Before I leave Bandar Seri Begawan, I wanted to see the sights. So sight-seeing I went. In the city centre I was allowed a few steps inside the old mosque, said to be one of the most exquisite in this part of Asia. It was indeed. All mosques I’ve been allowed into are beautifully decorated and so was this massive structure. It had recently been refurbished and stood like a landmark on several hectares of near-bare land.
Across the canal, crossable by a walkway, lay a stilted village. The sight attracted me and I filmed as I walked into the quagmire sprawled about 2 metres above the water surface. The clusters of sheet iron-cum-wood houses and rooms – all joined by endless planking and nailed boards – were quaint. They are certainly photogenic. The locals knew how to fit a lot of activity, restaurants included, into the mix. But underfoot it was a different story. Islands of litter – mostly plastics – bobbed in the shallows and I‘d have dreaded falling into the pollution soup by stumbling on one of the innumerable protrusions in the boardwalk network.
A splash caught my eye. I then recognized the form of a bloated Dalmatian dog partly enclosed in a black rubbish bag, rocking against the walkway support poles in the filthy water. And another splash. The smooth beaded-surfaced head and rounded back of a water monitor, a type of large lizard, was unmistakable to me. These carnivorous reptiles are attracted to meat and it was clear this one, about 2 metres in length, was here for a meal. The dog carcass was easy pickings for the monitor and watching it floating in silence made me grateful I’m still alive.
I turned, holding my breath to keep the putrid stink out of my lungs, and walked past the coffee shop and long rows of flower pots lining the walkway until I was back at the canal crossing. The village had looked nice from a distance, although it was anything but once I saw things up close.
I hitchhiked back to my hotel and a Philippine couple stopped to give me a lift. When the kind driver parked at the hotel front door and turned to me in the back seat, it seemed that whatever he was about to say was wiped from his mind. He was probably going to smile and wish me well, but instead, his eyes fixed on my pelvis and stayed there. It was partially my fault; I’d relaxed during the drive and my legs were spread open. I stared at the driver while he stared at my nether regions with a startlingly blank expression – for a long, long time.
