Brunei - Take Two

I did a diy excursion with Darla and Rick. We took the ship shuttle to the bus station, and took the $10 air conditioned bus from Maura into Brunei center- about 1/2 hour trip. The bus let us off at a building that houses a mall, and the French and German embassies - maybe more. We located an ATM , then walked toward the market. On the way, we happened upon a Chinese Temple - and sat inside for awhile. It was hot and humid, so we took it easy.

The market featured mostly fresh foods- fruits & vegetables. Darla picked up a big bunch of tiny bananas. As we walked, a man stopped us, and offered us food. He didn't want any payment, and we were a bit confused. He served Darla and Rick some noodles, broth, and some kind of meat, followed by chicken, rice, and vegetables. I declined, since I'm being careful of my stomach, being on the mend after 2 weeks. I did eat a few of the bananas.

Turns out, the man's sister was married yesterday, and feeding people is part of the continuing celebration. Darla had some magnets and necklaces that she gave, and a small amount of money to the bride.

The entertainment was provided by a bunch of monkeys who raided the dumpster, and then went into some of the booths.

We walked to a coffee shop where I had a chocolate drink, and D&R had some pastries.

Back to the bus and the ship. We gathered in Spinnaker for RummyQube, and then to the Crew Show. The highlight was one of the AV guys who is an opera singer. His rendition of Nessun Dorma had me on the verge of tears. What a treat.Read more