Mosque/DQ/Museum

There are two major Mosques in Brunei known for their architecture and we were able to go and visit one of them. Super exciting because I love to observe other religions and learn about their practices (don't worry, I'm still very much attached to my Lutheran roots!). We were dropped off near the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque which opened in September 1958 by the 28th Sultan of Brunei, whom it is named after. It is built on a 5 acre plot and the structure is 225 feet long and 86 feet wide. This mosque can accommodate around 3,000 people at once. In other words it is huge! We first walked around the building and found what we thought were the front doors so we slipped off our shoes and went in. As soon as all five of us were through the door we realized that it wasn't the front but was the side door. Oops! Big mistake, we all bolted out (you aren't supposed to be on the carpeted area if you aren't Muslim) and scurried around the building to the real front door. There we were meet by some of the gentlemen and apologized. They laughed it off, said we were fine, and invited us in. Each of us girls was given a robe to wear and we were asked to stay on the rolled out carpet and not to take pictures. The structure was amazing to see in all its mass. There was so much detail in all the walls, ceiling, windows, and just about everything you could see. It was great to see and witness. I would have liked to observe one of the services but those are not open to the public.

So to end this excursion on our own in Brunei we found a DQ. Yup, that's right! They have Dairy Queen in Brunei!!! Crazy to think about how small our world actually is sometimes. It was fun to have something familiar to snack on and felt good in the heat. On the way back to the apartment we were staying in there was the Royal Regalia Building open and it was recommended by our hosts to stop in and look around. So we did. It was interesting and full of the history of the Sultan, his upbringing, marriage, and all the gifts that were given. We searched for the gift from the US but I don't think any of us actually found it. There were just so many. However, we did find the gift from Canada! It is a statue of a Walrus!!!!