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Published: February 11th 2006
We flew from Kolkata (Calcutta) to Singapore at the end of October. We were only supposed to be in Singapore for a couple of days but we loved it so much we decided to extend our stay by another few days.
Singapore stands in complete contrast to India. When I arrived in Singapore I wanted to roll around the pavements and lick the gutters, they were so clean! There are malls everywhere, shiny, gleaming and enticing. There is order and peacefulness (no hassles from touts, taxis, and stall holders). There is technology (even the air conditioner in the hotel room had a remote control!). The food and water is safe (and delicious). The public transport is effecient and reliable.
The fact that the rules can be a bit fascististic (if that's a word) e.g. no chewing gum is allowed, can be forgiven!
Singapore Airlines we voted the best in the world, their entertainment system is the most extensive, the food is good, and the Singapore girls are nice, nice, nice!
There is an interesting blend of old and new and of different cultures here. We visited Chinatown and Little India and the Malay area called Geylang Serai,
Gerry eating by the riverside
In Singapore we sampled crab, frogs legs (taste like a cross between chicken and squid), and sharkand then along the Central Business District with all its modern shops and banks. Our favourite spot was by the river, where at nightime everyone comes to eat, looking across to the elegant and grand Fullerton Hotel. We spent a day sitting at the East Beach watching dozens of ships heading in towards the harbour. We saw the world's biggest fountain combined with a laser show at Suntec City, a feng shui shopping mall. We tried to get into the world famous Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling (a cocktail). We trooped in behind a group of American tourists but I (Gerry) was called over to the doorman and refused entry as I was wearing sandals! I felt like some waif caught trying to sneek in the back door!
Our favourite attraction was the Night Safari, which is an excellent tour round the zoo after dark, it is specially constructed so that you can see all the nocturnal animals when they are at their most active. Unfortunately, by the time we had finished we had missed the last train home, so we had to go looking for a bus, by the time we got home we were exhausted and
headed straight for bed (not being nocturnal animals!).
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