Singapore Sling

Hello from Singapore.  After a long string of passing the buck to Sarah, I thought I'd better write a post again.

We had originally planned to stay here for a few days  later this year -  before our flight  to Perth. However , whilst we were chillling out (do we ever do anything but?) in Langkawi, we both agreed that we had had enough of bus travel for the time being and that the islands off the eastern side of mainland malaysia could wait for another trip. As such we realised we had a few days to kill, so we booked a flight to Singapore.

Actually one of the things we have found during our trip is that we are better off spending a week in a place we like rather than rushing around like a pair of blue arsed flies and really seeing little more than the hotel ,road, bus station or airport. We figure that if we miss out anywhere that is worth a visit it is as good an incentive as any to come back to a country. Also it's not as if we are on some mission to consume all the sights. What is it they say? quality and not quantity. Maybe it's just the type of people we are. In some ways it's great to be so similar as we quite often work along the same lines (think snoozing till noon), but if we're tired, hot or hungry or any combination of the three, we are both a nightmare to be around. This much was evident the other day when I was pretending to know my way around Singapore and ignoring Sarah's requests to ask someone for directions.This wasn't my first time in the country and therefore male pride had taken over that I, as a near native knew exactly where to go.

But there I go again, starting at the middle.

We flew in to the Budget Terminal at Singapore's Changi airport, which is nice enough, but doesn't have the cinema, gym and swimming pool that is part of the all singing, all dancing International Terminus. Still, we didn't come to see an airport, however nice it was.

We were staying just outside the city proper in the Aqueen hotel which is a district called Lavender. The  room was small but comfy, it had an odd bathroom though as the walls were frosted plate glass (not great for privacy).

On our first night we took the MRT(tube train) to Clark Quay. The Quayside is lined with restaurants and bars and was really lively when we arrived as it was a friday.
To be honest, although it was a lively and interesting place with lots of food choices,  we couldn't help comparing it with Jalan Alor, the main hawker street we loved so much in KL. Next to all the small warung and restaurants on Jalan Alor the corparate financed slick-image atmosphere felt sterile and plastic.

We had trouble shaking off this feeling for the rest of our trip. Everywhere we went in the tourist district the streets were spotless and the transport system was faultless (the swipe card system is so easy), but the soul of the place was lacking. Maybe it's a hangover from having so many extremes in India (the chaotic roads; the rubbish; the cows, dogs and the elephants) that the order and extreme cleanliness of Singapore seems mundane by comparison.

One thing Singapore cannot be faulted on is it's food. The people here are food mad with eateries often open 24 hours, and because the country has such a rich mix of ethnic backgrounds, you can get pretty much any dish your heart desires.

We ate at a great Japanese place on Clark Quay on our first night (I forget the name).  We got to enjoy a couple of glasses of Australian Red, which is still something of a novelty after a seven month drought. We also got to try Wagyu Beef fillet(Japanese marbled beef; the cow is fed beer and vodka the lucky thing!) which is full of flavour like a fatty beef cut and still very tender. Delicious!

We took a tour down the Singapore river and took in the sights.  Alot of the dock waterfront is under heavy construction at the moment as the developers seem to be building around the new F1 night race track.

On the boat cruise. Bit of a rip off for what it was really, but better than walking!

We struck lucky by finding this food court right outside our hotel. I have to say that this was probably my favourite place to eat in Singapore,  and not just because it was cheap! (although I am becoming ever more enamoured with a good bargain as our savings dwindle).
This seemed to be mainly a local haunt made up of around thirty small stalls. There was a great atmosphere to the place at night, you could even watch the football and have a beer.

Dim Sum Central, lots of choice. Usually eaten for breakfast / brunch

Frog porridge anyone? I wanted to try this, but it smelled too much like wet dog for my liking. Great sign though.
Some of the other exotic offerings to be had were:  spine meat soup, Turtle or crocodile soup and pigs trotter, organ or tail.

I'd love to take credit for this photo, but Sarah took it. It reminds me of the film Blade Runner. Very dark and moody. It was taken on the Singapore Flyer (like the London Eye) at dusk just as a storm was rolling in.

I've just noticed the sweat patches. Nice!
Sorry but it's bloody hot in Singapore. Also I had just had a big meal so my gut was a little more rotund than normal.

View from the top of the Flyer looking over the city. Singapore is a beautiful place at night.

Raffles Hotel. We thought why not do the traditional visit to Raffles and partake in a Singapore Sling. So we both did our best and got dressed up smart. Sarah was especially looking forward to a drink in a famous hotel.
  We got to the lobby and the concierge directed us to the long bar at the back of the hotel. When we got in there Sar's face dropped. The floor and seats in the bar were covered with monkey nuts. We both thought the place was cool but definitely not what we were expecting.

'Just one is enough'

At 28 (£14) Singapore dollars plus tax I should bloody well think so!

Not a bin in sight. This was a clean patch on the floor. I have to say I made more than my fair share of mess. I had a beer instead of a Sling (Beer and Nuts just make more sense to me) and just had a sip of Sar's.

The day before we flew to Borneo, we went to the Night Safari. It was well organised and as zoos go, seemed well set out.

This was the best photo of a bad bunch. We were under strict orders not to use flash photography as it can eventually blind the animals.










Well that's it for now. We are off for a Borneo jungle adventure next, I still haven't made my mind up if I'm going to climb Mt. Kinabalu yet - 50/50 at the moment. If so Sar will be having a relaxing few days in a nice hotel. As if she was ever going to do anything else!


Take care all. Andrew and Sarah.x

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