I am so excited! We are going to Asia! Everyone goes on and on about how much they love Asia and after mainly western countries for the past few months a change in culture sounds about right.
Now, what I genuinely think people mean when they say 'culture change' is dirty, undeveloped town. Ok, maybe I am being a bit unfair but before we hit Singapore for tourists we checked out a few areas a bit more authentic including Little India and Arab Street. For the first time in my life I feel like I stand out a mile for being white and keep getting stared at. I am also really conscious of culture differences that I have heard and read about like the fact that I should be covered up out of respect but I just feel like Samantha in Sex and The City 2 and want to run up to Muslim men shouting 'I have sex'! I don't though, shout it that is! Also, these areas feel a bit unsafe. Not like I am about to get mugged, although I have read so many warnings about theft, cons, and bag snatching I feel worried about that too. What I mean is that you generally have to walk on the road and fight with the traffic. Shops seem to claim the footpath in front of their shops so you have to go round them if people are shopping or if the shop is closed and therefore the footpath is! Also, there is a lack of pedestrian crossings in these out of town areas making it a great game of chicken, if you like that kind of thing. And I generally am not appreciative of the 'shouty' sales method employed outside of England. You know the 'Miss Miss' 'You look' 'Good price' 'Special offer for you'... aaaahhhhhh. Oh and incense - never smelt so much of it in my life as I did in Little India. But I think I figured out that it was to detract the bugs and flys from shops. and sometimes it just smelt nicer than the sometimes drainy smell of the streets.
Ok, so then we stumble across Raffles Hotel! It is pretty and white and touristy! And weirdly HUGE! Once inside it seems to go on forever! There is a huge courtyard in the middle as well as several garden areas and a wrap around shopping area. We try to get a famous Raffles High Tea but we are a bit early so we get a pie instead. :)
Over the road is Chjimes, which is likened in the guide book to Covent Garden. I guess whoever wrote that has never been to Covent Garden. The area is full of restaurants and mostly closed. And then it starts to rain, and rain and rain. It is so heavy and prolonged that I make the rather dull comment, wait for it... 'they must have good drain systems here' BOOM! I am officially old. I try to counteract this by suggesting a few mid-afternoon beers to wait out the rain. Not sure that will do it. But they do have the longest happy hour ever - check it out...11am - 9pm!
Duncan decides he now wants to go shopping 'Big Mistake - Huge' I find CHEAP SHOES! The shopping is immense here. It is like walking down Oxford Street, with Westfield and the Trafford Centre and every other UK shopping mall on the one road. My favourite thing is having Top Shop right next door to shops like Prada and Gucci. I just have to try to not buy too much and repeat to myself 'it will be even cheaper in Thailand and Vietnam'.
The next day it is still raining, but don't let that deceive you it is still hot, hot, hot! We try to brave public transport to get to the Botanic Gardens. I have no idea if we ever paid the correct fair or what the bus driver said but we figured out we put money in a slot and a ticket comes out of a machine inside the bus. But we did make it to the right place, hurrah! The Botanic Gardens are my favourite place in Singapore so far. The lakes and individual gardens are beautiful, although all this walking is a shock after Melbourne! We see a cool lizard thing that is huge in the swan lake and has a spiked tongue for real! We see some cool bonsai trees and some ginger plants but they aren't in flower much. There is an epic game of frisbee going on with the gayest person in the world playing. I can't describe it but I will demonstrate when I see you - sorry musical theatre world, you lose this one! And just before my feet pass out and I start to complain (if you believe I haven't complained about my feet aching up until now you really don't know me!) we go to the Orchid Garden. It is beautiful! Loads and loads of luscious orchids of all colours - why do mine never work out like that!? As the rain gets heavier we go into the cold house, to see the carnivorous plants... I may have accidentally killed one by tipping out the liquid it uses to catch flies..oops. and it keeps on raining and raining and raining.
On our last night in Singapore we hit Raffles again for a famous Singapore Sling. Raffles bar is so cool! It is really old fashioned bar style with fans on the ceiling that move back and forth to cool the room (rather than modern spinney ones). The bar supplies monkey nuts in the shell to nibble on whilst enjoying your overpriced beverage. I love cracking these nuts (hmmmgirly and sweet and alcoholic! Duncan loved it! And now we've started we may as well have a few drinks.... on to Chjimes, which is now open but still nothing like Covent Garden. We discover a microbrewery for a few very high percentage beers and a lovely bar, which I don't really remember much about but I know I had cocktails!
And our last night in Singapore draws to and end with us walking home, with painful feet, going the wrong way, in the rain, with a broken umbrella, unable to hail ANY taxi due to being white. Grand.
Sorry there are no photos inserted - I can't save them off facebook as per usual and my camera battery has died so I can't add them from there! but here is the link to all the photos on facebook! - Singapore Photos
