Singapore's second sightseeing session.

Asia » Singapore
April 12th 2006

Published: April 16th 2006

Edit Blog Post

mel andy

Siang cho Keong Temple

Try saying that after a beer!

Anyway we were up early for our second day in the big city of Singapore. Did you know it's the same size as the Isle of Wight. WELL NOW YOU DO!
It's such a big change from Australia, much more character and culture, just what we need for our last leg of our trip.

Today was about more temples and more walking. We set off through Chinatown to a small Chinese temple called Siang cho keong, it was very nice, there were people lighting candles outside and burning joss papers that they had bought, that represents money, to give to the gods.
We spent about fifteen minutes here in the soaring heat before heading down to ANOTHER temple and this time it was the Thian Hock Keng temple, the oldest and most important Hockian temple in Singapore, it was really pretty inside, they were offering fruit to the gods and just mainly praying and lighting incense sticks. Andy as usual had to take the micky out of something or someone and as this was a chinese temple he had to do a Kung fu stance (when no one was looking tho) "everybody was

Siang cho Keong Temple

kung fu fighting, ha. Fast as lightning"
We spent quite a while here as it was so nice and peaceful then planned our route into the city for a riverside walk that we had seen on a guide map.

So we jumped on the nearest tube and got off at the start of the walk at the main city theatre. From here we walked along the esplanade where we got our first glimpse of the Merlion statue, a Lion/fish that was erected in the 60s by the tourist board as a mascott for the city and one which you may have seen on the tv?
We had a nice walk through a park where we saw a couple of war memorials, guys fishing in the dirty harbour's water and the town hall which was next door to a strange building with a giant UFO on top?
As we crossed the Cavenagh bridge over the river into the 'center', where there were numerous tourist cruises going up and down, we saw some statues of children jumping into the water which represent (children jumping into the water!!!) We don't know?

Anyway our walk on this very hot day finished at

Thian Hock Keng Temple

the tourist site of the Merilion statue where we took various photos and the usual 'look at us in Singapore ones' just like you do at the opera house, Christ the redeemer etc.

At this stage our tummys were starting to rumble, so we very tiredly headed back to Chinatown, this time at a different food court on Maxwell road for some Spicey brisket beef and noodles with a bowl of free fish soup, it was ok!
We then managed to find the energy to walk through the chinatown market back to the hostel for some relaxation.

After a couple of hours and a little time on the internet keeping you guys upto date and hopefully making you all jeolous of our travels we were out again, round the busy market where we see quite a few westerners and just generally people trying to sell you things. This will be a good introduction for the rest of our Asia trip as we have heard that people can be a little forward with their selling techniques, so we are getting used to saying 'no thankyou' quite firmly but polite.

For tea I, Andy had a vegetable curry and