After a relatively short flight to Sydney, a mad dash through Kingston Smith airport, (honestly, they don't give you much time to make your transfers) and a longish flight from Sydney, we finally arrived in Singapore.
This place is lovely. A vibrant, modern, spotlessly clean city, about 100km north of the equator. This city is very tropical, humidity here averages above 90%. It's dead easy to get around with its cheap, efficient transport systems. Colonial style buildings mix with ultra-modern skyscrapers. Appearances are very western here but if you dig a little deeper small pockets of Asian culture can be seen. Traditional Indian and Chinese areas with temples and markets are easy to find.
On our first morning we took a stroll down by the river for impressive views of the buisness district and the Merlion. The Merlion is a statue and fountain. With the head of a lion and the body of a fish it is said to protect the river from evil. A stroll around Little India followed, with its colourful market and beautiful temples. It is lovely to see but hell....It was hot!!!!
After a quick wash and change we headed to the hotel next door to ours for a drink. The most famous hotel in the world was on our doorstep and as touristy as it sounds we could not resist a Singapore Sling at Raffles.
Named after Thomas Stamford Raffles, the man who in 1819 landed in Singapore, realised its' potential as a seaport and secured the island as a free trade port for the British. The Raffles Hotel is the very epitome of colonial style and top quality service. Although renovated and the Long Bar re-positioned in order to accommodate the hoardes of visitors who flock here each year. The Raffles Hotel still has style. The Long Bar is a dark wooden room with polished bar and great service. There are nutshells all over the floor which seems to be a tradition here. I tried to keep all mine on the table as I thought it a shame to make a mess but dropping them on the floor here seems to be perfectly acceptable. It's a strange place is Singapore.
Here are a couple of views of Singapore buisness district, the Merlion, one of Little India's ornate temples, the front of the Raffles Hotel and me having a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar.
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The views expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of my family, friends, employer, this site, my neighbours, hairdresser, dentist, GP, next door's dog or anyone else who knows me..