The first leg

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Geo: 1.28941, 103.85

off to a good start by travelling Club Class from Heathrow. Ted was happy as he had his own seat and champagne. The grown ups were happy because the flat bed seats were comfortable and the wine was good. An overnight flight is OK if one can sleep but there are films to watch. On arrival we were met by a private car and whisked off to Raffles. The temperature was a lovely constant 30 with slight breeze. The first beer was had in the lobby with a piano playing romantic tunes. The hotel has an understated elegance. Lots of dark wood and long balconies and we found it easy to get lost when trying to get between the Long Bar and our room. The obligatory Singapore Sling in the Long Bar eating peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor is something one has to do but you wont want to repeat it. Prices comparable to drinking coffee in St Mark's square. The city is clean, people polite and the streets are safe. The party in government hasnt changed since independence apart from that the first prime minister has now been replaced by his son. 80% of the population are Chinese, who own and run the businesses, 10% are Malay who own most and 5% are Indian who service the place. Religion is not taught in schools and they claimm to have no religious dysharmony. We took a taxi (all metered) to Clark's quay which is a vibrant riverside area full of bars and restaurants. Despite only ordering small portions in the Quayside seafood restaurant we were defeated by the amount. Delicious soft shelled crab, bamboo clams,deepfried squid,drunken prawns,scallops and mee goreng, We needed to walk back to the hotel to walk it off.

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Photos

Raffles Piano Player
Raffles Piano Player

Ted in Club
Ted in Club