all sites listed in his itinerary (that I paid for), since I ruined it in the first place, by overstaying at Kampong Ayer, childishly watching boats "fly on the river"! He knew, since I also told him, that I was already contented with what I have seen and experienced at Kampong Ayer. He further knew, as I also made it clear, that I've already seen (2 decades ago) almost everything in the itinerary. I just wanted a glimpse at them, even from a moving car (nostalgia tour ba)! Actually, my aim was just to see, if I may spot 'significant changes' from what I've seen two...

Listen up children, so this won't happen to you! I messed my afternoon tour itinerary, because I stayed too long at Kampong Ayer , and I wasn't even able to see half of what my guide planned for me to visit! Why? Because I talked too much with the owners of the house we visited, and I spent even more time watching water taxis. I don't know if it's just me, but watching the boats felt like witnessing a F1 race! Lesson: know what your heart desires, then manage your tour time according to them. Or, since most of the time you won't know yet, how amazing things are going to be, learn to stop. Awat na, kumbaga! Anyway... From my position in that last picture of the previous story, I just turned around and saw this... Yes, I was still standing at the Yayasan Boat Jetty, and that's the central area of the Yayasan Complex. What is that? It's a mixed use commercial complex that has banks, boutique shops, clinics, foodcourt, restaurants, cafes, civil offic...

Let's continue my afternoon tour around Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Driving onwards, just probably a kilometer more, we reached this nice-looking place by the riverside. The name is clear, it says Kaizen Sushi Restaurant . Since my driver/guide was maneuvering to park in the vicinity, I cautiously said I already just had lunch back at the Radisson Hotel before he fetched me. He smilingly said we were just parking the car somewhere here, as we were going to ride a boat. Da! My view from the Yayasan Boat Jetty , where tours to Kampong Ayer (Water Village) take off from. So okay, first tour destination - Kampong Ayer (Water Village) of Bandar Seri Begawan. Let's go! Note, as I did not expect this: I was alone on the boat with just my driver/guide. In the usual tours, you will be riding as a group, all in one boat. Sabihin nalang natin special ako this time. Special child hehe! But I learned that in DIY cases, you ride any of those (fast) commuter boats, as if sumakay...