The viewing doesn’t just stop for the day; I returned at night! Places of worship have the privilege of being all lit up when it’s dark, heightening their beauty and divinity all the more, and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque was no exception. Bathed in yellow and green light, the mosque shone, literally and metaphorically.

I felt and still feel extremely satisfied with my pictures of the mosque, though my pictures certainly aren’t the best out there. Apart from camera quality, there is also the question of water pollution. You see, things were a lot more beautiful and heavenly many years ago. Take a look at these – I vouch that there was no Photoshop-ing:

Just look at how nearly immaculate that reflection is, which is perfect for both the pilgrim and traveller. Unfortunately, development causes pollution which destroys the Earth’s natural beauty, so the lesson is: travel now!

Visiting the mosque and Kampong Ayer made for a very good itinerary combination, especially on the first day. Touring them extensively was awesome and paved the way for the upcoming days with anticipation, and the places I went to on those days gave a very good impression as well.

It wasn’t just about the attraction within these places of interest; as I’ve said so many times on this blog, the relaxed pace of life is what gives all these places their ‘kick’. You could throw in just about anything into Brunei, from a mosque to a museum or mall, and it’d blend perfectly well with the happy, carefree mood of the country. The only exception would be adrenaline-high outlets like bars and nightclubs…they don’t go too well with the conservative and quiet setting.

So I’d like to think of Brunei as an urban countryside; its country theme makes you feel the joy of slow living, while on the other hand it’s urban enough to give you the facilities and goods that are usually lacking in a typical countryside.

I still have one more entry about my first day in Brunei though, which continues from Part 3, explaining how to get to Kampong Ayer by foot without having to pay for a speedboat. Typing and mashing away to publish the post asap. Ciao for now!

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