Travelling Hirsuitely

Success!  I managed to get a shave!  I also visited museums and stuff but most importantly I managed to get a shave.  Actually it was easy, I just went along to the same area I visited yesterday but since it wasn't Friday they were open.  Frankly it was a bit of a let down really but at least nobody tried to fob me off with the bus depot.  The barber who had no doubt been hoping for a lucrative hair cutting gig was equally disappointed.  Just the sort of man you want holding a razor to your throat.

Honesty compels me to admit that he did a reasonable job.  Not as good as the shave I got in Zanzibar but better than the one I got in Chicago.  After he was done he hit me about the head and yanked on my arms at no extra cost.  At least since the whole experience only cost $2 I'm assuming it was at no extra cost.  I may have missed the itemised invoice that said "Shave $1.75, arm yanking 25c extra"

After the entire shaving experience talking about museums is going to be a bit of an anticlimax.  Still in an effort to pad out what is currently a rather short blog entry here is something on museums.  I visited two of them; the Brunei Maritime Museum and the Malay Museum of Technology.  They were conveniently located next to each other (and at least one more I didn't visit).  Less conveniently the whole museum complex was located some way out of town.  I was told I could take a bus, I asked  if I could take a water taxi.  I could and did.

The museum complex was hacked out of the jungle some kilometres from town.  This isn't unusual, the only parts of Brunei that haven't been hacked out of the jungle are still jungle.  Why the hacking had to take place here and not somewhere closer to town I don't know.

If I learnt one thing from the maritime museum it is that, back in the day, camphor was to the Bruneian economy what crude oil is to it right now.  Brunei's camphor was world famous for its quality and people came from all parts to trade for it (and spices and metal goods but mainly it was the camphor).  Hopefully when Brunei's oil runs out they can keep their economy going by supplying Vicks Vapo Rub and mothballs to the world (do we still use those things?)

Also the Bruneian people seem to like regattas.  An entire section of the ground floor is given over to regattas and the prizes won at same.  Quite a lot of the photos depict the Sultan, apparently he's rather keen on regattas too.  Up on the second floor is a collection of small ornate cannon which were apparently a combined status symbol and prestige currency.  The cannon would be used to pay fines and provide dowries.  Which makes me wonder how they made change.
"For double parking your prahu the fine is two cannons fifty."
"Can you round it up to three?  I left my change purse in my other artillery park."

After giving the maritime museum a less than scientifically rigorous scrutiny I popped next door to check out Malayan technology.  For the first time photos were not just permitted but actively encouraged.  Possibly in reaction to this I only took one.  Despite its name the Malayan Technology Museum doesn't showcase current Malay technological achievements but rather has a series of displays of traditional skills and technologies including metalwork, fabrics and cooking techniques.

It was certainly the best organised and laid out of the museums I went to, including the Regalia Building and I came away with a greater understanding of Malayan culture and industry.  Well no, that's a lie but I'm sure a more worthy person than I am would have.  As for me, I enjoyed it while I was there.  With both museums down I repaired to an abandoned dry dock in the middle of the river for a sneaky cigarette away from prying eyes (Ramadan) before my water taxi collected me.

Just off topic somewhat I'm writing this blog entry at 10pm sitting on my host's verandah.  A group of locals are standing on the walkways fishing with nets.  I was a little surprised there were fish actually in the river but my host assures me there are.  Judging by the state of the water the fish are probably glad to leave.