Last day in Singapore

Sunday 15 April 2012  -A day of aimlessly wandering

Day 3 and 155 to go

Our last day here in Singapore with no real plans for how we were to spend the day so we had a lazy start to the day. I was finally able to get on the net via the hotel wireless Yeah. Was good to touch base with home.

We were on our way by 10am and back on the MRT which I love, as it is cheap and so easy to get around the city. Another desperately needed transport option for Perth. 

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Our destination was China town in search of Dim Sum for breakfast. After a short stroll we found ourselves amongst the red lanterns and were soon to locate a bustling Chinese restaurant in which to satiate our hunger. We weren’t disappointed either.

Following brecky we continued our wandering and while we weren’t intending on walking for ages that is what happened. This time we were back at Boat Quay but wandering the otherside of the bank for a different view of the city skyline. It was a little less hectic than Friday afternoon which was welcomed.

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We walked around the water front and under the Singapore Flyer. From here we could see the Botanical garden they have under two glass domes.

At this point we were also walking along the pits of the Singapore F1 track. We could see the Pit garages of the Aussie boys which was cool.

From this point our walk became an aimless one as we had no map with us and only large building as our markers for heading back to the hotel. We had to cross a main highway after deciding on our general direction. Once we hit a footpath again we began crossing major streets of which the names I recognised but where they were in relation to our hotel was still a mystery.

After about an hour we hit Bugis street and it all started to come back to us. We wound our way through the market which was jam packed with shoppers before heading into Sim Lim Square for a new camera battery and home to the hotel for a well earned drink and rest.

Two hours disappeared quickly and it was time for us to pack up our worldly possessions and check out. We stored our bags with the front desk and then ventured out for the final time. We wandered in a different direction yet again and this time ended up in Shoppers paradise on Orchard Road. Though all we were interested in was getting a feed and chewing up time of which we did both. Paul managed to find the 1 beer he was looking for. An ABC extra stout that he gave 4 out of 5 stars and it went down well with the samples of cheese and caramel popcorn we were given. 

 

Most of the time was spent up the Dubliner Irish Pub – the home pub for Leeds United Fans. Paul enjoyed his Erdinger WeiBbeir before we made the winding journey back to the hotel to collect our bags and take a taxi to Changi airport.

 

We changed our clothes in the hope of an upgrade of Lufthansa, Paul also played the operation card but the plane was overbooked and they were looking for volunteers to jump ship. Not us. After some mucking around with our bags (we had to take 5kg from 1 and put it in the other so they both weighed 25kg) we received our boarding passes and were on our way.

We had plenty of time to pass wandering the terminal and checking out the many gardens, internet stops and entertainment zones before grabbing a quick snack and walking to our gate to wait for the 11pm departure. We were both so stuffed and hoped all the walking we did to day will pay off with us being able to sleep on the plane. 

We boarded our 747 first heading to the very back row. We thought this might be a bonus but it wasn’t to be. While I was able to sleep for almost 8 hours cramped up in my spot trying to ward off frostbite on my cold feet with three blankets, Paul had little luck.

While there was some standing room directly behind our seat of which Paul took advantage and says this was the place he got the most sleep, it was also the closest point to the four toilets. So whatever sleep he might have been able to glean was prevented by the constant banging of passengers heading to the loo and was further exacerbated by the flush and the god-awful smell that was emanating over us. Urgh!

Paul’s misery was further complied by the airlines lack of bourbon, (Read NONE. Whisky was his closest choice), Dry ginger (Again none. Lemonade would have to suffice) and the crappy choice of beers (Warsteiner) for which a rating of minimum stars would be too many.

So while I slept Paul suffered through the poor choice of drinks, the crappy dinner (tough meat stew) and the constant turbulence made even more noticeable by being shoved up the tail of the beast.  What a night!