For our last half day here we took a tour to Sentosa island. It’s the playground of Singapore. As well as beaches, golf courses and Universal Studios theme park there are things like life runs and terrifying zip lines from nearly 80ms up. The list of attractions and activities here seems endless. However our trip was more leisurely (for pensioners?). We arrived at the island by cable car, giving us a birds eye view of the island and the docks.

Sentosa island from the cable car

Then we visited a ‘museum’ giving the history of Singapore and it’s festivals. The style of the displays was very dated but the information sucinct and informative. We then visited the butterfly and insect park – lots of beautiful butterflies and some scary insects. The trip ended at Underwater World, a well presented aquarium including a pink dolphin show. We managed a quick peek at the beaches before getting the bus back. They look lovely, very sandy with lots of amenities. The downside being the view – lots and lots of very large container ships and tankers, hardly the traditional scenjc sea view.

The docks are quite a sight in themselves. It’s the first or second busiest port in the world, (depending who you talk to!). A ship is in our out every three minutes and it handles 24 million containers a year. Which is mind boggling when you think about it in terms of daily throughput.

Just sat here now waiting to be picked up to go to the airport and the overnight flight to Sydney. More from the land of Oz when we get there.
7 October 2012.

Today we visited the newly opened Gardens by the Bay. It’s like the Eden Project – but bigger. Two huge, climate controlled conservatories dominate the site, but they are set in an area the size of 177 football pitches. The grounds are laid out with gardens reflecting various countries and climates; an Indian garden, a colonial garden,  palms, fruits and flowers etc. You can take a tour around them in a 10 man  golf buggy with commentary

But of course the main attraction are those two domes. We went into the Flower dome first and it is a huge open area, laid out with the plants and flowers of different regions. In the centre there is a colorful display of flowers with little scenes set in them. There is another area for cacti and such things (Carolyn will give you all the proper names).

We then moved on to the Cloud Forest. As you enter the dome there is a real wow factor as you are immediately confronted by a massive 35 metre man made tower and waterfall. This dome is maintained for tropical plants and is constantly sprayed with water to keep up humidity levels.  You walk along a set path which takes you slowly up to the top of the waterfall, sometimes inside and sometimes outside the tower. The tower is covered with orchids and other luxurious foliage.

There are many informative displays, including films and large interactive screens, not only about the plants, but also about the environment. It’s all been created to be eco friendly and has a big emphasis on our responsibility to care for the planet (or else!). Outside the domes are the supertrees. Giant man made ‘trees’, some of which you can walk up and take a sky way walk at treetop level. They collect solar energy and rain water and help the park in it’s aim to be self sustaining.

The Supertrees

We spent most of the day here and really enjoyed it (even the non gardener of the family). Like everything else in Singapore it’s been done thoughtfully and to a high standard.

The Singapore people love to eat. They have food outlets everywhere and apparently lots of them stay open 24 hours a day. You can have food of virtually any cuisine you want. There are posh restaurants and street kitchens and everything in between. Alcohol is expensive because it’s all imported with substantial taxes imposed. The local people do drink, but it’s not acceptable to be drunk, so no larger louts here. The Singapore people also love to shop and there are hundreds (that is not an exaggeration) of shopping malls. They are everywhere!!! Most of them big, new and spread over several floors. They have endless top end shops for clothes, shoes, jewellery etc. If it’s expensive you can buy it here. I took some pictures of the one we were in this afternoon (just getting a drink) but I couldn’t do it justice with the camera, because it went on and on around corners and spread over a number of floors. In one part there was a canal, with rowing boats on it, with a restaurant built over part of the waterway. In the main food court area there was an ice rink.

I like Singapore. Of all the places we’ve visited so far I want to live in the Lion City (there’s a long an involved reason why Singapore is  called the Lion City when there are no lions here – just don’t ask me to explain it). I know it’s hot and humid, but it’s clean and orderly. It is truly a garden city with trees, shrubs and flowers everywhere. Although it’s a world leader in commerce it doesn’t seem hectic or aggresive, on the contrary it seems calm and peaceful. I know we’ve only had a brief snapshot of the place, but to me it’s a confident city, happy to be multi cultural, accepting of different cultures and with distinct values which promote a harmonious society. Singapore has style!

Tomorrow we are off for a half day trip to Sentosa island – the playground of Singapore. Then it’s the airport for flight number 6, overnight to Sydney.

Here are some of my ‘awards’ so far
Most worrying car bumper sticker – ‘Children on road’ –  a case of poor translation I hope.
Most confusing hotel facility – beside the loo a knob labelled ‘volume control’ –  Carolyn said it was for the loo side phone, but I’m not sure and my imagination ran riot with the possibilities.
Worst hotel room – the Harbour Plaza Metropolis in Hong Kong certainly did not allow cat swinging.
Most inappropriate clothing – the young lady, elegantly dressed in white, with ‘Juicy’ in silver lettering on the rear of her trousers.

Till next time
6th October

Yes it’s a little expensive. Although to be fair you can get it a little cheaper than that – by drinking in the afternoon. We ventured out to Clarke Quay, 5 mins walk from our hotel. It’s a happening place with one of those bungee slingshots for the clearly insane, where you get hurled up from a catapult on the end of a piece of elastic. Sort of reverse bungee jumping. Fortunately it’s not compulsory. There are also hundreds of restaurants there of every conceivable cuisine from Irish to Russian, Balinese and even a Hooters from the USA. (If you don’t know what Hooters is think skimpily clad girls with large boobs serving beer and steaks). You would need a couple of months to work your way around every type of cuisine available there. We ended up eating Vietnamese – I’m not sure why – it was OK and I managed with chopsticks without needing to visit a dry cleaners afterwards – significant improvement.

Today started with a City Tour taking in some the main sights. Just a way of orientating our way around the city. The guide was very informative, unlike our Hong Kong tour guide who told us very little.  We visited Merlion park on Marina Bay, then a Taoist temple in Chinatown. It was an elaborately decorated temple with side shrines to various revered characters including Confucious. But it was a little incongruous to see a coke machine at the back of the main worship area.

The next stop was the obligatory craft shop with retail opportunity. This workshop was based on mineral stones being worked into jewellery and other things like pictures. Beautiful and very clever but we resisted making a purchase. We moved on the National Orchid gardens within the Singapore Botanical Gardens. We only had 20 minutes and much longer was needed to do it justice, but even I appreciated the stunning display of orchids. Carolyn of course was in seventh heaven and I had to make sure we made it back in time to the bus, (the tour guide warned us we would be left behind). Our final stop was Little India, where we walked the streets taking in the distinctive smells and sounds of the Indian culture. They are preparing for Divali and the streets were decorated and many shops were selling garlands and flowers.

Carolyn amongst the orchids

After the tour we were on our own and decided to take a trip on the Singapore Flyer. It’s the equivalent of the London Eye, but bigger! One tip, if you go on it try not to get in a car with three highly excited  5 year old asian girls, the noise level can be deafening. The view was amazing, taking in the dock area. We saw the ships queuing up as we came in from the airport and it was even clearer from the flyer that it’s a very busy port indeed. There were of course views in every direction showing off the wonderful achitecture at it’s best, including the Marina Bay building ( it’s like three cricket stumps with a boat for bails) .  After the Flyer we walked. Very hot, very humid – but we walked – ‘mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun’. But it was good to get a feel of the place and see some of the things you rush by in a coach or a taxi. For example there is a cricket pitch in the middle of the city with it’s own pavilion. 

The Marina Bay 'cricket stumps with boat for bails'

When Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles laid out Singapore in the early 1800’s he designated different areas for different ethnic groups. Very non PC these days. But it has resulted in a variety of areas each with it’s own unique character and makes the city much more interesting.  This is a multi cultural, multi faith, multi lingual community. There are four government approved languages, English, Malay (the official national language), Madarin and Tamil. Although all road signs and street names are just in English. It is a very ordered city as the government are very ‘directive. For example chewing gum is forbidden (what a sensible law), there are clear directions to pedestrians where to cross, ( and where not to cross!), directions on how to use the escalators and even how to wash your hands in the public loos, ( directions which would make the nhs proud). It is also apparently illegal not to flush a public toilet, although no one has ever been fined for this, (Do they have ‘toilet police’?).

Little India

This attitude was reflected by our tour guide who was very strict and definite about what could be done and what was not allowed (don’t talk too loudly amongst yourselves so that others can hear what I have to say). I have also seen adverts in bus shelters extolling helping one another and being considerate in your behaviour. It all sounds a bit draconian, but it has resulted in a very harmonious environment, calm and ordered. The government has also clearly cared for the people. Slums have been knocked down and public housing built, subsidised for those who cannot afford the astronomical property prices. There are hospitals, schools and exercise and relaxation areas nearby every community. All in all they seem to be doing a good job.

Tomorrow we explore on our own and hope to get to the hawker markets to sample their food.

Today we moved from Hong Kong to Singapore.  We finally managed to find some free wifi – at the airport. Other places in Hong Kong seem to want to charge the earth! For our last night in Hong Kong we went to the Jade Garden, a restaurant we had seen recommended in a guide.  We couldn’t find it until we looked up and saw a big sign on the fourth floor window. But the locals obviously know where it is because it was full.  We opted for a set meal, which gave us opportunity to taste a variety of dishes and the food was excellent. Our waitress was very keen to look after us and make sure we knew what we were eating. It was just nice to absorb the atmosphere surrounded by the locals, seeing how they managed to eat some of the dishes with chop sticks, (basically they don’t mnd not looking very dignified!).  We concluded the evening sitting on the viewing area of the cultural centre right beside the harbour, looking out over the lights and people watching.

Hong Kong has been an interesting experience. Chinese, but with a definite British influence, and seemingly determined not to get sucked into China, but retain their distinctive ways. Both our drivers to and from the airport expressed their dissatisfaction about the way China was changing the city. It demonstrates more clearly than anywhere else I’ve seen the gulf between the rich and poor. Mega elaborate corporate buildings in glass and steel, towering to the sky, and in their shadow, narrow backstreets crowded with vendors of all things. It’s not a particularly friendly place (except for the people who want to make you a suit or sell you a fake watch or handbag) and they are at times quite rude. Most of them queue nicely in the British way, but others just push to the front.

The rich

Within 200 yards, the poor living like this

We’ve just arrived in Singapore and are about to explore and find our first meal. But the first impressions are; 1) It seems much calmer than Hong Kong, the traffic is less manic and not as busy (tomorrow may change that view of course – but we did come through in the middle of the afternoon). 2) It’s very pretty, the drive from the airport was along a dual carriageway lined with trees and colourful shrubs and flowers. 3) It might be an expensive place! I’ll let you know after dinner. 4) It’s very, very hot and very, very humid. Phew!!!!

Thanks for all the comments we’ve received. It’s good to hear so many of you are enjoying tales of our travels and some how reassuring to get these messages from home. Keep them coming.
4th October 2012

Finally we’ve got the hotel wifi sorted and I can send you the blog directly. Thanks again to John for his help in publishing from China. However you will notice a few odd things – yesterdays blog about a pyrotechnic experience should have been category Hong Kong, but I put China by mistake. When I tried to change it I got in a terrible mess and ended up with some of the text in a blue box – sorry.on the plus side I can now include some photos and will slip in some of  the highlights so far for you.

The Great Wall

Yours truly in the forbidden city

The Terracotta army

Today we were exploring Hong Kong independently. Because it’s the first Wednesday of the month it’s Great Bourton gardening club, so most of the day was spent in gardens. We took the MTR to Kowloon Garden first. We’re old hands at scooting around on the underground now. The gardens were a peaceful haven in a busy city. Beautiful flowers, ponds and sculptures. We then hopped on the MTR and went over to Hong Kong Central. This is the busy business district where the banks have their towering temples to the god mammon.  We wandered around and then took the escalators up to the middle level.  The streets are so steep that in the 90’s escalators were installed to carry people up to the higher levels where much of the living accommodation is. The escalators run down until 10 in the morning and then up for the rest of the day. As you travel up you see the tiny back streets full of markets and restaurants, a contrast from the imposing skyscrapers. At the top we explored the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical gardens.  Cages of monkeys, orangutangs, birds and tortoises. There were also some very pleasing gardens with fountains and a glasshouse with beautiful orchids. Our impression of Hong Kong is always of tall buildings absolutely jammed packed into every conceivable space, a commercial and high flying business place. It is a bit like that, but there are gardens and little squares with flowers and fountains which quite surprise you, as well as the ‘back’ streets which are humming with life in a very different way.

We made our way down, ( it’s easier walking downhill than uphill) and caught the star ferry back to Kowloon side. The short trip on the ferry must be the best deal in Hong Kong, only 25p and that’s for the more expensive upper deck. It’s one of those ‘must do’ experiences and great fun.

The Star Ferry

I leave you today with a couple of pictures highlighting the contrasts of the lively,  bustling city.

The high life

Temple Street Market

Tomorrow it’s up early to fly to Singapore.
3 October 2012