The Lion City

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We're coming to end of a great week in Singapore. We left KL on the night train last sunday (taking advantage of cheap asian first class tickets for the last time - with ensuite cabin) and arrived bright and early on monday morning.

We've been staying at the "Beach Hotel" on "Beach Road", just up the road from the famous Raffles hotel, but despite the name, recent land reclamation means that neither the hotel nor the road are anywhere near a beach anymore.

We went to see Raffles hotel and Museum and although they threw us out of the hotel for wearing sandals they kindly let us look around the museum.

We spent a day at the zoo where Emma was 'kissed' by a sealion and an evening at the night safari where we were able to enter an enclosure with giant flying squirrels (highly recommended).

Our highlight of the week was during our day at the Jurong Bird Park (in the West of Singapore island) where we were able to 'feed' nectar to the amazing Lories/Lorikeets as well as see Puffins and King Penguins in a giant indoor enclosure.

We've also explored Little India and had curry on a banana leaf - although we resisted the tempation of the famous "fish-head curry" and opted for the more coventional Chicken and fish-body instead. There we also found the "Prince of Wales" Backpacker hostel which serves the best John Smith's Extra Smooth that we have found in Asia (well, actually the only John Smith's Extra Smooth but it was still very good).

Yesterday we travelled East to the site of the infamous Changi POW camp and prison. The Chapel and Museum told a touching story of Singapore's 1942-45 war history.

Last night we visted the famous Merlion and then walked around Chinatown and had satay on Boat Quay (by the mouth of the river and all the impressive colonial buildings).

We plan to visit Fort Canning Park this afternoon before flying to Christchurch tomorrow.

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