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We landed late afternoon to Singapore and were instantly dazzled by the airport, took one look around and knew our fortunes had changed after India! The place was spotless (no touts!) and linked by an underground system (MRT) to the city. We instantly loved the place. We found the hostel with ease, perfectly situated in the Bugis Area (the previous red light district until the government buldozed them out to completely renovate the area) which was close to all the major sights. On our first night we eagerly set off in search of some good food - no more curries for us! We found perfection in an extravagant Japanese Buffet which was holding a seafood special (and a chocolate fountain). We tried everything from peppered crab, prawns, sushi, sashima (raw fish) and to chocolate dipped Marshmallows and fresh fruit! There were also 'special dishes' which were on a first come first served basis. On the signal of a bell the diners would all rush to the counter plates in hand. We missed the lobster by one person...after all the pushing and shoving of India we clearly hadn't learnt how best to use our elbows!!
We wanted to pack in as much as possible in our two days so we headed off early to the harbour to ride the cable car to Mt. Faber. Alas, it was being renovated, we have decided that building work and renovation follow us and we are destined not to ride a cable car this trip - singapore was strike two! We diverted to Chinatown which had a real buzz about it. We found the famed Hawker Centre food halls and tucked into a ridiculously cheap feast of Dim Sum (pork and prawn steamed dumplings), shicken in soy sauce, noodles and popiah (crab and noodle roll-which we won't be having again!) The place was great as no one hassled us and we could just keep trying things from all the stalls. Tummies filled we headed out for some retail therapy. Bargains were found in Chinatown's markets, but no such luck on the famous Orchard Road which was for designer shoppers and millionaires only! It was still a great street with lots of activity, not a place to buy flip flops! We then went from shopping t the Botanical Gardens to finish the day. The gardens were amazing, a real suprise for us and it was great to wander round. It had small lakes, an orchid garden and a rainforest area. Sadly shortly on entering the orchid garden the heavens opened and we were caught in our first tropical storm. There was no cover to be found as we ran to what looked like an indoor area on the map, sadly the roof was a net and we had to trounce through the puddles to the visitors centre. By this point we were soaked through, our clothes were transparent, the hair had aquired a drowned rat look and the Indian Day Bag was leaking dye at an alarming rate! Still being conned by India after we'd left the country. We called in at another food hall for a quick dinner on our way back to the hostel.
On day two, we were dry again and the Singapore zoo called. From reading the book it looked a bit tricky to get to but we were pleasantly suprised that the link from the MRT to the correct bus was all signposted and we didn't even have to set foot outside the station. The zoo was an incredible place, vast in size and we got to see Polar bears, Oranutans, lions, zebra, kangaroos, penguins and giant Tortoises...the name but a few. We were slightly concerned as many of the animals (including the lions and rhinos) were only separated from the public by a foot high fence and a scarily small moat! It was pretty hard going in the heat which is where the tram ticket came in useful. Back in the city we, once again, went in search of food this time at the Raffles City Mall. To round off our visit to Singapore we decided to have an evening out (yes, we weren't in bed by 9) and experience the city by night. We wore our newly purchased dresses from Chinatown and started the evening in style with a singapore sling from Raffles Hotel Long Bar. As was tradition we swept our peanut shells onto the floor (which was covered in them- as you walked you crunched!) It felt like going back in time to the colonial days and the cocktail wasn't half bad either! We then made our way down to the riverside. It was beautiful at night with towering skyscrapers, little restaurants and lantern lined boats. After eating too many peanuts at Raffles we shared a small dinner by the river and cringed with shame as the peaceful atmosphere was ruined by the despised lager ridden Englishman supporting Man United on the TV nearby. We caught the last river cruise of the evening which was a lovely experience as for the most part there were only four of us on the boat and we could sit out at the open ended seats at the back. The riverside areas were imaculate with stunning lighting and lots of activity.
We have really LOVED Singapore, although it's been a tad painful on our purses!! We're looking forward to a few days of relaxation, lying on a beach at Tioman Island. Sand, sea and palm trees here we come!
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ximoon
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