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Published: October 5th 2005
Raffles
Supposedly the spot where he landed in 1819. He looks like quite the dandy. Tails in this heat...???Continuing the post-Rita catching up with my blog. This entry is beginning Wednesday, 21 September.
After a quick ride into the city, I’m dropped off at the Conrad Centennial Singapore.
Conrad is Hilton’s “high end” brand. This is my first stay in one. Stylish and elegant. Like everything I’ve seen so far, spotlessly clean. I ask one of the porters if the hotel is new - he says no, “It’s nine years old.” I’m shocked - it does not look any older than a year at best.
Try to check in. Wham - my first introduction to Asian service and hospitality standards.
By all rights the Conrad didn’t need to let me check in until 14.00 or 15.00; instead three people are taking me up to the Concierge Lounge, getting me coffee, and very efficiently finding me a room to get into immediately - and its not yet even 9.00! All the while thanking me for some reason…just like on SQ. The room looks out over the Singapore skyline. Breathtaking.
But, I need a coffee. And, just across the walkway from the Conrad is a Starbucks. Now, I know that Jane Held is sneering at me
Singapore Cricket Club
Very proper and uttlerly British. The grounds look like a green at Augusta National! because I kind of slammed Starbucks in my previous entry, but nothing tastes better after a sleepless night than a venti skinny vanilla latte! It is clear to me that I need to stay up for at least another 12 hours to give myself a fighting chance to adapt to Singapore time. That means I’m going to be up for 31 straight hours. Ugh.
Getting my bearings…
My hotel is in an area called Marina Square. Shopping, hotels, restaurants, malls, a huge convention center, and massive office buildings everywhere. It instantly reminds me of Toronto or Minneapolis because everything is connected by elevated walkways AND underground passages. These underground passageways are really never-ending malls that go on for block after block underground. Marina Square is walking distance to the Civic District (the heart of Singapore), but then virtually everything in Singapore is walking distance.
That’s because Singapore is only a dot on a map of virtually any scale! A tiny (263 sq. mile) city-state at the very tip of the Malaysian Peninsula - hemmed in closely by Indonesia to the West, South ,and East and Malaysia to the North. When it finally gained true independence in 1965,
One of The Hedgehogs
Not gonna challenege the Sydney Opera House as the preeminent architectural statement in this half of the world. Not nearly! very few people gave it much of a chance to survive. Now it is one of Asia’s true success stories - an economic powerhouse.
I’m somewhat surprised to find that English is the lingua franca . While you hear scores of languages and even more dialects thereof while out and about, English is nevertheless everywhere. A tribute to our friends the Brits and Thomas Raffles. Raffles was a representative of the British East India Company who first stepped foot onshore at Singa Pura (Sanskrit for "Lion City.") in January of 1819. After Raffles finagled a deal to establish a British trading post here, the British impact on the island has been profound ever since - including after independence.
Wednesday becomes a long day as I walk and walk and walk to keep awake. One of my first stops after leaving Marina Square is at The Esplanade - Theaters on The Bay. It is a S$600M performing arts centre with grandiose dreams of establishing itself as a cultural landmark akin to Sydney's Opera House. Um, the Opera House, which I can't wait to see, looks like billowing sails on Sydney Harbor. This thing looks like two hedgehogs taking a
A Small Merlion
It appears as though he has had one Singapore Sling too many. (One, to me, is clearly one too many...) nap. Very interesting buildings, but shocking that Singapore chose such architecture for its (hopeful) signature building.
Down in the Financial District, I come across Boat Quay. Until the 1960's, Boat Quay was a working wharf in central Singapore. When Singapore began to really take off as a major city 30 years ago, it was decided that the crammed south side of the river was unsightly - so the boats were cleared and Boat Quay was turned into a kind of Bourbon Street. I stop at a cool pub called Penny Black and order a Stella. And look up to see ESPN Asia playing a replay of the WNBA finals. Great. Finish up and walk farther down Boat Quay to Harry's Bar and sit outside with an amazing view of the river and buzz of activity in the late afternoon rush hour.
Harry's is infamous in financial circles around the world as it was the favorite watering hole for Nick Leeson. Nick is the young man who brought down Baring's Bank in 1996. Until then, Baring's had been the UK's oldest investment bank. His illicit trading created losses that eventually reached $1.4 billion, twice the available trading capital at
My Launch Point to Sentosa
It looked pretty and harmless at this point. the bank, and led to the bank's collapse upon discovery of his activities. Amazing - at least Enron needed a handful of crooks to bring it down! Cool bar though.
Walked back to the hotel past the spectacular Singapore Cricket Club.
Enjoyed the Conrad Executive Lounge - a nice Cabernet, some delicious Chinese snacks, and CNN Rita updates. I make it to 10:00pm - 32 hours! The bed is heaven...
Thursday begins at 10:00am for me. A 12 hour sleep just like Berlin. Rita is getting bad. Its pissing down rain in Singapore. Sigh.
The Woodlands is shutting down in preparation of Rita's arrival. Damn, I should not have made fun of those people earlier. Negative karma is a bitch.
I spend much of Thursday in Orchard Road - Singapore's Champs-Elysee or Ku-damm. It's more than just shopping - there are beautiful parks, cafes, and great examples of Chinese baroque architecture. I walk past the Istana - the official residence of Singapore's President. Kind of nondescript.
On my way back to the Conrad, I seek out the Raffles Hotel - maybe Singapore's most famous landmark. It opened in 1887 and has hosted kings, queens
This is Where I Started
to really talk crazy stuff to myself outloud. My heart was past my throat and tapping my teeth. Looking back at the launch point for the sky lift. (insert Elton John joke here), presidents, prime ministers, and movie stars.
Raffles is the home to the Singapore Sling. So, I go to the Long Bar at the hotel and order one. The Long Bar is British Colonial Tropical-style in the best possible way. Cool, dark, and comfortable. I could swear I see Bogey and Bacall sitting in the corner. Bliss.
Until I put the drink to my lips. UGH! Medicinal, supersweet, and pink. Just a nasty nasty taste sensation. And they charge S$18 for the damn thing!
I take some pictures at Raffles and head back to check on the status of Rita.
Rita is bearing straight at Houston. Judy seems to be okay - still deciding whether to stay or go. I say go. The Asian newspapers have Rita as a page one item - mostly because of the New Orleans angle. Singapore is proud of the fact that its helicopters were amongst the first top arrive in New Orleans after Katrina. Evidently, since Singapore is so small, it has to spread its military across the globe for training. Its helicopters were in Texas when Katrina hit. So, Singapore is half the world away,
but the first to respond - pretty cool I think.
More drinks in the Conrad Lounge and then across the street for a tidy little Chinese dinner.
Last day in Singapore and I decide to go to the “resort island” of Sentosa. Sentosa is just off the southern tip of Singapore. It looks very lush and beautiful. I take the amazingly efficient (that word again) subway to the last stop and find that I have two ways to get to the island: a simple bus ride across the bridge, or a sky lift.
I opt for the sky lift because it looks like one of the best places in Singapore to take pictures. The elevator in the run-of-the-mill looking office building takes me up to the 26th floor and dumps me into the sky lift queue. No crowds so I'm in quickly - alone in my little pod. Once I clear the edge of the building, I'm suspended WAY above Singapore harbor - and my vertigo kicks in. In a big way. I find myself hoping no one is listening to my pod over the intercom because I'm talking loud, fast, and nonsensically. Anything to take my
A Very Large Merlion
Maybe 12 stories high - on Sentosa looking out to sea. Guarding Singapore so they say. mind off the vast distance between me and a watery death. I may have even sung I Will Survive. But, the pictures were great.
Sentosa is Singapore's playground. Tourists and residents alike flock there to see things like the giant Merlion. The Merlion is Singapore's symbol. Half lion, half mermaid. Pretty kitschy, I think. I did take the elevator to the top of the Merlion. Two for one - I was on his head and in his mouth - all for the low low price of S$12!
Now, Sentosa boasts the claim of being continental Asia's southernmost point. Since Singapore is an island, and Sentosa is too, I had a bit of a problem with the claim. But the pertinent signage explained it away to my satisfaction and I thought it was fairly cool to see the spot.
Cool. Uh, no. Singapore is stiflingly, brutally, massively hot and humid. For some reason, today I wore my jeans and a grey cotton shirt. Light grey shirt. That quickly became one of the tourist attractions on Sentosa - "See the Sweaty American with the Multi-Hued Grey Shirt!" PSA: do not wear light grey if you think you're going to
Singapore City
picture taken from the Merlions mouth. Ah, where's Simone to watch the sun come up with me??? sweat like a pig in boiling oil. Light grey becomes VERY dark grey at the slightest hint of sweat. And I did more than hint... Yeah, one degree north for sure.
A few more touristy things on Sentosa and then back to the infernal sky lift. Since I came across in the morning, a cruise ship had docked. we went right over the top - still terrifying, but interesting as well. A caged basketball court on the top deck led me to think I had found the perfect Nick Mattar vacation spot.
Time for a quick bite and to bed early as I leave for Bangkok in the morning.
All in all, Singapore was a fine addition to my itinerary. Three days was enough.
Many of the stringent laws and regulations that Singapore was infamous for in the 1980's and 90's seem to have been greatly relaxed. I saw people chewing gum. I actually saw one or two people jaywalk (S$500 fine), but I certainly did not see any durians on the subway! The durian is a fruit that smells like rotten flesh, but tastes like heaven! The smell is overwhelming - hence the S$500 fine
Southernmost Point
on continental Asia. The little island with the two towers. for carrying one on the subway!!
Now on to Bangkok. Staying at the Peninsula - a place I've looked forward to seeing for quite some time. Bangkok will challenge my travel skills to be sure. My friends the Ruffcorns will be there to help me through. Kevin, Lori, Matt, and Nick moved from The Woodlands to Bangkok at the end of July. Kevin is with Chevron Texaco and has been transferred to Bangkok for three or four years.
I'm eager to see how the transition has been for them.
SQ from Singapore to Bangkok. I'm really beginning to love this airline.
The blog should become considerably more interesting very soon!!
Bye.
-g
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Doris
non-member comment
Good thing it is late here! I read the blog from Singapore and actually laughed out loud thinking of you on the skylift. Now, I cannot stop chuckling, kind of the Saturday Nights All Right for Fighting laugh! Then to think of you singing I will survive, I lost it! Hence the reason I am glad it is late -- my family might have had me committed! I know you are in Sdydney now and hope you are enjoying yourself. South Haven was fabulous! Weather in mid-70's and clear/sunny skies! Talk to you over the weekend upon your return to the states!