It was the Sunday before Hari Raya and the thought of braving the masses on that lovely day just to buy coloured light bulbs and fizzy drinks was not terribly appealing, so Bobby and I took a drive down to Kuala Belait. My parents met and wed in Kuala Belait, and it is the town of my birth. Having lived there in my childhood and then a few years in my teens, I have an affinity to Brunei's second largest district. There is a sense of orderliness on its streets that make the Belait district a pleasant change from the crowded streets of Bandar Seri Begawan (some, but not all, of the credit goes to the most heavily lined and signed street in Brunei at the BSP area).
The drive up with a loved one to the 'land of black gold' was a pleasant way to while away the time before breaking fast. We didn't even need to get out of the car.
Tutong to Telisai on the four, and then two, lanes.
On Telisai Bridge, to the left the Telisai Mosque.
The ancient towering trees of Belait.
First stop, the Naafi. But it was shut, darn.
We visited the BSRC riding section and saw some horses.
Left: The bijou roundabout with the funky scuplture at the end of Jalan Utara, next to Istana Kota Menggalela. Right: And the water tower in KB proper.
The Suri Seri Begawan Hospital in KB Town is the second largest hospital in Brunei Darussalam. It was opened in 1972.
I spent a year in the kindergarten at St John's School.
For someone living in Bandar, many things seem novel in Belait Town.
Left: The Riviera Cafe with great views of the Belait River. Right: WyWy Restaurant off Jalan Pandan 5.
On the way home, it was nice to see Sungai Liang becoming developed.
But while development is a good thing, unfortunately sometimes we tend to favour the new and forget the old. The Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque in Tutong, with its copper dome, would be pretty with a little shine.
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