Aircon City
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2008
1
Trip End
Jul 15, 2008
Singapore, Singapore
Thursday, July 17, 2008
So I continued walking and finally came across Waterloo Hostel, which had one free room remaining! The hostel is Catholic run, with very clean seperate sex toilets. However this did not refrain both receptionists from trying it on! It seems we are still in Asia! The room is a little box, but quite satisfactory, and since the tv didn't work they knocked S$5 off, making it $45 per night. I feel very similar to when I entered Hong Kong from mainland China, with regards to the cost and presence of order!
As they cleaned my room, I walked around the corner and found a food centre (which are pretty much around every corner in Singapore) and took the opportunity to try something I missed in Penang; hokkien mee - yum! I went for a bit of a walk after that and found the city at night to be clean (try spotless), safe, friendly and laid back - all the things London is missing. The high rise buildings look stunning at night and I love the modern architecture intermingled with old colonial buildings. No it's not as quirky or exciting as the cities I've been seeing of late, but it's a welcome change!
Day 138 - When I got up this morning I walked out of my room to find that a restaurant / cafe had been set up on the landing! Turns out the breakfast is included in the bill which is a pleasant surprise and afterwards endured further letchiness from Ali on reception!
Now it's time to explore! My hostel is in an ideal location - right in the centre! So I marched off toward Little India to start the day and reached it about 8:30am as everyone was getting going - finding people opening up shops, others stopping in the street chatting or enjoying a coffee whilst sat on the pavement - the area is a lot like their home and I do feel a bit like I'm intruding when I walk through. All the same I really enjoyed exploring the streets, looking at the old shopfronts and absorbing all the Indian sights, sounds and smells. All the while women in colourful saris and men in long 'skirts' and checked shirts are buying vegetables and heading to the temple, which has a sea of empty shoes left outside it! It's so well defined as a niche that you would never think you're just a 10 minute walk from Singapore city centre!
I thought I'd try using the MRT, and as expected, it is very easy to use (and spotless) - although the London tube kind of prepares you for any such systems! Back in the colonial district I did some sightseeing of the Padang - a huge green space with a still functional cricket pitch on it, surrounded by a number of stunning, old colonial buildings: Victoria Concert Hall, City Hall,, Old Parliament House and my personal favourite, the Supreme Court. From the Padang there is an amazing view of the CBD, showing just the scale of the city and how impressive Singapore is.
Across the Padang is Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, which looks like a big Durian! From here I had a view of the Merlionand city behind from across the bay. So onwards I went to visit the Merlion up close and admire the gorgeous Fullerton Hotel building. Grabbing an ice coffee I went and drank it in one of my favourite spots in Singapore - Raffles Place (a little green space situated amongst all the high rise banks). I really liked sitting with the enormous backdrop behind and people-watching for a while, contemplating how I could quite happily live here for a few years! Coming back down to earth I walked to Lau Pa Sat (another of my favourite places), which is a Victorian food hall full of different stalls selling all the food you could imagine (and so cheap!).
Catching the MRT back to City Hall I went in search of Raffles Hotel, and having a moment a little like at the Petronas Towers, finally found it, complete with Bentley and Lambourgini outside!). I found myself standing outside the forecourt feeling too inferior to step over and take a closer look! Pulling myself away and putting myself out of that misery of feeling poor and the opposite of elegant in my teva sandals, I walked the three blocks back to my hotel and back to my little box!
I wnet back out later in the afternoon and bought a bun from a bakery in City Hall Mall, but had the dilemma of k\not knowing where I can and can't eat it! I then went to Chinatown and was impressed with how authentic it is - shops of Chinese medicines, food, tacky sounvenirs (come on, that is China nowadays!) and market stalls and lanterns absolutely surrounded with Chinese people and tourists bustling about. The place was so busy, especially Kreta Ayer Square, which had a large proportion of the old Chinese population sitting about chatting and playing their equivalent to chess! It was a great slice of Chinese life in Singapore.
Wanting to try to famous Singapore chilli crab, I ordered expecting some noodle dish, but instead got an entire crab and nut crackers! I have never eaten one like this before and appeared not to be capable so had top ask the waitress to crack the crab open for me! It was highly embarassing but tasted really good so I suppose it was worth it! However, still hungry I walked towards Lau Pa Sat, and on the way I saw the Red Arrows in the sky above the city doing a display and rehearsing for their National Day - I stood in the street and watched them for ages - it was so impressive and such a treat to see! I passed by Thien Hock Keng Temple, which is absolutely beautiful and the oldest of its kind in Singapore.
Lau Pa Sat was buzzing with satay stalls lined up and tables and chairs covering the street next to them. I sat down and had some satay chicken skewers and enjoyed the atmosphere. I walked back through the CBD (really love cities at night) and kept experiencing areas of calm and then coming across places with huge groups of people! The Merlion especially was crowded and I got there just in time to see why, as a huge display of fireworks came from the bay.
Day 139 - Caught the MRT to Changi airport to change my flights and enjoyed the journey through the city to the end of the line and using the skytrain to get around the airport afterwards. I stumbled upon terminal 3, which must be for the expensive airlines as it is so quiet and full of neat sculptures and architecture.
Went for a coffee in Clarke Quay - a trendy, redeveloped area by the river in the city centre, which was really cool (the urban design and modern architecture in Singapore deserves a prize - they create funky, up-to-date, aesthetic places whilst retaining traditional aspects and character). The coffee was damn expensive, but had to be done! I walked along the river further to have lunch at Boat Quay, which is a section of the river lined with restaurants. Avoiding all the cafes with pictures of their dishes out front, I settled in a lovely Italian delhi and had a really good panini - I think to experience all of Singapore you have to try the more expensive and trendy places as well as food hall grub, as these are both what Singapore is about.
Spent the afternoon in the Asian Civilisations Museum and found the whole exhibition really informative and very interesting. There was an overview of Singapore (and in particular the river), providing insight into how it became a trading hub when Sir Raffles came over in the early 19th Century and the presence of Chinese merchants and coolis, as well as Indian workers mostly brought over by the colonialists shaped the diverse culture of Singapore today. From the days of being a major, bustling trading port, Singapore went through a huge restructuring project in 1980s, whereby the river was cleaned and the social network surrounding it dispersed, resulting in the quiet and clean environment it is at present. I found it really fascinating to have some insight into Singapore and being able to connect it with what I have seen over the past two days.
Most of the galleries had really impressive displays and information on the SE Asian countries, and in particular their religion. I found this so interesting, especially as I have been to the countries and seen them first hand, which makes the information all the more applicable to me. With the addition of brilliant artefacts, the museum was a highlight of Singapore, just due to its clear account of traditions, culture and religion in all Asian countries. I came away from the place feeling so excited and energised having learnt so much and been so absorbed in what I had just seen that I felt I had to go back to the hotel and write down everything before I forgot (I had made notes on the floorplan leaflet - what a geek!)
Nipped to the foodhall for a snack of fresh fruit and when I used the internet in reception, Ronnie (the other receptionist aside from Ali) persistently asked me out for dinner! At the time I didn't even know his name so I definitely wasn't going to accept, so instead walked to Little India with intension of trying some Indian food - and where better to do it?!I was shocked to find the entire place absolutely heaving - every little street, nook and cranny was packed with Indian men (in checked shirts mostly) - lie I said it's like their home, or comunal hall, as they all stood around chatting or buying things, sitting on the floor in the shop doorways drinking coffee! The traffic fighting to get through the crowds only added to the chaos! I have never been to a place like it, and didn't I feel conspicuous! There were absolutely thousands of them... and what a sight it was, the place was well and truly alive! Indian food wafting out of restaurants and music coming from the shops added to it and made it one of the best sights I have seen of the whole trip! I went into Komala Vilas restaurant and didn't have a clue what to do - the place was packed with locals. A nice waiter came a reeled off a list of dishes - I had no idea what he was saying and wouldn't have a clue what they were anyway, so told him to choose something nice... and he did! It was called onion rawa masala - a metal platter dish with a potato pancake thing encasing some vegetarian curry, and three dipping sauces. Luckily I did know to eat with my fingers... on my right hand! For S$3.20 I felt really happy having tried something new and having the novel experience of Little India by night!
Day 140 - To quote the Lonely Planet "Singapore is all about food and shopping"... done the former, now time for the latter! When in Rome!
The weather is perfect for shopping as its dull and muggy, with bouts of rain - ideal to spend the day in air conditioned malls! Today I walked in another direction - not East to the colonial district, North to Little India or South to CBD and Chinatown beyond - but West down Orchard Road - a long road lined with shopping arcades! I didn't quite experience the shopping extravaganza I anticipated, partly because my head was constantly reminding me how I am travlling and therefore need all the money and all the space in my rucksack I can get, but also because the shops tended to cater to the elite - once again reminding me of my poorer and scruffier status! However, I had been building up to some shoe shopping for sometime now and finally it came to a head when I bought some rather enormous platforms! However, once back at the hotel I regretted my purchase and decided I would have to send them home tommorrow as they are so impractical!
For lunch I finally got to try Rojak - a salad prepared in front of you of fruit and vegetables and a delicious thick, black and sweet sauce infused with peanuts, chilli and all things nice. Never have I felt so excited eating a salad, but never before have they been so damn bad for you! Got my hair trimmed after lunch and the poor stylist had her work cut out for her trying to rectify the result of that hairdresser in Hanoi! She did well though and managed to get it the same length the whole way round which I was thankful for!
The day passed very fast and I retired back to my room to rest my aching joints - starting to show my Grand age of 22! After another confrontation with Ronnie (who looked sincerely bummed that I turned him down) I went out and tried a Singaporean dish of fried carrot cake and ate the whole thign without seeing one piece of carrot! Was yum though! On the way to Raffles Long Bar I went to City Hall mall and managed to have a better shopping performance in one hour than the whole day down Orchard Road). The Long Bar isn't in Raffles Hotel itself, but rather the shopping mall (still nice though). I sat myself in a corner and enjoyed a Singapore Sling and complimentary monkey nuts along with all the other tourists doing the same!
Day 141 - Having left my aircon on a few hours last night, which I never normally do because I hate the artificial air, I have got the makings of a cold today. I checked out and went to the post office before catching the MRT to the end of the line at Boon Lay and transferring to a public bus to reach Jurong Bird Park. Ben had advised me it was good, and he was right - over 8000 birds of so many strange and exotic varieties, and most were so close and visible too. As I arrived, a 17 year old Canadian called Stephen Mah (his friends do refer to him by his full name, so I will!) introduced himself to me and suggested we hung out together while we were there. Grateful of the company I let him dump his parents (who were really nice amateur ballroom dancers) and we set off around the park, seeing penguins and ostriches, hornbills and toucans, parrots, pelicans, flamingos and birds of prey etc. One of the best bits was the Lory Loft - a huge aviary full of brightly coloured birds (and a few lizards). We had the opprtunity to pay to feed them, but we didn't have to in the end as they just flew over and landed on my head and shoulders anyway!
It was a really good day and Stephen was great company too. I had some lunch in the restauarnt as he waited to meet his parents and get their bus back to the hotel, when he decided to have an adventure on the MRT with me! Back in the city I had a few hours to kill before getting back to my hotel and off to the airport, so we walked to Raffles Place and had a coffee - Stephen sharing his very chocolatey pudding with me! We then both fulfilled our tasks of taking each others photos next to signs that were relevent to our Grandads before saying goodbye.
I had a shower at the hotel and set off for the MRT station - and it is at this point that it decides to pour with rain! From trawling the streets at a snails pace due to my rucksack and wet feet, I reached the MRT during rush hour and stood up, with my rucksack on the entire way to the end of the line. I could sense everyone getting annoyed that my rucksack kept knocking into them - but it was worse for me, my hand was turning a very strange shade of red from the pressure on my shoulder! Before we arrived at the airport I started chatting to a man who runs a restaurant in Cardiff, and has been to our kart track! Very odd!
Got some curry laksa at the airport and found that the security checks aren't until the boarding gate. Yes it makes sense in that it reduces queues, but having just bought a bottle of water in the airport for the flight (which was quite necessary with my sniffle), I then had to discard the whole thing! The flight took two and a half hours and they even gave us a meal which was very nice - I wasn't very hungry after the laksa, but when you're travelling and paying for your meals everyday, you eat as and when you can!
