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I arrived in Singapore on Sunday evening and noticed we had just missed a big downpour. I had thought that I manage to escape all the rain from back home, but then I have come in the rainy season and at least it is 30 degrees, so I am not complaining.
The only way to wile away the hours when flying is by watching lots of movies and pigging out on all the lovely food. I have been having appetizers with pre-dinner drinks, as well as a three course meal but even I can't manage the cheese trolley. If I am not careful, I will end up a real porker when I come back and you won't recognise me!
I also seem to be accumulating a large number of toiletry goodies courtesy of Emirates (lovely Bulgari). I wonder if my family in Australia know what they will be getting for Christmas!! That is not the only thing I have picked up, though - the dreaded lurgy! I woke up on Monday morning with a raging sore throat and then on Tuesday with a cough, cold and two huge ulcers. I am not surprised, though, as I was frantically trying to pack up at work and pack for my trip and I must have picked something up from someone on the plane. Not very pleasant but I seem to be fighting it off slowly. Fingers crossed that I won't have any problems diving on Saturday.
On Sunday after I arrived, I went to have the obligatory Singapore Sling in The Long Bar at The Raffles Hotel, which was directly opposite my hotel (I was staying in the Raffles Plaza). The drink was great (it should be at 8 quick a pop, which is not much by London standards but a lot her) but I was expecting the bar to be quite posh. It is like some old country style boozer with the floor covered in monkey nuts. I retired to my hotel after only one drink (not bad for me!) - my room was great - huge bed and great views over the city.
My mum's friend Sherlane, who has just moved back to Singapore from Dubai with her English boyfriend Hugh, showed me around Singapore on Monday. I bought myself a laptop (I am currently typing this in the Emirates business class lounge - hooray, civilisation at last!) but I kept out of the shops generally, as I didn't think she wanted to be dragged around them. We walked down the infamous Orchard Road, which is full of shopping malls. I thought Dubai was the king of shopping mall excesses, but nothing beats this. They even demolish old buildings and you guessed it - they build more shopping malls!
I then went to try foot reflexology for the first time, as I had read that it is a must when you come to Singapore. It is like a deep tissue massage on your feet - ie it hurts! The woman doing the massage was nice enough - I think she was from Malaysia. At one point I was grimacing with the pain (no pain no gain), but when the Butcher of Borneo realised she was about to break all the tiny bones in my feet, she eased up, and it started to get very pleasant indeed. So much so, that I fell asleep! Sherlane told me that it is supposed to get rid of all the toxins in your body and also prepared me for what might come out in the couple of days afterwards when you go to the toilet. I had a bit of a dodgy stomach before I had the treatment but afterwards, it had gone. I felt so relaxed, so we decided to go for a few beers in a beer garden. I don't think you are meant to drink alcohol - it kind of defeats the whole purpose of flushing all those nasty things out of your body. Nothing seems to have happened on the toilet front though.
My mum had warned me that Sherlane and Hugh could drink loads. How much more than what I and my friends are used to, can that be? She must be exaggerating. Needless to say, I was playing catch up, and that is saying something. Five beers and half a bottle of wine later, I managed to stumble back to the hotel. Not sure if it was the tiredness or whether I was truly drunk.
On Tuesday we went to Singapore Zoo. I can definitely see why it has been voted number 1/2 in the world for the best zoos (with San Diego Zoo). Every animal you can conceivably imagine is there and some of the exhibits are open, so that you can walk with the animals. We saw an elephant show, which was very good indeed. Those beats are so clever and can understand the Sri Lankan language! I paid $5 for the privilege of having my photo taken with those parrots (see above).
After that we went for the obligatory chilli crab, at a hawkers' market in the Newton area. As usual, we over ordered but the chilli crab and chilli squid was divine (Julie - you would be in food heaven!). I tried chilli stingray for the first time ever, but I must admit that I wasn't really taken with it. It had an acquired taste and I felt guilty eating something which I have dived with and am shortly to be diving with.
I had a bit of a lie in this morning to shake off this cold and true to style, managed to fit in a bit of last minute shopping. My bags are already quite full and I am worried when I fly from Melbourne to Cairns on Virgin Blue that I will have too much hand luggage. It weighed 11 kilos when I weighed it at Heathrow! I might have to smile sweetly or bribe someone.
Anyway, I am trying to finish this before I get on the plane to Melbourne. I really liked Singapore. It is so civilised, everyone is so friendly and the food is great. It is so cheap. They have loads of food courts and rather than the usual KFC or McDonalds garbage, they have a large selection of rice and noodles from Singapore, Malasia, Korea and Hong Kong. All at a snip at $3.80 (which is just over 1 pound (this computer does not have a pound sign on it!!!). Plus you can walk around here at night safe in the knowledge that you aren't going to get pestered by some weirdo in an anorak!
Getting to the airport was also a pleasant experience. I asked Emirates to pick me up earlier so that I could claim the tax back for my shopping and also do some duty free shopping. You get dropped off at the door, only to be met by Emirates (for business and first class customers only I think) and they take your luggage for you to the check in desk. 10 minutes later you are through customs. The airport is clean and reasonably quiet (Heathrow take note!). I was the first person in the business class lounge and they have a massage machine. I spent 45 minutes on it having a full body massage. Luxury!
Anyway, I am looking forward to going to Australia, so see you Down Under!!
The only way to wile away the hours when flying is by watching lots of movies and pigging out on all the lovely food. I have been having appetizers with pre-dinner drinks, as well as a three course meal but even I can't manage the cheese trolley. If I am not careful, I will end up a real porker when I come back and you won't recognise me!
I also seem to be accumulating a large number of toiletry goodies courtesy of Emirates (lovely Bulgari). I wonder if my family in Australia know what they will be getting for Christmas!! That is not the only thing I have picked up, though - the dreaded lurgy! I woke up on Monday morning with a raging sore throat and then on Tuesday with a cough, cold and two huge ulcers. I am not surprised, though, as I was frantically trying to pack up at work and pack for my trip and I must have picked something up from someone on the plane. Not very pleasant but I seem to be fighting it off slowly. Fingers crossed that I won't have any problems diving on Saturday.
On Sunday after I arrived, I went to have the obligatory Singapore Sling in The Long Bar at The Raffles Hotel, which was directly opposite my hotel (I was staying in the Raffles Plaza). The drink was great (it should be at 8 quick a pop, which is not much by London standards but a lot her) but I was expecting the bar to be quite posh. It is like some old country style boozer with the floor covered in monkey nuts. I retired to my hotel after only one drink (not bad for me!) - my room was great - huge bed and great views over the city.
My mum's friend Sherlane, who has just moved back to Singapore from Dubai with her English boyfriend Hugh, showed me around Singapore on Monday. I bought myself a laptop (I am currently typing this in the Emirates business class lounge - hooray, civilisation at last!) but I kept out of the shops generally, as I didn't think she wanted to be dragged around them. We walked down the infamous Orchard Road, which is full of shopping malls. I thought Dubai was the king of shopping mall excesses, but nothing beats this. They even demolish old buildings and you guessed it - they build more shopping malls!
I then went to try foot reflexology for the first time, as I had read that it is a must when you come to Singapore. It is like a deep tissue massage on your feet - ie it hurts! The woman doing the massage was nice enough - I think she was from Malaysia. At one point I was grimacing with the pain (no pain no gain), but when the Butcher of Borneo realised she was about to break all the tiny bones in my feet, she eased up, and it started to get very pleasant indeed. So much so, that I fell asleep! Sherlane told me that it is supposed to get rid of all the toxins in your body and also prepared me for what might come out in the couple of days afterwards when you go to the toilet. I had a bit of a dodgy stomach before I had the treatment but afterwards, it had gone. I felt so relaxed, so we decided to go for a few beers in a beer garden. I don't think you are meant to drink alcohol - it kind of defeats the whole purpose of flushing all those nasty things out of your body. Nothing seems to have happened on the toilet front though.
My mum had warned me that Sherlane and Hugh could drink loads. How much more than what I and my friends are used to, can that be? She must be exaggerating. Needless to say, I was playing catch up, and that is saying something. Five beers and half a bottle of wine later, I managed to stumble back to the hotel. Not sure if it was the tiredness or whether I was truly drunk.
On Tuesday we went to Singapore Zoo. I can definitely see why it has been voted number 1/2 in the world for the best zoos (with San Diego Zoo). Every animal you can conceivably imagine is there and some of the exhibits are open, so that you can walk with the animals. We saw an elephant show, which was very good indeed. Those beats are so clever and can understand the Sri Lankan language! I paid $5 for the privilege of having my photo taken with those parrots (see above).
After that we went for the obligatory chilli crab, at a hawkers' market in the Newton area. As usual, we over ordered but the chilli crab and chilli squid was divine (Julie - you would be in food heaven!). I tried chilli stingray for the first time ever, but I must admit that I wasn't really taken with it. It had an acquired taste and I felt guilty eating something which I have dived with and am shortly to be diving with.
I had a bit of a lie in this morning to shake off this cold and true to style, managed to fit in a bit of last minute shopping. My bags are already quite full and I am worried when I fly from Melbourne to Cairns on Virgin Blue that I will have too much hand luggage. It weighed 11 kilos when I weighed it at Heathrow! I might have to smile sweetly or bribe someone.
Anyway, I am trying to finish this before I get on the plane to Melbourne. I really liked Singapore. It is so civilised, everyone is so friendly and the food is great. It is so cheap. They have loads of food courts and rather than the usual KFC or McDonalds garbage, they have a large selection of rice and noodles from Singapore, Malasia, Korea and Hong Kong. All at a snip at $3.80 (which is just over 1 pound (this computer does not have a pound sign on it!!!). Plus you can walk around here at night safe in the knowledge that you aren't going to get pestered by some weirdo in an anorak!
Getting to the airport was also a pleasant experience. I asked Emirates to pick me up earlier so that I could claim the tax back for my shopping and also do some duty free shopping. You get dropped off at the door, only to be met by Emirates (for business and first class customers only I think) and they take your luggage for you to the check in desk. 10 minutes later you are through customs. The airport is clean and reasonably quiet (Heathrow take note!). I was the first person in the business class lounge and they have a massage machine. I spent 45 minutes on it having a full body massage. Luxury!
Anyway, I am looking forward to going to Australia, so see you Down Under!!
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