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Published: February 23rd 2012
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Singapore – well, this is a bit different !!
One degree off the equator (though still in the Northern hemisphere!), we expected it to be hotter than Thailand but actually it’s about the same. (Today Bangkok is 3 degrees hotter).
The main reason we stopped off at Singapore is that it is on the way to Australia. That nice man at Trailfinders said we should really spend a couple of days here, seeing as how we are passing through, and so here we are.
After Bangkok, we thought Singapore was just going to be more of same, and how wrong we were. It’s clean, very clean. It’s very cosmopolitan. It’s chilled, the pace just seems to be quite laid back, and the people are lovely. There’s obviously money here too (no moaning about the credit crunch, Singapore experienced normal growth last year. Yah boo sucks miserable moaning grey Euro ninnies – what’s the matter with you?).
Popped into Raffles for a Singapore Sling. Got to be done. Nice colonial feel to the bar but why does everyone throw their peanut shells all over the floor? What’s the matter with them, did their Mummies not bring them up
properly? Singapore Slings slipped down very easily and was just about to order another two when we discovered they were £15 a pop. Whoops-a-daisy, time to go (and waiter, pick those peanut shells off the floor, place is a damn mess). Had a look round the hotel which was lovely, though quite posh.
Also did a city tour today which was interesting, saw some stuff, buildings, orchids, bla bla, very nice, but it was the evening that really clinched it for us!! We’d been told by a couple of people that we really should go and try the street food. Basically, it’s like a big market, with loads of tables, and loads of stalls round the sides selling all sorts of stuff. You sit down, and a guy (or gal, howz about that then) takes your order and runs off to the various stalls to collect what you want. We had (all freshly cooked):
BBQ Chicken Wings
Black Pepper Crab (mmmm)
King Prawns in Batter
Fresh Calamari With Garlic Mayonnaise
Fried Rice
Stir Fried Veg
And a couple of jugs of beer (followed by some beer, with beer for pudding).
(Ed Note: Craig, please note picture of half a Tiger beer in “Street Food (It’s the Only Food I Know) Aftermath”)
It was the nicest meal we have had all trip (not counting the Teryaki lobster in Thailand). Absolutely delightful.
Followed by a stroll down the riverside back to the hotel, lots of people out, lots of music. Chilled vibe, no hassle, lovely atmosphere. We could live here (oh, we are doing).
One strange thing we’ve noticed here is the muzak. It’s not like the muzak we have at home ie. boring repetitive numb music, it’s more a bland sound that washes over you. Like kindergarden music but over and over again. I’m surprised the crime rate is so low with muzak like that, makes me want to kill people.
But apart from the muzak, no other complaints. A lovely place. Lovely people. Lovely food. Lovely loveliness.
Next day, we went on the Singapore Flyer. Same as the London Eye, but the biggest one in the world (roughly same height as Blackpool Tower). Great views over Singapore Harbour and the city.
Would we come again?
Yes (especially for the street food).
How to
capture it all in words though. Perhaps some poetry (but can’t be very long as we've only been here a couple of days):
There once was a place near Malaysia
Where people had terrible amnesia
When er . . . . . . oo . . .
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Dave Farley
non-member comment
Greetins
God street food sounds great, do they do carry oots ? Status updates greatly appreciated. Much love from the splishy sploshy marshes of the North