A DISCLAIMER:
This first blog of 2019 is also an exercise in re-acquaintance for the blog writers... us! A new laptop for travelling, a new method of photo uploading etc, so for the technically challenged we need the practice!
Once again a reminder, these blogs are principally for our own records. For those of you sad enough to consider yourselves followers of this dribble, we applaud you and bless your little souls... have you considered some form of solo retreats to enhance your imaginations? Anything must be more enthralling than reading this stuff!!!
Anyway....
Singapore - a welcome stop-over:
We would have once said "Nah, we will fly all the way through to Europe" but we felt no, it was time to try a break. Plus the added bonus of being able to catch up with Caro's niece Karla who lives in Singapore made an easy decision.
We found the break to be beneficial, and gave us a chance to refocus on our upcoming travels.... although people have kept asking us over recent weeks if we were excited, we really had not been excited nor looking forward to our trip due to our concern over our aging dog Zeke. We had to make a sad and very tough decision as it was going to be a difficult winter for him due to his quickly reducing mobility and increasingly deteriorating toileting.... guess it will come soon enough to us all!
We will never forget what a great family companion Zeke was to the boys and us, and we are struggling (from a distance) with his absence, but know we made the right decision.
Get on ya bike...
First up for Singapore was a 4 hour guided bike tour... the first of many booked for this trip, we found during our last years adventures these are a fantastic and fun way to get a good overview of a city and 'get our bearings!'
Caro doing her best Lewis Hamilton impersonation on the F1 Circuit.... without a car, or a helmet, or a fire suit, or a whole lot of stuff really
Tour covered various areas: Singapore Flyer, Formula One circuit (although not as fast on our bikes as Lewis in his car), Marina Bay, Chinatown, Arab quarter, City area. Also some of the newer 'ex-pat' Quay areas. This gave a good understanding of much of the history of Singapore. Place and building names often reflect the Raffles name, the founding chap for Singapore as a trading post of the British East India Company...
Gaining independence from the British in 1963 after the earlier, obviously tumultuous, WWII period of Japanese occupation, the country has thrived and developed a strong economy largely based on external trade and its large workforce (5.6 mill population on a geographical area around twice the size of good old Inver's!). 39% of the population is foreign nationals.
Housing is well catered for with many of the apartment complexes being on a long term lease and subsidised by the government.
A real multi cultural island nation makes for a diverse and interesting place which now has a huge range of economic drivers; finance, IT, healthcare, manufacturing, tourism etc.
Lots of facts learnt, most of which will slip through the in-built filter too quickly. Chatting to our guide about the compulsory military training all Singapore males (18 years old) are required to do was interesting... basically you don't know what arm of the services (including not only military but fire/police etc) you are to be allocated to until you are. Our guide was an expert on bush rescue out of helicopter! There's compulsory training for woman too but that starts at 20 years or after you finish university and it's not for as long,
Wandering in the heat.. spot the spices
After the tour ended, we wandered back to our nearby hotel via the Hindu quarter. Full of colours of the various spices etc on market stalls, and different architecture again from the other areas.
Great to spend the evening with Karla and Johnno who kindly took us out for a lovely meal.
Sunday... where the locals go?
Packed and checked out, but left our bags in hotel storage as we headed back to the Marina Bay area to explore. A note on our hotel, which probably emphasised how much of a premium space is... it was a fantastic hotel, no complaints at all, (on 15th floor great view) but we were bemused at how they can fit a lovely room into such a small space. Whole room was only wide enough to have the double bed across one end... and they still fit an en-suite etc in!
First walked via the "Cat Cafe", opting out of entering due to the $20 entry fee, where you can have your coffee whilst patting a cat... who would have thought huh, we shall go home and discuss this as an Arrowtown option with our cat Spyder!
Lion Statue, symbol of Singapore... the Lion city
The Marina Bay Sands resort is a crazy looking hotel, how someone could come up with the idea of a huge boat look-a-like sitting on top of 3 hotel towers! Apparently building commenced just as the Global Financial Crisis hit which caused quite a few nervous times.... but as it emerged it reached break-even within 2 years of construction (hotel and casino).
Marina Bay Sands... incredible hotel, the boat on top has roof top bars at front, and a large swimming pool in middle section!
Probably a reflection of what happens here, fast paced development and infrastructure within a thriving economy.
The area was fun to visit, and there was a dragon boat competition in progress. International corporate teams on an annual fixture. We then had a brief look at the huge shopping mall, which was busy with families out on a Sunday.... we think the attraction of air-conditioning appeals.
Across from the resort is the Gardens by the Bay, which is a beautifully laid out area with lots of natural, and not so natural attractions.
Absolutely stunning complex, in the middle of what is already a world renowned airport (Changi), it features the world's largest indoor waterfall....
