Travelling Hungrily

I spent seven hours in Kuala Lumpur airport.  It wasn't the worst I've been in (that prize is taken by Tashkent in the late 1980s).  I spent most of my time hanging out near the kids play area.  I know that sounds disturbing but it was only because the kids play area was right next to the smoking lounge.  And now we've gone right through disturbing and out the other side.

Fortified by gallons of coffee I would normally deem undrinkable (temporarily drinkable coffee kindly supplied by Starbucks) I patiently waited for another AirAsia jet to take me to Brunei.  This jet was actually more comfortable than the one I caught in Sydney and I broke down and bought a meal on the plane in deference to the fact that Brunei observes Ramadan and I might find acquiring food a little difficult.

First impressions of  Brunei were quite positive, I presented myself at customs to declare my cigarettes and was waved through the  nothing to declare line.  After that a marginally expensive taxi ride took me to the waterfront and then a very cheap water taxi took me across the river to my accommodation.

Once again a combination of Airbnb and blind good luck have come up trumps for me.  The lodge I'm staying in is awesome.  I'm in Kampong Ayer the worlds largest water village.  The houses rest on stilts in the river and are connected by a maze of footbridges.  Apparently thirty thousand people live here.  From the verandah of my lodge I can see straight across the river to the city itself, a view which is better at night when the mosque is lit up in all its glory.

Sadly I wasn't going to be able to visit the mosque (Ramadan again) as an apologetic sign "to our non-Muslim guests" made plain.  I joined a small group of disconsolate non-Muslim guests out the front and took a couple of photos instead.  I took one of the sign to add to my collection of apologetic signs telling why I can't visit places.  At least this one is somewhat more plausible that the Great Lakes Science Centre in Cleveland which was closed for a football game.