Welcome to Bandar, Brunei, where alcohol is not allowed in public, but the call to prayer is loud & clear. We took this trip the day after we returned from Kuching. We stayed at the Empire Hotel & one photo shows the view from our room. The Sultans brother built the resort & spend over $1 billion dollars (US). The place is amazing...golf course, movie theater, bowling alley, 7 restaurants, sand bottom pool, regular pool, spa - the list is endless. The place has to be seen to be appreciated. Wowowowowowow. I was still feeling pretty crummy so we got here on Saturday & just loafed around the resort - I just got to know the big lucious bed ...and huge bath tub. Ahh.
The next day we checked out & headed out to tour the city. We toured the city mosque that had 24 karat gold domes...we were made to put on stinky robes & only walk on a marked path area like we were dirty - hmph to Allah. :) We also went to a museum that had many gifts that that had been given to the sultan from other countries.
The highlight was taking a boat tour to the water city where there is a huge community of houses, restaurants, hospitals and schools - all built over the water. You can see the Sultans palace - or one of them anyway - in the background in the photo. After we toured this area they took us to the jungle where we saw Hornbills, Probiscos Monkeys www.opentoengland.org, a crocodile & a red and black striped snake. After this we were exhausted - it was really really hot outside - and made the 2 hour drive back to Miri.
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