Singapore
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2007
1
164
220
Trip End
Jun 17, 2009
Singapore,
Singapore
Monday, August 25, 2008
A 4pm check-in at 'Darwin' airport, which has a Johnny Walker rating of 5, surprising for a relatively smaller centre. The Travelex agent was only dong money exchange on a Sunday afternoon, so still no travellers cheques.
Our flight was away on time for the four and a quarter hours to Singapore, during which time we saw a fabulous sunset which lit up all the sky. We did have a comfortable amount of room on the Airbus and encountered a little turbulence here and there, especially descending into Singapore but worst than that, it was raining heavily!
We left the plane by a gantry bridge and walked into an enormous, modern, gleaming terminal, one of the most impressive we had seen on our travels
Sunset
. A (very) friendly immigration officer speedily cleared us (and even gave us a sweet) and then after a short wait for the luggage game, yes - we have all three. What a good start for this country!We changed the last of our Aussie money for Singapore dollars and booked a taxi, who swiftly drove us through a modern city of high rise apartments and impressive tower blocks. On the way we travelled along 'Irwell road', the name of the river that runs through our home town. Intriguing. Our hotel was a bit old but clean and comfortable. We had put our watches back an hour and a half to Singapore time, I guess now seven hours in front of UK. It was also psychologically noteable that we were 1 degree north of the equator and back in the northern hemisphere !!!The temperature at ten o'clock at night was in the mid twenties and a little steamy, presumably caused by the rain storm.
Monday 25th August
After a leisurely breakfast, which was a buffet of mostly Asian food, we found out how the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) system worked and bought a three day pass. This gave us unlimited use of the underground metro and buses and cost us eight UK pounds each
Singapore High rise
. The metro trains ran every 4 minutes and were as clean as their modern, decorated stations - metrolink please take a hint.What we had encountered was that whenever we stopped and looked for directions or information, within seconds a Singaporean would come up to us and in very good English, ask us if we needed any help. This was wonderfully refreshing in a strange city (country) and was to be repeated many times in the coming days.
The girls her are petite and slim, mostly with long, black hair and dark eyes which are as deep as moon pools...................................................ye gods, this is turning into a Barbara Cartland novel !!!!! Anyway, there are some very attractive women in this country.
First priority was to buy train tickets for the journey from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, which had not been possible outside Singapore. We took a metro and then a bus out to the main railway station, a tall, impressive old building, only to find that they accepted cash only. Our exchanged Aussie money was not enough, so we walked in the hot, late morning sun to a nearby plaza, found an ATM and then back to the station.
One Orchard road mall
Two tickets for the seven and a half hour trip into Malaysia cost us 136 Malaysian dollars - 54 UK pounds.For lunch, even though there were many cafes with tables on the pavement, they all sold full meals and no 'coffee and cake' facility. We found out later that you buy a cake at one stall and then go to a coffee shop to eat it. We saw no one actually eating anywhere in the streets.
The city was made up of busy streets lined with enormous shopping plazas, offices and a few banks. We were still trying to solve the travellers cheques issue and after finding several small banks, who only issued cheques to their own customers, we eventually, were sent to a large branch of HSBC, who were in another district. Yes - they sold travelers cheques but only to their own customers !!!!!!! Try the bank next door, which was just closing (at 3.30 in the afternoon - the old, UK banking hours) but we were assured by the security guards that they did sell travellers cheques. The bank saga on hold for the day, we returned to the hotel in the very busy afternoon commuter traffic.
Later on we returned to the centre for supper and on the busy streets, crowded with evening shoppers and restaurant goers, we noticed that there were still workers on the many high rise blocks under construction, many of them perched on the open steel girders, busy with welding work which sent showers of sparks cascading down into the night sky
Raffles Hotel
.There were very few restaurants visible from the street and it took us a while to realize that they were all tucked away inside the multi floored plazas, amidst the shops and small businesses. We chose a small Thai place and enjoyed an interesting meal of spicy beef, breaded prawns and coconut rice. In this basically muslim country, the ordinary eating places did not serve alcohol and I chose a barley water drink, which came in a can labelled as "Happy Juice". So now we know why everyone is smiling around here!
Tuesday26th August
Breakfast included rice porridge and breaded prawns - different! Today's priority was to get traveller's cheques.
We were getting faster on the MRT and a bus and metro back to 'Dhobi Ghaut' saw us at the OCBC bank. Yes, they did issue traveller's cheques but only "to their own customers" - have we heard that before somewhere? For a commercially enterprising nation someone seems to be missing a trick here!
We were told of an American Express office in another area, why didn't the other banks know of this? I was realizing that you only get a direct answer to any one direct question that you ask, without any peripheral attempt to reach the overall objective
Singapore Slings
. Ok - MRT back into the centre and we find the Amex office. Travellers Cheques -no problem whatsoever. Problem - they only accept cash and no plastic!We reach a nearby bank and tell them we need lots of cash from an English bank account. They can't do that "because we're not one of their own customers!!!!!!!!" We withdraw our maximum daily bank allowance and go back to Amex for $1000 US of TC's. Well - it's a start.
It's now early afternoon and we were going to go to the Botanical gardens but it starts raining. We decide to further explore the shops and then return to the hotel for a rest. In the 32 deg heat all the to-ing and fro-ing is tiring.
We need a pep-up. Showered, changed into posh gear (which makes a nice change), we head back into the centre. Our treat - The 'Raffles Hotel', home of the famous 'Singapore Sling' cocktail and a remnant of the British Empire days. The hotel fell into decay but was renovated a few years ago back to its former glory. In the "Long Bar' we order a couple of 'slings' and join the rest of the clientele in throwing our peanut shells onto the floor, which causes a crunchy sound when anyone walks past
The rain in Singapore....
. I'm not sure what the origin of this tradition is but the floor is covered in shells. The slings are delicious and we order another couple to go with a Singapore kebab snack. This ended a frustrating day enjoyably and it was fascinating to look at the décor and imagine the old Empire period, complete with (now electric) ceiling, flat fan ventilation.Wednesday 27th August
"Once more, Once more unto the bank, dear friends". A brainwave, we need big money , so - go to a big bank. HSBC - that big enough? Back to Dhobi Ghaut and at the counter we explain we want to withdraw a lot of money from an English bank account. No sorry, must use ATM; only own customers; no can do; (- choose any one of the above), until a Scottish expat hears our determined attempts and tells the bank clerk that he's been here twenty years and his employees withdraw money from the bank regularly! This causes consternation and a big huddled debate amongst the staff, managers are consulted and on the production of our passports the cash appears! Sorted - isn't it strange how the simplest things are always the most difficult to achieve, like getting your hands on your own money?
On a roll - it's back to the Amex office and we have the TC's in no time
Let me in mate !
. Fandabidosi!!!!!!!!!Now for the Botanical Gardens, where the attraction is the orchid park. A short taxi ride and as we enter the gardens the heavens open, complete with thunder storm. It seems that this is the tail end of a storm that's just passed through Asia to the north of us. We sit it out in a refreshment bar as the rain bounces down and the paths become streams. An hour and a half later and it has stopped raining enough to venture out, leaving the trees and shrubs all steaming.
We enter the orchid park and I decide it's time to lay my trusty Vancouver cap to rest. It's been worn day in, day out on this trip and is now seriously frayed at the edges - I know how it feels! I leave him resting in a bin in the orchid park, quite a notable end and treat myself to a new Singapore cap.
The orchid gardens are amazing. So many shapes, patterns and colours and all growing in the open air. It was a fabulous sight and well worth the visit.
Returning to town by taxi, the driver persuades us (us - what's this us?), to indulge in Norah's favourite past-time, looking at jewellery
The Stork fountain
. There is a sale on at the National Jewellery Centre which can't be missed. Yep - some fabulous jewellery and though seriously tempted she did resist, mainly due to the fact that as we are travelling it was something else that would be a security risk.Back in the city centre we find a Malay restaurant and enjoy more exotic, quite spicy food before returning to the hotel and packing for tomorrow's departure.
Reflection:
I'm learning that assumptions about places are being turned on their head and the experience is a fascinating one. This modern city far exceeded my impression of an old, colonial centre and in many ways it has facilities, like transport and shopping, that are better than those at home.
The people were fabulously friendly and helpful, not withstanding the banks and travellers cheques issue but was it just a case of us not knowing the system or which 'right' questions to ask?
The shopping experience was overwhelming and the giant plazas of mixed businesses, all with limited store guides was frustrating and for me, ranks second only to the shopping nightmare of 'Macy's' in New York, which was like a giant spider's web, in which once you got in it was a life and death struggle to find your way out
The Orchid walk
. At least in Singapore the exits were signposted, even if it was only to the next plaza! There are very few street crossings and it's all done by traversing underpasses - if you can find them!There's a Formula 1 grand prix in September, the first night race ever. Try and have a look and see if they show anything of the city.
Singapore - a fascinating, friendly country and we were sorry we couldn't have seen more outside the city but in the greater plan we have to keep moving on but we would go back there.
