Glimpse of Brunei

This post is an overview of my week in Brunei. The first think is the wiredness caused by the seven hour time shift. For about the first 36 hours you feel out of line with the world and then you slowly seem to phase back into alinement with it. Bright sunshine, coffee and a large hotel bed with crisp white sheets help a lot.

As with my last trip, my fascination for clouds and sunrise seem to continue. I think its because I'm not normally up in time to seem them. The hotel was the Empire and Country Club a 5 start place that is opulence personified. Marble and grandeur everywhere, they serve high tea, which is a mixture of sandwich, with the crusts cut off, warms scones with cream and strawberry jam and cakes with gold on them, all the cutlery is silver from Aspray's.

There was an infinity pool lots of little beaches and lagoons, none of which I actually got time to use. For the first time when travelling for work I actual bothered to pack a pare of swimming trunks and didn't make the effort to use them.

I tried a coffee shop that someone recommend me and will post by review later. Lets just say there is a gap in the market for a independent coffee house, at this point.

The hotels coffee was about the best I could fine in Brunei, it could easily be improved, if someone was to spend some time and passion on it as they have all the right equipment. The phrase that springs to mind, which I picked up whist scuba diving, is they have all the gear' be no idea. The coffee was okish, drinkable but you had to ask for the latte to be made strong our you ended up with something weak, milky and warm.

When I travel I normally pack my airopress, hand grinder and some of my favourite beans, I didn't this trip and they where sadly missed, life lesson learnt and which wont happen again.

Brunei is truly beautiful, the people are friendly, welcoming and happy to help, the weather is hot and wet. The food is a mashup of everything, good fresh fruit, I eat everything form sushi to curry (for breakfast) to high tea with scones and darjeeling tea (with a slice of lemons, of cause). At dinner, in he hotel, they severed six types of rice w evening meal, I didn't know that there was six types of rice. I can recommend the chicken rice, it creamy and some of best rice I have ever had.

Onward journey

We left Dubai 40 minutes after arriving just enough time for 2 smokes, 2 security checks and some exercise. Back on the plane for another nine and a half hours. Surprisingly it wasn't that bad, once I had workout how to turn the chair into a bed, I passed out for most of the journey. Food was good as was the attentiveness of the cabin staff.

Landed around 8.30 local time and passed through customs and immigration seamlessly. Its worth noting that Brunei is a dry country BUT you are allowed to bring in one bottle of spirits if you declare it, are not a muslim and are above the drinking age. I only found this out once I got the immigration forms, which was to late as I was working on the premise that you couldn't bring any alcohol into the country.

Meet by our driver and whisked off to the hotel, we check in and are told that our rooms will not be ready for about an hour. On reflection, having been here for a couple of days, this is odd, the hotel isn't exactly full and they have staff everywhere. After a short wait our room and a coffee in the lounge we are shown to our rooms and I can have a shower.

Hell defined

Its the little things in life that amuse me, like turning left when you get onto the plane. I get on this tin tube, I've forgot my nicotine patches and they are packed in my case which is now in the hold, getting to my seat, what do I find, in the seat next to me there is a woman holding an 18 month old child, who is screaming its head off. Your having a laugh, this is not the way my first business class flight is supposed to go, so I've got 18 hours of this right..........TAXI.

Luckily my companion on this trip talked me into a couple of glasses of free champaign before getting on the flight and I fall a sleep before take off and wake up 2 hours into the first 6 hour leg. We are flying on Royal Brunei airways, the important think to note at this point is the BRA is a dry airline.

Lets recap: no smoking, no nicotine supplement, no alcohol, screaming child, mother intent on breast feeding in the seat next to me. On the plus side, seats that turns into flat beds, that have controls that only take one and one half hours to workout. A selection of dumbed and heavily edited second rate movies. When do we get to Dubai I need a smoke!

We make it to Dubai, now I only have to get off the plane, walk half a mile, get through security, walk another quarter mile to find the room of fellow sinners and addicts.....' we would like to inform passengers that are continuing on to Brunei that you have 20 mins before re-boarding the plane.' Someone somewhere is now officially taking the p1ss. Do not even think about mentioning coffee!

How fare east?

I'm off on another trip, Brunei this time. For the first time in my life I am legitimately getting to travel 'Business Class'. I've travelled a lot and had the pleasure of getting bumped up on a couple of occasions.

I'm a bit wary as this is going to be a long flight, the longest I've ever done. I jut realised I've forgotten to put on my necitin patch and I have check my luaggage in......arse........this is going to be an intresting first leg.

At the time of typing, I'm sat in the lounge in Heathrow T4 having just had breakfast and booked my reiki sessision before getting on the plane.