Shanghai - Saigon - Singapore

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OK - here's how it's gonna be - short and snappy! The ghastly truth is that after Beijing I neglected my paper journal with entries fizzling out about now. It was such a frenzied transit from Shanghai to Saigon and then onto Singapore that my recollection is really rather fuzzy. All I can dredge up is this itty-bitty thumbnail overview.

Shanghai: We sallied forth from Beijing in uber budget fashion taking the sleeper train to Beijing but opting for a seat only. What with next to no leg room, a man on my left nursing an infant child (to the Scots read 'screaming wean'!) and a mushy young couple sat across from me brazenly demonstrative of their romantic affections for one another, it was the longest 12 hours of my life. On arrival at Shanghai, we had to spend the whole of our first day just recovering. Eventually, we ventured out taking in the sights of the famous Bund and Pudong districts. The Bund was a British settlement area in the 1800s, evident in the surrounding architecture, and has become one of Shanghai's most popular and notable sights. As for Pudong, China's financial and commercial hub, its unmistakable sykline is famous the world over. The landmark Oriental Pearl Tower (that's the one with the two orb structures incorporated) was especially arresting.

Saigon: OK, so technically it's Ho Chi Minh, but fact is everyone, even the locals, still refer to it as Saigon. I spent all of one evening and one morning in Saigon. I would love to have stayed longer as was my original plan but back in Beijing I had made the decision to fast-track to Melbourne. For me, Saigon proved to be a gastronomic love affair. The food was divine. On the night we arrived, I had a delicious tiger prawn hot pot - totally to die for. Greedily, as a snack later, I had a donner kebab from a small stand/shop very close to our hostel - I couldn't resist the mouth-watering aroma wafting our way! Seriously, kebab never tasted so good - it was out of this world! Before heading to the airport the next day, I had a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around the shops and markets. There was an amazing buzz in Saigon. It's definitely somewhere I have ear-marked for future travel.

Singapore: Kerry, a far more resilient traveller, was not fast-tracking but stayed on in Saigon to travel Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. I therefore set off for Singapore on my own. Again, it was a short stopover - all of about 48 hours. I just managed to squeeze in some sight-seeing. I visited the Heng Hwa Temple (I think that was it's name but I could be wrong!) which, as you'll see from the pic, had an impressive amount of hanging paper lanterns. I then went on to the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple where the elaborate ornamentation of the exterior with plaster sculptures of multiple Hindu deities is particularly striking. Of course, no trip to Singapore is complete without a hommage to The Raffles Hotel. There, I indulged myself and ordered a Singapore Sling - when in Rome an' all that! What I hadn't been aware of until I got there was the custom of eating monkey nuts and casting the shells on the floor. All very decadent!

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