Awoke at a reasonable time; 8ish. Realised we had a very nice room with lovely shower etc. Had a shower and went down for a massive breakfast before leaving to walk round to the Rapid Transit System - Metro. The transport system proved to be ultra clean very fast and efficient. Trains are frequent and driverless, were never packed to uncomfortable levels and getting tickets was very simple. The staff when called soon for information were always polite and helpful. The journey in from the hotel was only about 30 mins with 1 short change.
We stopped first at Bugis which had massive shopping Malls, not in quite the same fashion as Dubai but there were so many we could have walked round shops for days. We also found a medium sized old fashioned market which was also interesting and with a good atmosphere about it.
The other noticeable difference from Aussie and Dubai was the Humidity. The temperature was quite pleasant at around 30 degrees but the extra moisture in the air takes a little getting used to. It was always a pleasure to dive into a shop or Mall for some air con.
It is also very noticeable that virtually every other shop or building was an eatery or food court. There were so many, (even more than Aussie), that I wonder how they all survive.
Moving on from the shopping, our #2 target was Raffles Hotel, a wonderful piece of Colonialism squashed in a modern high rise city. My target was the Bakery for a coffee and a view of the famous Long Bar where the "Singapore Sling" was invented. We chose not to have one here as it was premium loaded in price but to sample one later.
From the Old Posh, onwards to the New Posh; the Sky Sands Tower Hotel. A luxury massive hotel consisting of 3 57 story tower blocks with a Skydeck plonked on top spanning all 3 buildings. On the top deck there is a number of restaurants and a massive "infinity pool".
You normally have to pay just to go up to the 56th floor observation deck, but I discovered that if you ask to go to the bar on deck 57 you get better views for free. The views were amazing looking 360 degrees around the city. I have never seen so many merchant ships anchored off shore, probably over 200. The fantastic gardens with the metal trees, the soccer pitch in the lake, the Formula 1 road circuit and the incredibly conflicting architecture. All this needed a Singapore Chicken Curry with Roti and that Singapore Sling - that went down so well in the Sky57 bar.
Time was moving on so the next activity was to go from the Posh to the Cultural where the real Singaporeans eat. This was another Metro trip to Dakota Station and the Old Airport Road Food Market. An amazing and eclectic mix of Hawker Food stalls, probably over 100 of them, each no bigger than about 3m x 2m cooking and selling Asian food to eat there on communal tables or take away. This is "Street Food". We were there for about 2 hours absorbing the vibes and atmosphere with hundreds of locals out having dinner or taking it home. We were the only western people there and we were treated with certesy and politeness. Many of the proprietors could not speak much English so it was fun trying to converse, but they all smiled and helped. We had lots to eat in various forms and it was super filling. Fish Ball noodles, Mushroom Mince and Noodles, Satay Chicken and spicy salad plus some amazing drinks, especially the crushed Suger Cane juice made in front of us. More food & drink than the 3 of us could want, very tasty, and all for under £30.
Now hardly able to move it was time to rush back into town to the Marina Bay Gardens where the massive metal trees have been built. It was now getting dark and our last mission was to visit this spectacle and watch the light and music show. We were not disappointed.
Legs, brains and body generally was now exhausted. Time to head back to the hotel. Needless to say that when we got back to our station we found another massive shopping mall in amongst the Business Offices so had a final look round. Then as we went out through the doors to our hotel courtyard we walked into a buzzing beer & restaurant precinct with several live music acts and big TV screens with footy on. Jan decided to surrender at that point and go to bed but Azzy and I pushed the boat out and had a lovely cold Guiness and chilled with live music and footy. Singapore never ends and we have not really seen it yet. Worth going back here without a doubt.