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Ending the trip with a Singapore SlingJul 14, 2006
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The temples of Little India
Wandering around Raffles
Enjoying a singapore sling in Raffles
After our posh bus journey, we arrived fresh and ready to go late afternoon. We booked into our plush accommodation (a backpackers hostel), got to our room only to find we're right on the busiest and noisiest intersection in Singapore (ok slight exageration there).
We didn't really do much the rest of day except go out and buy some earplugs and then popped in for a delicious Indian curry (well we are staying in Little India so it would have been rude not to). Then it was back to the room to watch DVDs on our new laptop.
The next morning we woke up to the sound of rain - a good excuse for a lie-in. When the rain stopped we took a stroll through Little India (where there were lots of Indians surprisingly) on our way to Orchard Road, Singapore's most famous shopping street. It was basically mall after mall after mall (in fact we've come to realise that Singapore is just a series of interlinked shopping malls). The only thing we purchased though was food in one of the food courts - the cheapest and best way to eat here. We then took the tube to Raffles a famous hotel in the centre of Singapore where we gulped back a Singapore sling (well it was invented here so it was just about worth the 6 pound purchase price). From there we wandered to the riverfront area - basically an area devoted to restaurants, but a pleasant site with the river on one side and the financial district, with all its skyscrapers on the other. Then it was back to the hostel to watch some more DVDs!
After another sleep-in, we took the tube to the start of the cable car which goes to Sentosa Island. This is basically an island which has been turned into a large leisure park. We didn't actually venture onto the island, just took the 'scenic' cable car ride for great views over the city. It was then back on the tube to pay a visit to Chinatown for some last minute shopping. Chinatown surprised us both - it's a really nice area to wander around, with old shop-houses and hawker stands lining the streets and old men playing Majong.
That night we decided to go back to the riverfront for a slap-up dinner, well it was our last official night of the trip. We stuffed ourselves on peking duck, beef rendang and chicken satay.....all washed down with a nice bottle of chardonnay. Feeling particularly stuffed we took the tube home, where we met a 112 year old local. He didn't look a day over 70, being extremely nimble and very coherent, so we were quite sceptical. Apparently the secret to his success was to never drink alcohol, never smoke, never eat to excess and to partake in lots of martial arts......we're buggered then!
The final day was one of hanging around. We checked into the airport at 1pm, for our flight at 23.25! So we decided to head back into the city for our last Asian cuisine and to catch a movie to fill in some time. We are now back in the airport finishing off our last entry.
England here we come....
