Little did I know, my quick jaunt in the Sultanate would have me unveiling the many contradictions of Brunei Darussalam. The first encounter I had when I arrived in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan was with a very eccentric guy named Bobby. He was born and raised in Brunei but was from an indigenous tribe. His brazen attitude towards his home country made it clear he wasn't Muslim. Among other things, he revealed he had been in a gang while living in Thailand. Hanging out with the wrong crowd lead to him being shot 12 times in the chest. He survived, obviously. He showed me the rippled scars on his chest. I blinked in disbelief. As far as first encounters went, this one was the most intriguing.

UNVEILING THE MANY CONTRADICTIONS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

FIRST, A SUMMARY OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM 

Brunei is a tiny country on the island of Borneo wedged between Sarawak and Sabah, two regions belonging to Malaysian Borneo. What Brunei lacks in size, it makes up for in location. As you can see on the map, Brunei enjoys a very enviable location facing the South China Sea. It's thanks to this location that Brunei has developed as one of the richest countries in the world, consistently ranking in the top five. The Sultanate's wealth is mainly generated by its abundance of offshore petroleum and natural gas fields.

Brunei is governed by one of the last monarchies on earth. His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah is not only the reigning Sultan but, also, the Prime Minister of Brunei. That means he has absolute control over the whole country. His net worth is estimated at 25 billion dollars making him one of the richest men in the world. Apparently, he and his brother own no less than 7000 luxury cars! It's no surprise the Bolkiah royals are infamously known for living extremely lavish lifestyles.

Which brings me to contradiction number one.

WATER VILLAGES FLOATING IN RUBBISH

The agglomeration of kampongs (villages) is home to thousands of native residents. The only way to get to the Kampong Ayer is to take a water taxi from the dock in Bandar Seri Begawan. The villages consist of thousands of wooden shacks houses precariously balancing on stilts. Footbridges made with wooden planks or, less common, concrete, link the villages each bearing a different name.

Upon seeing the water villages, you might think the residents are stricken with poverty. In fact, many of them are wealthy, though their decrepit houses might say otherwise. What's more, living in the kampongs is considered as a privilege by many native Bruneians. The reason being the royal family originally came from one of the floating villages. What's not to be proud of, right?

Well, see for yourself.

As I began to wander around the floating villages, I was shocked by the endless piles of rubbish that had gathered on patches where the water had dried out. I furrowed my brows in confusion. I was told His Majesty visits his native floating village regularly; surely he saw what I saw albeit through very expensive designer sunglasses.

I mentioned this to my newfound friend, Bobby, who didn't seem concerned at all. He said the rubbish was picked up every day without elaborating further on the subject. Right on cue, a tiny sanitation boat came sputtering along. How anyone thought this dinghy was enough to pick up tons of rubbish was beyond me! I couldn't understand how one of the richest countries in the world exhibited (literally) such poor sanitary standards.

Read also: Is Brunei Darussalam Worth Visiting?

SHARIA LAW, STONING AND SEX

If most people hadn't heard of Brunei before, that all changed recently when the country made headlines creating an uproar among human rights groups (and celebrities ). His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah announced that Brunei would be implementing Islamic Sharia Law, a series of draconian commandments regulating Muslim behaviour. The first stage of this implementation was to include stoning to death as punishment to those engaging in gay sex or adultery (among other acts deemed sinful).

Enter contradiction number two.

While both brothers have never shied away from living an extravagant lifestyle, the younger brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, is notorious for being an unabashed playboy. Despite having three wives (polygamy is accepted in Islam), a quick online search will list several articles about the Prince's decadent, sex-obsessed behaviour (including modern-day harems). While his older brother is adamant about putting Sharia laws into place, the Playboy Prince is busy breaking them without any fear of reprisal.

I guess what happens outside of Brunei, stays outside of Brunei.

SMOKING AND ALCOHOL BAN

Before going to Brunei, I already knew that smoking and alcohol were banned. As a non-smoker, I rejoiced at the thought of not having to inhale second-hand smoke. Alas, my joy was short-lived. On the same day I met Bobby, he introduced me to one of his friends who I'll refer to as The Highly-Regarded Imam (someone who leads prayers at the mosque). Being the proud Imam that he was, he offered to take me to visit one of the most beautiful mosques in Brunei. Excited, I hopped into his car. Only a few minutes later, The Highly-Regarded Imam rolled down the window and....lit a cigarette!

In a single puff, my dreams of smoke-free days had vanished.

"Isn't smoking illegal?" - I asked, slightly annoyed but mostly curious.

Bobby replied by saying that smoking is illegal as long as you don't get caught by the "Morality Police" - men put in charge to catch anyone violating the laws. If someone does get caught, he continued, oftentimes a bribe will do. The Highly-Regarded Imam, being a man of good standing, wasn't in the least bit worried about the "Morality Police". He shrugged them off whilst billows of smoke floated out the window.

BLING VS BLAND

With Brunei being one of the richest countries in the world, I had a preconceived idea of what the capital city would look like. Think modern, glossy buildings and slick architecture. As I stepped off the bus in Bandar Seri Begawan, I soon realized it was anything but. Words like bland, dated and lackluster came to mind. I couldn't help but wonder: Where was all the wealth?

A short walk from the city center answered my question. The beautiful Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is an architectural gem. The main feature of the mosque is its large, central dome covered in pure gold. The mosque sits in an artificial lagoon and is surrounded by finely-manicured, evergreen gardens. At the estimated cost of $9 million, no expense was spared when building the mosque.The most exquisite materials such as marble pillars, fancy granite floors and ornate crystal chandeliers were imported. Bling!

The contrast between the opulence of the mosque and the lackluster city center was so stark, it was almost embarrassing.

SHARING THE WEALTH - OR NOT

According to Bobby and The Highly-Regarded Imam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is unequivocally loved by Bruneians regardless of what he (and his brother) are accused of. In a country where Sharia Law is practiced and freedom of speech is stifled, I wondered why this was. (As a side note: speaking against the royal family is illegal and could entail severe punishment). I figured the following had something to do with it.

In his utmost generosity, the Sultan distributes monthly allowances to each and every Bruneian in the sum of +/- $1000. Also, every year in July, the Sultan gives out $1200 to everyone who attends his birthday celebrations. By everyone, I mean non-Bruneians, as well. Too bad I was in Brunei in March! As another show of appreciation, free housing is given to many Bruneians (I'm not sure what the criteria is for eligibility). For example, The Highly-Regarded Imam and his wife (who's a teacher) own 4 houses in Brunei all gifted by the Sultan. Bobby's family home was also a gift from the Sultan. In addition to distributing generous sums of money and giving free housing, education and medical assistance are, also, free of charge to all citizens of Brunei. It's no wonder the royal family is forever loved.

I can only assume what my friends said was true and, I admit, I found the royal family's generosity to be admirable.

That is, until I met Spiderman.

Naturally, I was curious to know why this guy was dressed as Spiderman. I mean, it's not every day you get to meet Spiderman in Brunei Darussalam, right? His answer surprised me. Turns out, he was dressed as his favourite superhero to try to make money as a street performer.

"Isn't your monthly allowance enough?" - I asked, remembering how the Sultan provided so generously for his people.

Spiderman let out a boisterous laugh. I took that as a no. Did he simply want to make more money or did he and his family actually need more money to make ends meet? My questions were left unanswered. I realize the monthly allowance isn't a huge sum but according to Bobby and The Highly-Regarded Imam, it was more than enough to live comfortably in Brunei.

Meeting Spiderman left me feeling more perplexed than ever.

Have you ever been to a country that left you feeling perplexed?