music breaks language barriers

What to do, what to do? I did all the touristy things in the first 12 hours with Jamal, circled Kumpung Ayer on the second day, now what? I want some culture!! Drums. I want drums. Or something....

I got Mel to drive me to Kota Batu, the former capital of Brune and the site of the graves of past sultans and museums. Well the Brueni museum was closed and the malay technology museum was open but looked um, empty. I guess I could have stayed and looked around if I'd known how close it was to town. Maybe I'll do that on the way back, take a boat to the graves and museum. See how it goes. At least it's kind of jungley there.

So Mel drove me to the Royal Regalia instead. Gee whiz. That place is full of presents for the sultan from other countries. Really nice place. Oh and I saw this Arabic script piece of art - wood carved!!

Okay, bored again. Hmm, no more weaving for me. But I am a little hungry...and I guess I am a little cut that I paid $10 for a boat ride. My feet take me to the wharf. "You want me to get into your boat??" "Yeah, ride around" "Okay, how much?" "$2" I jump on. "$1 there. $1 back, okay?" "Okay." Excellent. I jumped off the boat and started walking down what appeard to be a street. Where I was going, I don't know. But after the road looked like it was simply a road, I stopped and turned back. On the way back I spotted a kid playing guitar. By kid, he was probably 23. Somehow through the language barrier we managed to show each other some stuff on guitar. Fun. But now was some time for food. I popped into the first appealing kedai makan :) Some Indian shop patronised by Pakistanis. What ever it was I had, I enjoyed. And I managed to find out where the music shop was in Bandar. Too bad I later found out it was closed.

Catching bus 55 for the second time was an experience. It was packed and Bruneians have a personal space distance smaller than mine. It's all in the experience.

I didn't really feel like going straight back to the hotel so I popped in to the scout hall for my daily dose of pool. I had to restrict myself to 1 hour but continued to practice for another 1.5 hours without lights. (If the lights aren't on, you don't have to pay for the use of the table.)