HI everyone!

 

Well, Im back - unfortunately!!! sitting here ignoring my 128990-...emails from ARTE work and still dreaming about Singapore! Sit back and relax..its going to be a long one.....................................

 

Getting there:

Flight was supposed to be at 2:45am. Got a call from good old 'award winning airline" emirates in the afternoon, saying it is delayed till 5:45am. OK. Got at airport at 3 am...flight further delayed until 6:15. So, sat there for hours waiting. Finally got to the 'holding area'..no boarding! Eventually got on the plane around 7 am. Flight delayed because of the whole Scottish Common wealth games team - on their way to Melbourne- was snowed in at Glascow, and we had to wait for them. Fair enough. So, sat on plane, still waiting!..one scot lost his passport, so they had to get him off, and his luggage out...finally took off at 8 am. NOT happy! Needless to say, arrived like 5 hours later than expected. Vinnie waiting at hotel for me.

Saturday-First night: straight to the bar accross the road for a pitcher of Tiger beer. Vin and I had dinner at a local restaurant...had a steamboat..which is a big pot of stock/ soup..and you get a huge plate of meat and veg which you cook yourself in the stock. Gorgeous!!!!!!

 

Day 1, Sunday:

Walked to China town. A colourful and interesting part of the Singapore city, made up of small markets, traditional shops, restaurants everywhere, local food stores, chinese medicines, hawkers markets (food courts). Malls like Peoples park, Chinatown complex, etc. Interesting mix of Chinese- buddhist temples and Indian temples. Found an interesting food market..where you can buy anything from fresh frogs, turtles to the more usual seafood, sea cucumbers..stuff that look like slugs..to chickens and ducks. Veggies and fruit are plentiful. Lots of stuff I dont recognise at all. Herbs and spices, along with all the little dried shrimps and other crustacions they cook with. Although the food is obviously incredibly fresh, I have doubts about the hygiene of the place! But interesting to look at.

Walking even more, found the Red Dot Design Museum...showcasing all the award winning design of all products. Very interesting!

Walking even further, reaching lunch time, I came to Lau Pa Sat Festival Market..another incredible food hall. Not tempted by the fish head soup, I opted for an incredible Roasted Duck and steamed rice dish, with boiled vegetable similar to baby spinach. Delicious! Duck is one of my most favourite meals and it is practically the cheapest thing to eat there! Who cares about bird flu man, all restaurant windows are decorated with hanging roasted ducks- heaven!!!!! Had to taste an egg tart for desert...just like custard pastry..lovely!

Getting tired of walking now...around 3 pm...I headed for the river side. Caught a river cruise to get a view of Singapore from the river it flourished from. Beatiful city, lovely mix of old traditional buildings to some architecture that puts Dubai to shame! Saw the famous 'Merlion" ..a mythological creature..made into a statue at the river mouth.

Dropped off at Clarke Quay, I walked back to the hotel to meet Vincent.

We went to meet Alan (Smithy) and Judith at the bar across from our hotel again. They live in Singapore now and have just got married themselves! (you met them at our wedding?!).

For dinner we went to a local bbq-type restaurant, where they have this bowl of coals built into the table, they bring you again platters of meat and veg which you grill yourself. Great stuff! It is a set meal, so you get like beef stew ( best I ever tasted), rice, and the meat platter and veggies, and ice cream.

 

Day 2, Monday:

Walked all the way up to the Merlion, taking in views of city from river side again. Saw a statue from Salvador Dali! Crossed over the river to the Esplanade..which is their big state theatre, beautiful and interesting building.

Walked further to view the Padang- now part of their courts- and a few war memorials in the park across.

Had Thai- ish lunch outside the Asian Civilization Museum on the river, before entering. Interesting display of the beginning of Singapore, as well as the ancient asian civilizations..including the dominent cultures, like the Chinese, Malay, Java, Indian and Muslem/Arab.

Walked back to hotel to collect Vincent for dinner. First we went to Raffles hotel, the most expensive and beautiful- hotel in SIngapore, named after the founders, for their world famous Singapore Sling cocktails in Long bar. Very tasty! They sell so many slings there, they even have it on tap, like draught beer. The hotel is so beautiful with the extemely colonial influences visible. I felt like I could step back in time to when the British landed and took over the place - as they do.(did).

We then had a little stroll down to the river banks, showed him a couple of interesting statues I saw in the day- not that he was very interested! haahhaa. The merlion was only 2 minutes walk away but he refused to go see a water spitting lion statue. So, we headed to Boat quay, to the irish pub for a pint, then we had dinner on the riverbanks. Difficult to choose a place as there are so many and they are so competitive...we ended up in one that would give us happy hour all night and 20% discount on food. Vin had soup for starter, then we ordered abolone - the first time I tasted it! Seems like same texture as calamari (when rubbery and overcooked), but quite tasty after all. ALso ordered a crab from the live tank. The biggest crab I have ever eaten in my life, between the 2 of us we could not finish it!. (pepper crab- absolutely fantastic!!!!!!) We then headed back to the hotel - stopping for ice cream on the way off course.

 

Day 3: Tuesday:

Taking a taxi to the parlement building area, very close to the area I was day before. I headed for the Fire Department Museum ( as per Vinnies request). hmm, interesting. Then I walked to the Art House, with a couple of exhibitions, then headed for the Singapore Art Museum. Walking incircles for a while, in the universities areas, until I finally reached the art museum. Mostly Asian art, but with incredible influences of Impressionism and Cubism. Saw some wonderful pieces!!!!!! After museum, had lunch in another food hall where all the students seem to eat..yes, roast duck & rice again! Then I headed up to Chimes...an old church made into bars and restaurants. very beautiful..had a pint in Father Flanigans irich pub to get out of the heat and rest my wary feet!

I then took a stroll up to sculpture square - as the name implies- visited a couple more indian and chinese temples..then walked to the Fountain of Wealth. Supposed to be the biggest fountain in the world...no water?!! So took taxi to Little India. Had a quick look there, decided it was just like being in Dubai...so headed off to Bugis village...which is a shop-market place. INteresting things there...interesting fashions, naturally not even one leg would fit into any of it. Interesting shoes ( and no, no purchases!). After this, headed back to hotel, pick up Vincent. Wanting an early night, we headed to Lau Pa Sat festival market for dinner.,..wanted to show him it. Yes, duck again..among other things, like shark fin dim sum and some deserts. Finally around 9 pm, we headed home..but could not find a taxi anywhere..so had to walk back to hotel ...and had a late night anyway!!!

 

Day 4: Wednesday:

Booking a trip to the Zoo with the hotel tours for the afternoon, I had a couple of hours to spare...so I took off to Orchard road- the shopping street in Sing. (similar to Bond or oxford st in London). Well, went in to the biggest mall Takashimaya...all designer clothes. Beatiful stuff...all sizes start at 1...and I think I eventualy figured out I was a 15 !!!! - in the 'for bigger sizes' section!,,so I stuck to shoes in stead, but unfortunately there werent anything that I couldnt find in Dubai. I headed across to Paragon mall, same situation, but more variety I thought...so after the shopping disappointment I headed for the food court...this time I had minced pork with noodles and ate it very succesfully with my shop sticks!!!!.

So I headed back to the hotel only to find out my trip was cancelled. Irritated, I grabbed a taxi to the Zoo on my own. What a beautiful place though! I took the little tram all around to see where I would like to go, but ended up going through the whole place anyway! There are no caged enclosures...only with the obvious animals like lions and stuff, are there bigger ditches and walls, but no cages. It was so tropical, airy and pretty. ALl looked after very well. Monkeys everywhere! Saw an elephant show, very cute!

Eventually headed back to the hotel to collect Vincent. As it was our last night, we made arangements to meet up with Smithy and Judith again. First Vin and I went to Orchard road..where some of the more 'in' bars were. We then went to Muddy Murphy's to meet up. Afterwards we went to Harry's bar ..and had a late night there!

 

Last Day:Thursday:

I headed for Sentosa Island, took a taxi over...other options were cable car or ferri, or tourbusses. Just over a bridge from the city. A very pretty island, a very pretty tourist trap. I only went on the Calrsberg tower, that lifts you 113m in the air, and rotates on the top (slightly scary), to give you a view of the island and Singapore. Very good view! I walked along the prestine beaches, went to the most southern point of Asia, and just did the usual sightseeing. There are alot to do on the island, like a few museums, underwater world and other activities, but I felt it was very expensive and most of the things available I had either seen or done before, so no more interest there. I headed back to Sing city, and went for a last visit to China town. I bought myself a silk dressing gown, the only shopping I really did. Vinnie and I ended up to have dinner at the hotel buffet, which was really good...last helping of duck and pork ribs, rice and noodles and icecream! Headed for the airport around 10:30 pm and landed back here at 5 am something yesterday morning.

 

Overalll, I absolutely loved it!!!!!!! After the fist day I said I wouldnt mind living there!. Now I feel it might be a bit small, as I have walked most of the city through, though there are parts I havent seen yet. The city is beautiful, immaculately clean, people are very friendly and interested in you without being annoying. They have very strict rules against most things. Very anti-smoking, no chewing gum in public, no jay-walking, traffic rules are strict and fining are heavy aparently. Speed limit is only 80km/h on the highway, and people abide to it all!!!! Which is why propably, it all works so well.

There is an interesting mix of cultures..mainly Chinese , Malaysian, Indian and then also hindu vs. muslims and abit of arab and british in between.

People seem very social, as there are restaurants and cafes every second shop, and people always seem to be eating something!

It is relativley expensive, but if you stick to the smaller local cafes and hawker centers/ food  courts, stick to loal food, like duck and rice/noodles, it is very affordable. Stick to happy hours are pubs, and try walking or the MRT (subway/underground) or buses, rather than taxis.

I am not interested in shopping, though apartenly is it a good place to shop. That part is just oo similar to Dubai for me so I didnt bother.

It is very cultural and I thoroughly enjoued the art and architecture it offered. There are statues and structures almost on every corner, with even big names like Salvador Dali and Henry Moore statues!!! Plenty of museums and interesting buildings and bits to see.

The weather is hot and sticky..I actually find dubai now so pleasant! It was probably 32 degrees in the day time, but the humidity was incredible. So be sure to wear cool and loose clothing if you are going to be walking a lot like me!

English is widely spoken and I had no trouble with languages except in the smaller local areas and restaurants which is more chinese.(if you know what 'fly lice' means you wont have a problem....its fried rice by the way)

 

I give it a definate thums up!!!! Loved it, and it is surely a place to add on to your travel wish list !!! I would say a week is more than enough, if you just want to do sight seeing. You can add a couple of days more if you want to spend time on Orchard road, spend time on the beaches, or if you fancy catching a ferry across to Malaysia or Indonesia from Sing.

 

Poor Vinnie has been to Sing. plenty of times before but says he has never seen so much of the place!!

I would have included some photos but I forgot to copy them off his laptop, and he travelled last night to UK- Gibraltar for another job, should be back next week some time before he heads back to Sing again,..so I will try to get the pics from him then!!(poor man)

 

So, until then, take care and speak to you soon!