Wednesday 21st May SINGAPORE!

 

Robyn writes:  Well, we’ve had a day and a half of it. Unfortunately, we only have one full day in Singapore this time round, but we’ve certainly packed a lot in.

We woke up in our comfy room in the Park View Hotel about quarter to 8, Singapore time. That would’ve been quarter to 10 Queensland time, so we certainly adapted quickly. Also, it took quite a while to go to sleep last night, so it was really good to catch up. Breakfast is included in our room deal, so we headed down to the café for that. It was an eclectic mix, as is usual in Asia – toast (white bread only), egg tarts, fried eggs, roasted chicken wings, onion rings, potato wedges, chicken ham (very pink), salad, baked beans…. Anyway, we were both able to fill up nicely.

Then we headed out for the day to the Gardens by the Bay complex – very close to us as the crow flies, but a lot of zigging and zagging was required to get around the ubiquitous Singapore construction sites, and quite a deal of swearing at the usual Singapore confusing signage. Plus you need to go through several huge shopping malls to get most places here, and Google maps does NOT navigate well through them (not to mention trying to figure out if it wants you crossing the road or on one of the many overpasses.)

Lex showing the Helix bridge, Marina Sands building, Arts & Science building and a big construction site.

Anyway, after nearly an hour, we finally made it, and it was very worth it! We were both very hot and sweaty by this stage, and found a café called Shake Shack. Fabulous find – they sell wonderful, cheap, ice-filled drinks. Lex had the unsweetened iced tea, and I had a Fifty fifty – half fresh lemonade and half iced tea. Just the perfect amount of tang/sweetness. I could drink that every day! Two of the major attractions there are huge domes filled with plants, and blissfully air conditioned (it was a very muggy 30, but feels like 35 degrees here today.) Last time we were here, in 2014, we went into the Cloud Forest, so this time we went into the Flower Dome. It’s a massive structure over several levels, with huge plantings of thousands of plants and flowers from around the world. We of course recognised a lot in the Australian section! We spent two hours in there marvelling at the colours and shapes and sizes. They are opening a display tomorrow about Italy, and a lot of it was already able to be viewed. There were some wonderful pieces of sculpture included too – lots of wood and stone so natural materials.

                                                   Stunning views in the Flower Dome

By the time we’d finished, it was definitely lunch time, so we followed the signs until we came to the Jurassic Nest food court. I was a bit worried it might be kiddies only, (LOTS of dinosaurs there) but the food outlets were all from different nationalities and cuisines, and all had a Michelin Star! We chose from the Japanese, but there were also Singaporean / Hawker food, Indonesian, Indian and Thai. I could eat there every day for a week. We got a surprise at 1 o’clock when the dinosaurs started moving and roaring!

                                                        Jurassic Nest Food Hall

After that, we headed across the walkway to the Marina Sands – coolest building in the world. We found a café on the ground floor to have tea and coffee. Tea can be very hit and miss in Singapore – the Australian idea of a cuppa is a bit hard to find, but I enjoyed my cup of Colonial Breakfast tea, and Lex said the coffee was excellent.

                                  Marina Sands - undoubtable the coolest building in the world!

Our next destination was the Lotus-shaped Science and Art Museum, which was not quite finished last time we were here. Once we’d found it, navigating our way through a huge shopping mall stuffed with Chanel, Balenciaga, Luis Vuitton, etc etc (made Chermside look a bit pokey) we bought tickets to a modern Art/Science experience, Mirror Mirror: Journey into the Mind. Well…… Maybe we were just tired, or maybe we’re not that thrilled with modern art married with science, but we were a bit underwhelmed by the exhibition, and didn’t quite finish all the mirrored/ pulsating coloured/ flashing light – filled rooms we could’ve visited. It was a relief to head home to our hotel and collapse in the airconditioned comfort of our room, rest, and do a bit of blog writing.

                                                                Arts and Science Building

                                                Raffles and the famous Singapore Sling!

Around 6, we showered off the sweat of the day and headed for the famous colonial hotel Raffles – a 5 minute stroll. The Long Bar there is the origin of the Singapore Sling – my favourite drink! I greatly enjoyed my sling and Lex a Dalmore Whiskey, while we munched roasted peanuts and threw their shells on the floor (old Raffles tradition). After that, we wandered along the same food lined streets as last night before settling on the improbably named Toast Box, where I had a curry set and Lex a prawn laksa for less than half of the cost of the Singapore Sling. Street food is great! Then it was back to the hotel to finish packing and organise ourselves for the long, long, long day that tomorrow is going to be……we are flying to Heathrow.