Singapore - orchids, lasers and sadly, the end of our trip....

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The last couple of days of our holiday were to be spent in Singapore with Mum and Suzie as we were all on our way back to Australia. Our wonderful holiday was nearly over! A last trip in Maes's hot pink tuktuk took us out the the airport in Siem Reap and a few hours later a taxi drove us through the brightly lit streets of Singapore to our hotel. We had rebooked the Ibis Hotel where we had stayed for the first few nights of our trip three months previously. Mum and Suzie had arrived a few hours earlier and were already fast asleep in the room next door. Next morning I took Mum to a western style bakery for breakfast while Jerry and Suzie enjoyed a local style breakfast in the market behind the hotel.

We only had one full day to show Mum and Suzie some of the sights of the city. Jerry and I had never visited the Botanic Gardens before so straight after breakfast we caught a taxi out to them. As the gardens are enormous we planned only on visiting the National Orchid Garden which is the main attraction within the Botanic Gardens. That garden alone covers three hectares and showcases a collection of more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids. The gardens were magnificent, highlighted with the vibrant colours of the blooms. After a couple of hours of wandering the paths and display areas though we were starting to tire from the heat and humidity so decided to catch a taxi to Raffles Hotel. Easier said then done unfortunately. We waited where the taxi had dropped us off but soon realised that it was a one way drop off point and though plenty of tour buses went past no other tourists arrived by taxi. We waited nearly an hour before a taxi made a drop off - by then we were all really wilting in the sun.

We headed off to Raffles Hotel where we ignored the 'guest only' signs at the entrance and checked out the lush foyer. Mum, in particular, loved wandering the shops situated within the grounds of the hotel. The largest shop sold Raffles souvenir lines - all emblazoned with the hotel logo and all very expensive. We went back to our hotel to rest before catching a taxi late in the afternoon to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and shopping mall. Jerry and I had visited the area previously but Mum and Suzie were amazed at the structure. It comprises three 70 story high towers topped with a skypark in the shape of an ocean liner. This area includes an infinity swimming pool, nightclubs, restaurants and an observation deck. A very impressive building indeed, day or night. We were too late to visit the main pool area but were able to watch sunset and the city lights come on from the observation deck 57 storeys above the ground. It was quite an experience - particularly as a thunder storm with lightning was adding to the light show. We had fabulous views of the city and all enjoyed the spectacle as the city come alive with night time sparkle. We watched the changing colours of the neon lights of the large tourist observation ferris wheel and the glowing supertrees in the Gardens by the Bay. We have yet to explore those amazing gardens in daylight - it will be done on a future trip. After enjoying a meal (and a wander around some of the hundreds of gleaming expensive shops) in the shopping mall we walked back around the waterside to the esplanade in front of the Esplanade Theatre to view the nightly light show, a feature of the Marina Bay Sands complex. Jerry and I had seen it previously but we knew that Mum would enjoy it.

It had been a long day for Mum by then so we headed back to the environs of the hotel. Next day we decided to spend it quietly so wandered the markets behind the hotel where we all bought some last minute presents. Jerry and I left for the airport at midday - Mum and Suzie had a late checkout (and a later flight) and were planning on catching a taxi to a fabric market after we left. We arrived back in Australia very early in the morning and tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep at the airport. We were waiting for Mum's flight to come in as we were all travelling the final couple of hours to home together. Our wonderful friend Robyn collected us all from Brisbane Airport at seven in the morning and drove us the couple of hours to Toowoomba. A lovely way to end a great holiday! The thirteen weeks since we left Australia had gone by too quickly. Soon we will have to start planning the next trip.... However first some time in Australia to enjoy watching our little grandson grow up.

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Comments

[Home and Away]

When you said that you had been on the road for three months...
I thought "no way, I've been following you for all this year!" Then I noticed that you've been publishing your blogs from January until now, but your trip ended last April. Anyway, It's been fun following you, reading about China before we went there at the end of March. I'm glad that you finished...so many don't after they get home with other things to do.