Bandar Seri Begawan - For two German adventurers, driving into Brunei in their four-wheel drive vehicle, "Sunshine", was like taking a trip down Europe and the autobahn back in Germany.

"Brunei is so clean and organised and the people are so friendly. It was like we were back in Europe," said 36-yearold Jost Organista.

Organista and wife Barbara Biggeman were quite surprised to find modem, well-maintained roads and high-rise buildings when they rumbled into the Sultanate last Sunday, as their initial expectations were founded primarily on the image of a small country immersed in dense rainforest.

The couple embarked on their world tour in August 2008, leaving behind the conventional life of running their electrical engineering company in Germany for the more rugged, beaten path of discovery.

They headed to Borneo on a last-minute decision influenced by the people they met during their long stay in Australia, who told them of the wonders of the rainforests on the world's third largest island. The image of Brunei's and the island's dense, pristine forests and the idea of seeing orangutans enticed the couple to take the detour to Borneo.

"With our four-wheel drive, they said that it should be a great opportunity for us and we decided to go for it," he told The Brunei Times yesterday.

The German pair entered Brunei after visiting Sabah and spent the first two nights in the Abode of Peace preparing their arrangements such as registering for a local mobile network line and finding a place to sleep.

"We went to Muara beach and slept in our car at the parking lot there. We asked the security guard if we could sleep there and he said that we could sleep there every night if we wanted to," Organista said, remarking how hospitable and friendly Bruneians were.

They also secured a meeting with Brunei Tourism, as was the couple's practice to inform the local authorities of their presence in the host's country.

At the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources yesterday, the couple met Brunei Tourism Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed. The CEO signed "Sunshine", to welcome the travelling duo to Brunei.

Brunei's own world adventurer Norhayati Abu Bakar was also introduced to the German couple and the trio shared stories of their experiences and challenges on and off the road.
Today, Organista and Biggeman will be spending three days living with indigenous tribes people in Labi. Having lived with Australian aborigines for about a month, the couple expects the experience in Labi to be as enriching.

During their stay with the local tribes, Organista hoped not only to learn about the exclusive culture but also to help them promote their handicraft when they return to Germany in 2011.

"Every place we go, the people there have different dreams. We want to bring the dreams from all over the world back to Germany," he said.

So far, they have spent five weeks in Borneo and anticipated to stay on the island for a further six weeks to see places such as Pontianak and Kalimantan. This Sunday, from 10am till noon, they will return to Muara beach to showcase "Sunshine" to the public as well as get a chance to meet and interact with Bruneians. They arc expected to depart from Brunei on the same day.

"We have been living in a three square metre space for three years in total. We have spent 14 months on the road, travelling 49,500 km. We want to see the world," said Organista. "Brunei will definitely be a great place to remember (as part of our travels)."-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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