Tuesday 17 April 2012  -Magnificent Madrid    

After 15hours sleep Paul and I were well rested and looking forward to exploring all that Madrid had to offer. I checked for the top 10 things to do and see and with our map in hand and good walking shoes we were out the door and ready to begin.

Our first stop was Teatro Real and after getting our bearings, which I am finding very difficult, as there are too many little lanes, we moved on through Plaza De Oriente and the Royal Palace.

This is a massive building as you can imagine that has all the regalia you would expect of a European Principality. 

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Across from the palace is the Cathedral De La Almudena, another very large building. It is sad to see so much money tied up in these when there appears to be a lot of poverty.  

One thing we have noticed is the great number of buskers in all of the squares. While wandering we often felt like we had our own soundtrack following us around. We could have been in an Audrey Hepburn movie.

From here we walked along the main street towards the Templo De Debod. This is an Ancient Egyptian Monument which has been discovered and preserved and is free to enter into. It was amazing to see all the intricate carvings in the sandstone. It was pretty special.

 

We walked back towards the Palace this time walking through the Jardines (gardens) de Sabatini. Which are intricately created with small hedges and water features. Everywhere we looked people were walking their dogs. It was making Paul and I home sick for Yogi.

By now we were hungry so we found a small bar to stop in and fill up on bacon and eggs. Reading a menu is not the easiest as most of the time it is in Spanish. We are learning to pick out a few key words.

We continued further down the main street to San Francisco el Grande, a building that contains the old city walls. There was also a great view over the area of greater Madrid that sprawls out across the land.

We have noticed the high level of graffiti sprayed across the city. No building, sculpture or wall appears safe and there appears to be no great urgency to remove the eyesore.

 

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We wound our way back through the lanes to Plaza De La Villa and onto Plaza Mayor. This is the largest of the squares. It reminded me a lot of the main square in Venice. There were lots of cafes and people sitting around.  It was very vibrant and interesting to take in. One section of the main building was painted with interesting frescos. I wondered how long they had been there.

We then made our way back through the tourist centre and shopping precinct of Puertra Del Sol, this seems to be where most of the buskers generally dressed in fancy dress hang out, before heading back to our hotel for a short rest.

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Holla Espana

Monday 16 April 2012  -Good Morning Frankfurt. Hello Madrid

Day 4 and 154 to go

So we have landed in Frankfurt. A pleasant 6 degrees awaited us at 5.30am. By Perth time it is 11.30am already. We kept the inflight blankets as our clothing was far better suited to the 30 degree days of Singapore. Frankfurt airport is much like any other, big and bustling with travelers heading all over the world. We wound our way through immigration and baggage check. I must have looked suspicious as I was whisked away to a private room for bag swabs, but was given the green light J Was a bit confronting having to go on my own as Paul collected our other things. We continued to wind our way through the airport terminal constantly searching for our gate. The Frankfurt airport is not as entertaining as the Singapore one, so we holed up at our boarding gate and watched the day awaken from our window looking over the airport.

Was an hour or so later that I checked that our boarding gate was still the same only to be told no it had been swapped to another gate 20min away. OK on the hike again.  Lucky we still had 2 hours.

The other part of the terminal was somewhat more bustling and interesting as we could see many planes come and go. We found a free hot chocolate machine too, so we made use of this on numerous occasions. YUM

 

We watched our plane arrive, people disembark, the food, bags and fuel loaded and 1 criminal enter the back of the plane between plain clothed police officers. Ummmmm

We were finally called to board our 737 and we made ourselves comfortable. It was a while before we had lift-off as some passengers from Istanbul did not make it on board. Grrrr! No sooner were we in the air than I needed the loo, too much hot chocolate coming back to bite me L

Breakfast was served. They love their potato on Lufthansa. I was so hungry that anything would have been welcome. 

The views of France were colourful. It was a patchwork of fields for much of it until we flew over the Pyrenees Mountains, much of it still covered in snow. It was so spectacular. With the mountains behind us we were finally over Spanish land. It looked extremely dry. Much of the land was divided into orange squares. I was surprised at how rugged the land appeared.

Two hours after leaving Frankfurt airport we landed in Madrid. The usual routine behind us, we were in a cab and heading to our hotel once the driver worked out where it was. It was obviously a little obscure, as he had no idea. However with his GPS set we were dropped at the hotel door, well almost we had to walk all the way round the building to find the entrance, but once we did we were pleasantly surprised.

The hotel was a small but funky boutique style hotel. The front staff were super friendly and helpful. We found our room and settled in, before heading out into the streets.

 

Like many European Cities Madrid has many cobbled streets and old style buildings. Just beautiful and so enjoyable to wander around aimlessly. We found somewhere to eat and then decided it was time to head back to our room as we were beginning to fade fast. By 5pm we were out like a light.

 

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!

 

Universal Studio

Saturday 14 April 2012  -A day on Sentosa Island

Day 2 and 156 to go

With a relaxing evening and decent sleep behind us we were up and in search of breakfast by 830am. We wandered through the Bugis Street markets before heading into a food market for a traditional breakfast of coconut rice with egg and chicken. On our return to our hotel we finalised our things and caught the MRT to Harbour Front before a walk to the cable car and we were hoisted into the air and over the harbour and cruise liners. 

 

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Sentosa beckoned and she didn’t disappoint. She has changed considerably in the ten years since our first visit in which we went to see the Merlion and laser light show. Now Universal studios and Hard Rock have a strong hold, all part of the Resorts World.  There is a large maritime museum and aquarium, which will soon be joined by the largest oceanarium in the world.

Universal Studios was our destination of choice for today. 

The crowds were immense the weather stifling but it wasn’t going to stop us. I had bought our tickets online before we left and made the choice to fork out for the express version. This was the best choice I could have made knowing Paul’s patience level is about nil. 
Basically it meant we skipped the cue and headed straight on to the attractions. Our first stop was the duelling roller coasters of Battlestar Gallactica. OMG. The acceleration, corkscrews, drops and tilts. It was nuts! Any ride like that and my eyes are shut the whole way round. Paul on the other hand is in his element as he is a speed freak.  The coasters remind him of riding a fast bike at the top end of the speedo.  We did the two coasters back to back. The second one in which your seat is connected at the top so your legs hang down was by far the more exhilarating and I managed to keep one eye half open for some of it. Paul still wasn’t impressed. I on the other hand thought it was a huge achievement.

 

Our next stop was The Mummy. This was an indoor roller coaster with some interaction connected to the movie of the same name.  Most of the ride was in the dark except when characters popped up along the way.  I didn’t need to have my eyes shut for this one! 

 

Leaving the world of Cairo we found ourselves in Jurassic Park where we rode two rides, both were tamer than what we had come from and more suited to families. The first was an overhead loop that was not quite a roller coaster and not quiet a cable car ride and the second was a rapids water coaster that was lots of fun. You end up soaked as you splashdown a large incline at the end. 

Exiting Jurassic Park we bypassed Waterworld and headed for the kingdom of Far Far Away. We jumped the cue again and went to check out the Shrek 4d Show. With gorgeous green 3d glasses in hand we entered the theatre and were seated in special seats. The next 15 min was spent being thrown around in our seats as we rode a horse, a dragon and dropped over a waterfall with Shrek and the gang. Every now and then we were sprayed with water and air and even furry things across the back of the legs as spiders were dropped by Lord Farqhuar. Ahhhh! It was a great laugh. Shrek world also had a roller coaster for us to try out. This one was an eyes open all the way round type.

From Shrek castle to Madagascar and a cruisey boat ride into a large ship to keep an eye on the NY zoo escapees, penguins and Lemurs. A little bit of fun.

After this ride we were forced to dodge the rain that had finally settled in, but it wasn’t going to stop us enjoying our last hour.

We watched a sound stage presentation, called “Lights. Camera. Action”. It showed how a movie set is set up to capture, in this case, a category 5 hurricane ripping through a New York boat yard.  This was really cool.

Our last ride was the Transformers 3d which was awesome. A cross between a roller coaster and a simulator we were part of the movie fighting for our life against the other bots. Woo Hoo. 

 

So with all the rides under our belt is was time to head back on the cable car, MRT and back home for a spa to soothe the aching feet. Ahhhhh!

FRIDAY 13 April 2012

1 day down 157 days to go.

Well it is hard to believe that the day Paul and I have been planning for over the past 4 years has finally arrived. We have spent much time in the past month catching up with so many of our friends and family knowing that it would be 6 months before we would see them again. 

We spent our final night in Perth with our great friends Damon, Katie and their two kids. Damon had offered to take us to the airport which was greatly appreciated, though I think he may have had second thoughts when he found out we would need to be out of bed at 4.45am JOY!  Who books flights at such ridiculous hours? Having been on holidays since mid December I have been lucky to see the day before 8am. 

So after a night of “Singstar” with Pip, and by the way I am a SINGSTAR. (I can hear “The Voice” calling.) Drinks, a BBQ and lots of catch up for the boys (Read MANY drinks and cigars) we called it a night waiting the hours out.

At 5.15am we woke the Atthowe household to say our goodbyes and for Paul to give Aiden the goodbye slobbery kiss he’d promised him.  Cue the screaming and cowering for the hairy 13 year old. No sign of Pip, so we will say goodbye to her now. Sleeping beauty would sleep through a cyclone.

At 5.30am the city was alive with early morning commuters. Things were beginning to awaken and another day was beginning to unfold. Damon dropped us safely at the airport, thanks again, and in we lugged our bags and headed for check-in. The red tape rigmarole that is international flying, was extremely smooth, despite 5 other flights leaving in quick succession.  

We tried for an upgrade with no avail. We could have it if we wanted to pay for it we were told. Thanks Singapore air!

Paul set the metal detectors off when going through x-ray, as expected with an artificial hip. I wonder how many other times it will happen?  Then on to border protection and passport control and my first gripe. NO passport stamps. How do they expect me to keep track of the holidays I go on and to look back on the stamps collected bringing back memories of the exotic places I have ventured to if they don’t stamp my passport? It really does make my 32 page passport redundant. I can see passports being like drivers licences in the future.

By now there was 1 hour to fill in with duty free shopping, and checking Facebook and email, though not on the mac as the wireless within the airport is crap. At least they have some free booths to use.

The view of the plane and the city from the departure lounge, was distorted by the low, thick cloud cover, but by the time we were called to board it was already dissipating. The clouds however did delay our flight not reaching the skies until 8am. 

 

The take off was uneventful, but the view was the best I have had on any flight. Clear views of the City, Swan River, Subiaco Oval, Herdsman Lake and UWA. We then headed north along the coast from Cottesloe to beyond Moore River.  It was spectacular. 

 

We settled into the flight and chose our entertainment, George Clooney looked good to meJ so I checked out “The Descendants”.

Breakfast arrived at 9.15am Omelette for me and chicken noodles for Paul. We are the strange people that actually look forward to airline food and ate all with gusto YUM!  And on it went for the following 5 hours. Finally touching down on the tarmac again at 1pm.

It was a swift escape through Changi airport and into a taxi on our way to the Albert Court Hotel in the little India Quarter. After the check-in we settled into our room before venturing out to explore the nearby block of shops.

We stopped first for lunch in a food court which I found amusing when I read one of the food stalls “Pig Organ Soup” it read, can give that a miss was my reaction and settled on a mundane fried noodle dish. 

 

Fuelled up we wandered through the tech shopping quarter. You could buy basically anything you wanted in cameras, mobiles and tablets. 

Feeling weary, we made our way to a 711 to stock up on mixers & beer, passing the new arts school. This looked like a great place to hang out.  We then enjoyed some rest time in the room before hitting the streets again.

We took the MRT to Clarke Quay where we had wandered 10 years earlier. It has changed dramatically in that time. We walked around to Marina Bay for great views of the Marina Bay hotel, the Lotus Flower Museum, Singapore Flyer and Merlion. The whole area was vibrant and alive with Friday afternoon drinkers. I think Perth could learn a lot about waterfront development from Singapore. 

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We continued our walk to Boat Quay where we ate a seafood dinner by the river and watched the laser light show from the Marina Bay Hotel. 

Our night finished with a final lap of Clarke Quay and a return journey on the MRT.

Singapore is still a super sanitised city that lacks the earthiness of its Asian neighbours. The streets are spotless and you can still be fined for just about everything but it has developed a fun side that it was calling out for and I thoroughly enjoyed every second.