Singapore

The Admiral and I just got back from our short walkabout in Singapore and although the time was short we did pack in a great deal of activity. We got into the city early and bought a two day MRT pass which enabled travel on all of Singapore's public transit system. It was super clean and efficient and the local people were extremely helpful and courteous. Much more so than in Hong Kong where the natives tended to look right though you and pretend you weren't there. If we just looked a little bit lost we were approached in English and asked where we wanted to go.

Sculpture of a baby in the meadow at the Gardens by the Bay. He seemed to float above the grass

We started out in Gardens by the Bay which was a man made complex featuring a botanical garden a Supertree Grove with twelve towering gardens, a "meadow" for outdoor concerts all against a back drop of the city skyline and the Marina Bay Hotel and Resort.

Super Trees

the Marima bay Hotel and Resort

We wandered about this  very impressive site for a couple of hours and then went on to Chinatown all done up with red decorations for the Chinese New Year next week. The place was a beehive of activity with remaining original, colonial buildings.

Chinatown

Thw Admiral enjoying her libation at the Longbat at Raffles Hotel

We had lunch in Chinatown in the Hawker's Market, very crowded and colourful with all manner of strange concoctions offered for sale. We visited the Sri Mariammam  Hindu Temple and the rather more impressive Buddhist Tooth Relic Temple.

After lunch it was on to the old Colonial district on the river and a walk around the Singapore Cricket Club and the Parliament buildings.

By 3 o'clock it was time for drinks and where better than the iconic Longbar at the famous Raffles Hotel. It was a bit of a tourist trap but the room was pretty cool and they still have peanuts on the tables and the bar and patrons are encouraged to throw the shells on the floor. So we did.

The Admiral had to try an original Singapore Sling just for the hell of it. We spent a pleasant couple of hours over drinks, watching the tourists and no doubt, they were watching us.



The Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel



Later, we went to visit with Katy, one of Susan's friends from London at her apartment. More drinks and then off to dinner at the Singapore Cricket Club, a very lively ex-pat hangout with yet more drinks.

The night was still young so we then went over to the "One Altitude Bar" in the CBD, the tallest building in Singapore for guess what, more drinks!



A very young and noisy crowd intent on having a good time and they did look like they were succeeding. The bar had marvellous 360 degree views of Singapore much like the recent 118 bar in HK.

By this time, it was already one a.m and you humble Captain and even the Admiral were starting to get a little worse for wear. Well past our usual bedtime of cruiser's midnight i.e. 9 p.m.
Many thanks to Katy, our host, for showing us a great time in Singapore. She has an open invitation to visit us in Langkawi or Phuket where we hope to return the favour.

A bit of a late start, after the previous night so just spent what was left of the morning touring Little India. Lots of Sari shops, gold smiths and restaurants to look at and a very nice lunch was enjoyed. We decided to Take bus back to Puteri Harbour and what took an hour by taxi the previous day evolved into over 3 hours by the time we used one train, three buses and a taxi to get back to the boat. I think we will have a quiet night tonight and tomorrow do the final chores to get ready to leave on Monday.

stalls in little India

Bhuddist Temple. Bhudda from the Year of the Dragon

lunch little india

little india

Station Sign.Singapore is an authoritarian society but is extemely clean and orderly. Much like the UK. hahah.

Marina Bay resort from the Colonial District

Buddhist Temple of the Sacred tooth