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Published: March 11th 2010
- Singapore, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur
(sorry this is a long one, so get a cup of tea, get comfy and enjoy!)
Since the last time we have penned our blog we have had a much better time, visiting three amazing cities. The first, Singapore, blew us away with its sheer magnitude. The whole of this city state oozes confidence and aspiration!
It's wide streets are filled with shopping malls, one after another and the sky is filled with annonymous high rise buildings. The city's obsession with cleanliness means the streets are clean and free of the smell of excrement and burning rubbish that permiated the air in Kuta!!
Our hostel was in Little India, an area of the city with much more character then that of Orchard road and downtown Singapore. The fragrent streets smell of burning incense and they are always bustling with people buying fruit and veg, sarongs and other textiles. There must be at least 100 stalls selling fruit and veg within about 3 streets!
The smell of incense, the sight of the colourful flower stalls, and the occasional cassette tape stall blaring out old indian music provides a real treat
for the senses!
The emphasis on cleanliness runs down to the underground where drinking water is considered antisocial and heavily fined. Luckily for Chris, only a warning was issued instead of the usual $500 fine! Ignorance isn't always bliss!
Singapore is a city just one degree above the equator, this makes walking during the day, a rather uncomfortable experience. This is probably why air conditioning is more like a religion here. Keen to find out more about this religion, the two of us dive in and out of the air conditioned sanctuaries (shopping malls) as often as possible!
The seriousness of the city, leaves the two of us wondering where do singaporeans go to have fun? To investigate we visit we visit Sentosa, an island just of the coast which our taxi driver is very excited about, which is soon to be home to Universal Studios and Hard Rock Hotel.
From what we cab gather Sentosa is Singapore's organised fun playground, complete with beaches, resturants and THE LUGE! Great Fun! (see pictures!)
Singapore, feels like a very futuristic place, not least because of its advanced nature, its a city where making money (and then spending
it) is Big Business. Another plus over Bali is that the only thing the street sellers are looking to sell is popcorn for the free outdoor cinemas!!
Before, we (Fay) start to dwell on what life might be like as a rich banker in Singapore, we leave for Melaka on train!!
The Train and Melaka
Our journey, which should take five hours was filled with hilarity from the start as the train spent probably as much time reversing, to let trains pass, as it did going forward. The journey is beautiful, passing through dense forests and past smiling children at every station.
Melaka, when we finally arrive only two hours late, is a beautiful city with reminants from three colonial periods. As soon as we arrive, dump our bags at our hostel, and set out exploring even though its 9pm. The small historic centre has architecture from Portuguese, Dutch and British rule.
It's a sleepy city on a monday night, but the trishaws that brighten up the streets are doing a roaring trade! We take a 20 minute city tour in one, with its bright lights, flowers and boom box blaring out funny
music. Our out of breath guide is very charasmatic and tries hard to show us everything in the historic centre of Melaka.
The next day we spend taking a river cruise, and searching for an antique in Jonker Walk, which is dedicated to just antiques.
It's an easily navigatable city and we see most of he sites in one day. We move on to Kuala Lumpur after our night in Melaka.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is another truly amazing city, with much of the aspiration that is present in Singapore. The city also has plenty of character, it's also a melting pot of cultures displayed with plenty of food stalls providing foods from across the globe.
We loved our hostel in Kuala Lumpur, with its lovely smiling night host providing a very friendly welcome. If ever in KL the Green Hut is a great choice! We spend our days in the swelteringly hot city, visiting museums, independence square, shopping centres and markets. The diversity from the markets, to the hugely impressive Suria KLCC (the shopping mall under the Petronas Towers) is immense!
Without wishing to bore you anymore, we would like you
to enjoy our photo's!
Love to all!
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sarah and baby ryan
non-member comment
wow!!
sounds like you are having a fab time, and fay you are so brown im not jealous at all!! keep on having a great time xxx