Day 1 – Singapore again!
Wow another 13.5 hour flight and we are back where we started a year ago!!
Landing in Singapore we are so much more relaxed than last year, and head for the metro.
We jump off at Aljunied.
We are staying in Galang in the red light district at Hotel 81 Palace.
Was going so well until I forgot the directions for the hotel.. and no WiFi to look it up!
Oops.
After asking at the 7-11 we get checked in, finally.
Pete is soooo patient.. not like him at all.
Room clean, has a window, drinking water, air con.. perfect!!
After a shower we convince ourselves we must head out.
We go to Bar Thirteen on Lor 13 near here. Its not a bar but we get a beer and fabulous food.
Garlicky egg plant for me and pork belly for Pete.
Sleep is elusive though once we get back. Bed is like sleeping on a solid rock.
Hotel goes from 8/10 to 5/10… oh no.
Day 2 – Sleepless in Singapore
We have a troubled night’s sleep, seriously wake up feeling like we’ve been punched and kicked all night, every bit aches.
We eventually make it out in time for lunch.
We plan on just jumping on and off the metro today as we are so tired.
We head to City Hall where we know a good Hawkers Mall and we order rice, noodles and veg and ponder the day.
We decide to walk along to the Singapore Flyer on the quayside, its dry for now.
It’s a long walk but ends up by Little India, where we haven’t been yet.
It takes us right along the waterside but all the buildings are closed off preparing for the night F1 races.
Which unfortunately we are going to miss!
In Little India we just browse the streets and smells.
We’ve heard of the Mustafa Center which apparently sells anything and everything you could want to buy.
Its stacked 20 high… with designer watches, sports wear and gold jewellery!
Not convinced Reebok and Nike know it’s here.
Its not our fav area.
We decide we want coffee and jump on a metro.
Dont know what happened, but we end up with a bucket of beer at our fav tourist spot in China Town.
It’s getting ready for Chinese New Year again..
China Town has lots of new street art.
We have cheap ice creams and head back to Aljunied.
Pete cant pass on a banana Prata (pancake) served with curry sauce on way home from a little curry house.
I buy papaya, dragon fruit and melon from a late night market.
We like this area.. even if we have to divert our eyes walking past the brothels across from our hotel! It’s legal here!
22k steps today… surely sleep will come!
Day 3 – Raffles Hotel
So Pete is kept awake by a screaming child all night.
I manage to sleep on the bed of stone for a few hours thanks to the beer bucket.
We emerge in our best gear – which in a 8kg pack is not glam – to go to Raffles about 1pm!!
We stop off at Toast – a big chain – for their Hainenese brunch.
Feeling sorry for ourselves we want comfort… the toast and coconut jam was delicious.
We forgot boiled eggs come out like gloop here.. you crack them into a tea plate.. they slide out luke warm and slimey… ewww.
So fortified with super sweet tea and coffee we make the Raffles queue.
Raffles is now very gentrified.
When I was there 18 years ago they served the Singapore Sling from a plastic jug!
It was a lovely experience, sat at the bar watching them make proper cocktails.. just £50 for two. (More than the price of our hotel)
We decide to head to Marina Bay Sands hotel and blow the budget on another cocktail in the rooftop bar.
But the heavens open so we make for CapitaLand Gardens on the roof bar.
It’s full and we can’t get in.
We end up at Sa Pau Sa Indoor / Outdoor food market which is around the corner.
We’d forgotten about this..it’s set in a colonial style single story vaulted pagoda.
There are some statues now too, reflecting the weather!
Surrounded by high rise glass buildings, it sits at the edge of the business district and serves food from every Asian region.
Pete has the crispy grilled duck and pork and chicken. I’ve a veg mix. £3 – £5. Budget saved.
We watch the water and lights show at 8pm at the quay before heading back to the hotel.
Please can we sleep now..
