What a great nights sleep in a massive King size bed! We definitely needed it! The alarm went off at 6am today, so a bit of a sleep in! We headed down to Continental Breakfast in the dining room which consisted of fruit/yogurt and a slice of toast for me, cereal, yogurt and toast for Michael, washed down with coffee and tea! We woke today to rain, which for this time of year is rare we were told. Hoping it would not last too long as we had a tour to do this morning. We packed our bags ready for checkout and off to the lobby to be collected by our tour guide for this mornings City Tour. We did duck into the gift shop in the lobby and buy an umbrella as the rain didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.
Off in the bus to the Singapore Flyer which would appear to be the main pick up point for all tours around Singapore. It was bucketing rain as we waited for all people to arrive but it did ease up as the morning went on.
Our tour guide Patrick was a wealth of knowledge as well as ensuring the whole morning ran on a tight schedule! The first stop was at Singapore Harbour where the Merloin statue is located. The mythical creature Merloin has the head of a Lion (being the symbol of strength and Singapore is known as the Lion city), and the body of a Fish - the area was originally settled as a fishing village. The amount of people at the site was ridiculous, so many trying to capture in any way they could, and yes, we joined them to do the same!
From here we headed to Chinatown where our next stop was at Thian Hock Kemp Temple, the oldest Chinese Temple in the area. Amazing!! It started in 1821 as a wooden joss house but it was immensely important to the early Chinese community, thus began a huge fund-raising project to rebuild in in the 1830's. The local Chinese community gave generously to build this temple. Premium wood and granite were imported from China for its construction. Some of the best craftsmen from Southern China were also recruited to work on the temple. A beautiful temple with intricate carvings was the result. Photos were allowed in all areas except for the sacred alter at the heart of the temple, and there was a security guard there to ensure you didn't! I did use the bathroom whilst there and I've got to say, all public bathrooms in Singapore are spotlessly clean, unlike what you may find in Australia!!!
We spent 20 minutes here and then drove further though Chinatown were they had colored lanterns by the hundreds strung overhead. The lanterns are an important part of the Mid-Autumn Festival and are hung out for people to appreciate during the festive celebration.
Next stop was the Singapore Gems and Metal Co. where the workers individually polish each gem to create the unique shape and shine. The work room was hot and humid and the overhead fans did little to give any relief! We headed upstairs to the large showroom filled with pictures, jewellery, statues, ornate castles all of which had been created with individual gems. Some of the price tags were in the $100,000's and rightly so!
The National Orchid Garden is well worth a visit and this was our next stop. The gardens were absolutely beautiful even if it had started to drizzle again by the time we arrived here, which meant we were given a bit of extra time to explore! There are over 1000 species and 2,000 hybrids now found in the Gardens' collection, with about 600 species and hybrids on display. Every year, more vibrant and enduring hybrids are added and now the garden offers a permanent showcase of the largest display of tropical orchids in the world. A wonderful opportunity for lots of photos here.
The last stop on our tour was Little India. As its name suggests, Little India is Singapore foremost Indian enclave. Its charm lies in the fact that many of olden-day trades can still be found by its roadsides, alleys and back lanes. Fortune-tellers and their parrots, flower vendors selling garlands of jasmine, kachang puteh (roasted nuts) sellers on pushcarts and street-side newspaper vendors were just some of the amazing sites we found. In Hindu tradition the floral garlands are used in the worship of Hindu gods, during rituals and marriage ceremonies. A garland should never touch the floor; flowers which have fallen to the ground may not be used and the garland should always be at or above hip level while it is being made. Wearing a garlands is like wearing nature’s natural scent, though it did mean bees being close by at the same time!
After this venture, we left our tour group and jumped onto another coach to return back to the Singapore Flyer where we wanted to finish at. We found a Subway restaurant and had a reasonably healthy lunch as we had the chance to catch our breath and re-fuel our bodies! We caught a cab to the famous Orchid Road where our plan was to do our daily walk! If you want to shop till you drop, then this is the place to be. Lots of designer shops with very impressive window displays, though we didn't buy anything other than a new and larger battery for my camera. The one thing that jumps out at you is how clean everything is - everything is immaculate. We found a number landmarks, shops and products that had specific significance to us and managed to take photos for those back home who will appreciate them!
Our walk finished at Raffles Hotel where we did as you do - we had a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar! (Well, Michael had most of it and I had a 7up!). The other tradition in this bar is to to shell the peanuts from the big box on your table, and throw the rubbish on the floor! It is the only place in Singapore that you can legally throw rubbish on the ground without getting into trouble.
We were meant to have High Tea but these plans fell apart! We were lined up at Raffles Hotel for High Tea, however, I had actually booked us in at Stamford - Equinox Restaurant for High Tea. So we missed it! We were both OK with this and figured it gave us a bit of time to wander around and decide on how we were going to kill the next 7 hours before heading to the airport! While we were there I did wander into Tiffany @ Co. just to see what all the fuss is about.
We decided to head out to Marina Bay Sands, and jumped on board a 'bicycle' Rick Shaw for this journey. This was the most hilarious sight you have ever seen. A little old Asian man riding the bike carrying the both of us - I tell you, he earn't every cent of the $16 we paid him. It was hair raising to say the least as he took us amongst the main traffic with little regard that the lights may be changing or oncoming 'main' traffic which was much larger than us! Michael made the comment at one stage that our Travel Insurance would probably be null and void during this experience.
We did walk the last bit of the journey into Marina Bay Sands Shopping Complex which quite an amazing shopping precinct. An ice-rink, high end shops and of course a Sampan ride through the middle of the complex to top it all off! The quality of the shops and fit outs is extraordinary, far beyond anything we have ever seen before.
Next, was a ride up to the Sky Garden on the 56th floor to check out the amazing view! The standard photo is taken of you just before you get into the elevator and by the time you reach the 56th floor, it is printed and in a presentation folder ready for you to purchase should you desire! We went to the bar on the next floor up and had a Lemon Lime and Bitters overlooking the view of Singapore, quite stunning!
We had dinner at Krazy Burger back down in the food court of the main complex. Full bellies and thirst quenched, we headed back in a taxi to the hotel where we had stored our baggage. We had quite a few hours to kill, so journal writing for me and suitcase watching for Michael. We were able to get hold of our transfer driver to collect us a little earlier, so the rest of the wait ended up being at the airport which was much more comfortable than the lobby of a hotel. We were able to access Wi-fi and quickly check for messages which was great as I had a message from Glen with a possible employment opportunity, my fingers are crossed.
Our flight boarded at about 12.35am and we took off at about 1.10am. Each time we have got on the plane, we have adjusted our watches to the time of where we are heading to, so we just gained the last 6 hours all over again! Our aim on this flight was to sleep as much as possible.
From here we headed to Chinatown where our next stop was at Thian Hock Kemp Temple, the oldest Chinese Temple in the area. Amazing!! It started in 1821 as a wooden joss house but it was immensely important to the early Chinese community, thus began a huge fund-raising project to rebuild in in the 1830's. The local Chinese community gave generously to build this temple. Premium wood and granite were imported from China for its construction. Some of the best craftsmen from Southern China were also recruited to work on the temple. A beautiful temple with intricate carvings was the result. Photos were allowed in all areas except for the sacred alter at the heart of the temple, and there was a security guard there to ensure you didn't! I did use the bathroom whilst there and I've got to say, all public bathrooms in Singapore are spotlessly clean, unlike what you may find in Australia!!!
We spent 20 minutes here and then drove further though Chinatown were they had colored lanterns by the hundreds strung overhead. The lanterns are an important part of the Mid-Autumn Festival and are hung out for people to appreciate during the festive celebration.
Next stop was the Singapore Gems and Metal Co. where the workers individually polish each gem to create the unique shape and shine. The work room was hot and humid and the overhead fans did little to give any relief! We headed upstairs to the large showroom filled with pictures, jewellery, statues, ornate castles all of which had been created with individual gems. Some of the price tags were in the $100,000's and rightly so!
The National Orchid Garden is well worth a visit and this was our next stop. The gardens were absolutely beautiful even if it had started to drizzle again by the time we arrived here, which meant we were given a bit of extra time to explore! There are over 1000 species and 2,000 hybrids now found in the Gardens' collection, with about 600 species and hybrids on display. Every year, more vibrant and enduring hybrids are added and now the garden offers a permanent showcase of the largest display of tropical orchids in the world. A wonderful opportunity for lots of photos here.
The last stop on our tour was Little India. As its name suggests, Little India is Singapore foremost Indian enclave. Its charm lies in the fact that many of olden-day trades can still be found by its roadsides, alleys and back lanes. Fortune-tellers and their parrots, flower vendors selling garlands of jasmine, kachang puteh (roasted nuts) sellers on pushcarts and street-side newspaper vendors were just some of the amazing sites we found. In Hindu tradition the floral garlands are used in the worship of Hindu gods, during rituals and marriage ceremonies. A garland should never touch the floor; flowers which have fallen to the ground may not be used and the garland should always be at or above hip level while it is being made. Wearing a garlands is like wearing nature’s natural scent, though it did mean bees being close by at the same time!
After this venture, we left our tour group and jumped onto another coach to return back to the Singapore Flyer where we wanted to finish at. We found a Subway restaurant and had a reasonably healthy lunch as we had the chance to catch our breath and re-fuel our bodies! We caught a cab to the famous Orchid Road where our plan was to do our daily walk! If you want to shop till you drop, then this is the place to be. Lots of designer shops with very impressive window displays, though we didn't buy anything other than a new and larger battery for my camera. The one thing that jumps out at you is how clean everything is - everything is immaculate. We found a number landmarks, shops and products that had specific significance to us and managed to take photos for those back home who will appreciate them!
Our walk finished at Raffles Hotel where we did as you do - we had a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar! (Well, Michael had most of it and I had a 7up!). The other tradition in this bar is to to shell the peanuts from the big box on your table, and throw the rubbish on the floor! It is the only place in Singapore that you can legally throw rubbish on the ground without getting into trouble.
We were meant to have High Tea but these plans fell apart! We were lined up at Raffles Hotel for High Tea, however, I had actually booked us in at Stamford - Equinox Restaurant for High Tea. So we missed it! We were both OK with this and figured it gave us a bit of time to wander around and decide on how we were going to kill the next 7 hours before heading to the airport! While we were there I did wander into Tiffany @ Co. just to see what all the fuss is about.
We decided to head out to Marina Bay Sands, and jumped on board a 'bicycle' Rick Shaw for this journey. This was the most hilarious sight you have ever seen. A little old Asian man riding the bike carrying the both of us - I tell you, he earn't every cent of the $16 we paid him. It was hair raising to say the least as he took us amongst the main traffic with little regard that the lights may be changing or oncoming 'main' traffic which was much larger than us! Michael made the comment at one stage that our Travel Insurance would probably be null and void during this experience.
We did walk the last bit of the journey into Marina Bay Sands Shopping Complex which quite an amazing shopping precinct. An ice-rink, high end shops and of course a Sampan ride through the middle of the complex to top it all off! The quality of the shops and fit outs is extraordinary, far beyond anything we have ever seen before.
Next, was a ride up to the Sky Garden on the 56th floor to check out the amazing view! The standard photo is taken of you just before you get into the elevator and by the time you reach the 56th floor, it is printed and in a presentation folder ready for you to purchase should you desire! We went to the bar on the next floor up and had a Lemon Lime and Bitters overlooking the view of Singapore, quite stunning!
We had dinner at Krazy Burger back down in the food court of the main complex. Full bellies and thirst quenched, we headed back in a taxi to the hotel where we had stored our baggage. We had quite a few hours to kill, so journal writing for me and suitcase watching for Michael. We were able to get hold of our transfer driver to collect us a little earlier, so the rest of the wait ended up being at the airport which was much more comfortable than the lobby of a hotel. We were able to access Wi-fi and quickly check for messages which was great as I had a message from Glen with a possible employment opportunity, my fingers are crossed.
Our flight boarded at about 12.35am and we took off at about 1.10am. Each time we have got on the plane, we have adjusted our watches to the time of where we are heading to, so we just gained the last 6 hours all over again! Our aim on this flight was to sleep as much as possible.
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