Getting tickets and metting Anusha

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Our mission for the day was to get transport up to KL. Not knowing how to get tickets we were told to catch the train. The train station was on the way to China town so we thought we would catch the bus there and get something to eat. (Laksa). We ended up missing our stop so we had to walk back up to china town for 10mins. We hadn’t eaten anything because we got up at around 10:30 and by the time we got to china town it was 12:00. We had some really nice noodles that only costed $3:00 each. We walked the train station that took around 1/2hour. We managed to find the information booth and took a ticket. 15min late we asked how to get to KL? He said when, I said tomorrow morning, He said “train full”! As far as he was concerned that was the end of the conversation. I then had to persist in asking more info as he seemed like he was in no mood to give it. We asked about the next train to go. He said “2:30”. We said we will take it. He then said “full too”! We asked if there was any other way to go. He said first class $68 each. We said to “expensive”. We asked about buses and he said “don’t know”? So we wasted our time getting to the train, we then walk back to the bus stop to try and work out how to get back to Orchard rd and go to the botanical gardens. Our bus turns up and I realised that I didn’t have the correct change so we could get on. We then had to walk 5min back to the train station to get change and go back and catch the bus. We ended going to tourist info because in Orchard rd because no one new anything. We finally got some answers and by this time it was 3:30 and we didn’t know what time we were supposed to meet Anusha for dinner. I went to school with Anusha 20 years ago and haven’t seen her since then. So we then headed back to the hotel to check the internet. We were to meet Anusha in our lobby of the hotel at 7:30 so that gave us plenty of time to buy a bus ticket. We decided to ring first this time before we went to get a ticket. It paid off because the tickets had sold out for tomorrow and we then had to go and catch the bus once again which would take us to Queen street to buy a ticket from there. We got the ticket and by this time we were over public transport and we ended up walking back to the hotel which took around half an hour. Jacinta’s shin muscle were hurting and she starting to struggle. A quick shower and we waited for Anusha.

MEETING ANUSHA
I was a little nervous about meeting Anusha for the first time in almost 20 years. I knew what she looked like from facebook and I hoped she would recognize me. I saw her walked up to the door and she had the biggest smile on her face. We gave each other a good hug and I introduced Jacinta. We ended catching a taxi to the Raffles hotel which is a famous 5 star hotel in Singapore. She wanted us to try this beautiful drink called the Singapore Sling at the raffles long bar. We walked into the bar and there were peanut shells all over the floor. You can eat the nuts and throw the shells right on the floor. We had our first taste of a Singapore sling and it was so nice and refreshing. The Singapore Sling is best described by pineapple, watermelon fruit juice with alcohol and something else you can’t put your finger on. Anusha said there are plenty of rip-offs of the drinks but the Raffles hotel is the only real Singapore Sling. We then met her husband Ted that was late because of a conference, he was an electrical engineer by trade. We went to eat on the Singapore marina markets. We had fried rice, Asian greens, stingray, kebabs with peanut sauce and a lime juice. It was a great meal and Jacinta could only manage a few mouthfuls because she has lost her appetite in the last few days. We went and had a look at the marina and the city lights were unbelievable. In the distance they were working on the new casino and you could see flashes of the welder from 50 stories high.
We then headed back to Anusha and Ted’s apartment for coffee and talked for awhile. It was great catching up with Anusha, we both felt as if we had known them for most of our lives and I hope to see them both again soon. We were getting tired and we had to be up at 7:00 to go to the bus terminal.

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