Well, we've been in Singapore for a couple of days now, stopping at a little hotel on the edge of Little India, one of the districts of the city. The area is really quite like parts of Delhi that we stopped at - that seems an age ago now.
The same sites, the smells, the people, although when you look closer its more organised. That says a lot about Singapore, it is a city island country that seems to work very efficiently, very organised, very orderly - all aimed at the objective of making money.
The city is split into various districts; the financial district, like the city in London but the buildings seem taller, Orchard which is like Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Oxford Street all rolled into one and then made better and flashier. The Marina district, a sad lack of private boats, but has some stunning hotels and buildings. then there is Little India, China Town, Arab quarter and the Colonial district.
The shopping here is just unbelieveable - Orchard Rd has at least 15 shopping centres that make the Trafford Centre look like a big branch of Lidle. I'm not a fan of shopping, especially in big centres, but the architecture and style have got to be seen to be believed. The quality of the buildings is more than matched by the goods on sale. Not being a fashionista I didn't recognise half of the names but I counted at least three Prada shops, serious watch shops (the Rolex building alone was 6 floors high) and loads of other shops which had no prices, three items for sale in the window and big security guards on the door.
Without trying this place is heavy on the old credit card.
We had chatted to some people in Ho Chi Minh City and they said to go to the Marina Sands Hotel and have a drink in the top floor bar - what a view - 57 stories up with roof top swimming pool. I did price up the rooms and, no, I wasn't tempted - £400/night starting price - it seemed pretty full though.
Look at the trees they've put on top of the building - a small forest 57 floors up. There are bars at each end of the top tier which is supports on three huge towers with enormous atriums inside.
The hotel also put on a light and fountain display each evening, sitting on the decking watching the show with the backdrop of the Financial District was wonderful.
The images are projected onto a mist of water created by some of the fountains.
The next day we went to Sentosa Island - the recreational spot for Singaporeans and the rest of this corner of SE Asia - bit like Disneyland on steroids really not my thing but the aquarium was really good. The cabl car ride to the island was worth it though, even if it was raining.
These places get to me a bit as they as just too fake, trying too hard; at least the shopping malls are just trying to do one thing - get money out you and do so with style.
The food here is just fantastic, serious restaurants but also lots of street food. The government coralled the food sellers into Hawker Centres or food courts where there will be 20 or 30 little stalls, all immaculate selling different specialities all freshly made on the spot and cheap.
Today we got the MRT and a bus out to a nature reserve which is the islands last pocket of rainforest. Interesting and good to get out of the city, although only just; the city keeps going right up to the edges of the forest. Spent ages trying to get photos of birds, squirrels and butterflies but failed miserably.
Getting about the area is great, they have a humdinger of a metro, large airy and airconditioned. Not as many stops as in London though but walking is easy enough and the bus service (also airconditioned) works well. Airconditioning - before coming here I wasn't a fan - noisy, bad for the environment, etc, but after a little time here AC is suddenly wonderful - how shallow am I. The locals say that the weather is unusual for this time of year, far wetter and more humid - temperature is about 33deg which we normally cope with easily, but the humidity is something else. The rain comes down like monsoon rainstorms that you see on TV, what I can't get used to is the fact that the rain is warm!
First thoughts on Singapore - well, very efficient, it thinks and plans on a huge scale, its called fine city here as there are fines for lots of minor transgressions, drinking or eating on the tube $500, jaywalking - $500. It all just works together and its really good at its main objective which is to make money. Funnily enough Vietnam was also efficient, but it worked on a more personal scale, it relied upon trusting everyone would do their job and they did.
Bob and Jan's tenner listening to a band at a backpackers pub in Little India
The same sites, the smells, the people, although when you look closer its more organised. That says a lot about Singapore, it is a city island country that seems to work very efficiently, very organised, very orderly - all aimed at the objective of making money.
The city is split into various districts; the financial district, like the city in London but the buildings seem taller, Orchard which is like Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Oxford Street all rolled into one and then made better and flashier. The Marina district, a sad lack of private boats, but has some stunning hotels and buildings. then there is Little India, China Town, Arab quarter and the Colonial district.
The shopping here is just unbelieveable - Orchard Rd has at least 15 shopping centres that make the Trafford Centre look like a big branch of Lidle. I'm not a fan of shopping, especially in big centres, but the architecture and style have got to be seen to be believed. The quality of the buildings is more than matched by the goods on sale. Not being a fashionista I didn't recognise half of the names but I counted at least three Prada shops, serious watch shops (the Rolex building alone was 6 floors high) and loads of other shops which had no prices, three items for sale in the window and big security guards on the door.
Without trying this place is heavy on the old credit card.
We had chatted to some people in Ho Chi Minh City and they said to go to the Marina Sands Hotel and have a drink in the top floor bar - what a view - 57 stories up with roof top swimming pool. I did price up the rooms and, no, I wasn't tempted - £400/night starting price - it seemed pretty full though.
Look at the trees they've put on top of the building - a small forest 57 floors up. There are bars at each end of the top tier which is supports on three huge towers with enormous atriums inside.
The hotel also put on a light and fountain display each evening, sitting on the decking watching the show with the backdrop of the Financial District was wonderful.
The images are projected onto a mist of water created by some of the fountains.
The next day we went to Sentosa Island - the recreational spot for Singaporeans and the rest of this corner of SE Asia - bit like Disneyland on steroids really not my thing but the aquarium was really good. The cabl car ride to the island was worth it though, even if it was raining.
Top jelly fish
These places get to me a bit as they as just too fake, trying too hard; at least the shopping malls are just trying to do one thing - get money out you and do so with style.
The food here is just fantastic, serious restaurants but also lots of street food. The government coralled the food sellers into Hawker Centres or food courts where there will be 20 or 30 little stalls, all immaculate selling different specialities all freshly made on the spot and cheap.
Today we got the MRT and a bus out to a nature reserve which is the islands last pocket of rainforest. Interesting and good to get out of the city, although only just; the city keeps going right up to the edges of the forest. Spent ages trying to get photos of birds, squirrels and butterflies but failed miserably.
Getting about the area is great, they have a humdinger of a metro, large airy and airconditioned. Not as many stops as in London though but walking is easy enough and the bus service (also airconditioned) works well. Airconditioning - before coming here I wasn't a fan - noisy, bad for the environment, etc, but after a little time here AC is suddenly wonderful - how shallow am I. The locals say that the weather is unusual for this time of year, far wetter and more humid - temperature is about 33deg which we normally cope with easily, but the humidity is something else. The rain comes down like monsoon rainstorms that you see on TV, what I can't get used to is the fact that the rain is warm!
First thoughts on Singapore - well, very efficient, it thinks and plans on a huge scale, its called fine city here as there are fines for lots of minor transgressions, drinking or eating on the tube $500, jaywalking - $500. It all just works together and its really good at its main objective which is to make money. Funnily enough Vietnam was also efficient, but it worked on a more personal scale, it relied upon trusting everyone would do their job and they did.
Bob and Jan's tenner listening to a band at a backpackers pub in Little India
Hello! Finally managed to get onto your blog - what a lot to catch up on - at first glance I got vertigo - how ridiculous to have all that 57 floors up in the air. Trouble typing coz Tiger keeps nudging my arms. Chickens doing good - the decibel level seems to indicate they are enjoying their new neighbors. Almost an egg a day so James is happy too! Everything else seems to be fine - house still standing and Jen's car starts as well as always. Went for a walk at 5pm today and got caught in the first snow storm of the season - delightful! gather Singapore has been a bit soggy... just to stop you feeling home sick. Loving seeing the tenner! x A & J. ps. Martin just got to St Lucia in ARC race - got a 3rd in class, 4th overall!
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