Have you ever been somewhere where although your eyes could see everything your brain couldn?t take it all in?
Well that?s how I felt this day.
Lisa met up with us at 11 armed with charged MRT cards ? this would enable us to travel all round the island either on the bus or by using the underground.
First a walk up Orchard Road and then onto the underground at Orchard.
We went to Raffles place and saw the main area for commerce all huge office blocks and then the statue of the great man himself:
Sir Stamford Raffles ? highly thought of around here.
Lisa had been telling me about Singapore?s emblem, half lion half mermaid ? the Merlion of course and I wanted to see it so this was to be part of this trip.
But first Boat Quay where you can look across to Clarke Quay
See the bronze statues?
Fantastic and how about these little guys
They were lovely!
Where else can you see stretches of water surrounded by high rise buildings intermingled with smaller but more grand cultural buildings ? lots of places I suppose but it was all new to me.
Hmmm
Well it had to be done..
I?m sure his nose was running!
Oooh a rest!!! Walking in this heat is not easy!
We walked on down the Esplanade and saw the concert hall with all its little bars outside ? then we reached Merlion Park and here he is..
Fierce isn?t he?
I really liked this as an emblem and even bought some fridge magnets ? white ones, although they were there in every colour ? Lisa did say at least I hadn?t bought the ?tacky? ones!!!
After this we headed off to Raffles Hotel, for a Singapore Sling ? of course!!
No, of course we weren?t allowed in the hotel ? it?s far too posh!!
And lots of these guys were keeping an eye on us..
But, as he wasn?t looking I took a picture through the main doors
How the other half live?
We headed round to the Long Bar for our overpriced cocktails and the privilege of eating monkey nuts and throwing the shells on the floor. The only place one can drop litter in Singapore dahlings!
Very pretty!
And very welcome!!!
No air conditioning here
Just ceiling fans with a difference!
And they worked!
So ? after a much needed rest we wandered outside ? we still had Arab Street to visit!!! It had been raining but was drying up now ? that happened a lot!
It really is very elegant here!
And yes DBM ? it just had to be done!!!!!
Blimey you must be exhausted already! Love the sculptures …… [I’m off on my holidays tomorrow so I’ll have to catch up on my return]
Indeed it had to be done although I’d have probably ordered a daquiri or a margharita . . .well done you for coping with that oppressive heat. “Where else can you see stretches of water surrounded by high rise buildings intermingled with smaller but more grand cultural buildings” SYDNEY!
Hi Kate,
Loving the blog and waiting for the next episode! We ate Macdonalds for breakfast when we went to Hong Kong for a week. The breakfast in the hotel was very overpriced and the breakfast cafes were scary! We did eat in a restaurant but Chris baulked at the chicken’s head in his meal!
Daddy P – Exhausting it was and it got worse before we went out for dinner – you will see after your holiday – have a lovely time!!
Baino – So it has to be Sydney next? Now that is a flight as you said earlier.. I like mojitos but that comes later.
Carol – Hello!!! How nice to get a comment from you!!! We saw heads like that in other peoples dinners – and we did try the local breakfast but again that comes later!!!
Enjoyed all the posts Kate. Loved teh bronze statues. Can imagine how exciting for your friend to see her son after 2 years. Two of my brothers emigrated to Australia in the 60’s and my
other never saw them again. Travelling very different then. It broke her heart.
How interesting to have a camera on the plane tail. Never heard of that before. Liked your detail of your first long haul flight. It took me back to mine.
Glad to know that you are backhome safe and got to enjoy your first flight.
Thank you Barbara – how sad for your Mum – yes the world seemed a much bigger place when I was a kid too …so different now!
Of course it did!
Great photos Kate, gives one the flavor of the place. A story well told as well. Now, to catch up on the next one!
DBM – thought you might agree!
Cortes – I apologise for the ‘churning’ effect of this but I don’t want to lose the momentum or the memories – and matching the photos to the text is quite time consuming – but – hey – it was the trip of a lifetime. I hope you can keep up when the next posts are done 🙂
I am enjoying the armchair holiday with you!
Grannymar – I am pleased you like it – its probably the best way – not so hot and sweaty!!! My Mum used to like armchair travel with Michael Palin!