Singapore - 2-4 May

Ok ok where shall I start?! I'm a little of blogging practice!!!

Singapore was a lovely sojourn - it's changed a lot since my last visit 10 years ago - a lot more glitz and glamour, and also I wish I had 2 stomachs to appreciate it more!!!

For me the top 3 highlights were:
* Food - I ate at Banana Leaf in little India, Noodle soup from a hawker centre in front of Funan digital plaza, experienced the sweet kaya toast for breakfast, and had the best dim sum I've ever had at yum cha across from my hostel in temple at China town. All food was so delicious and at really good prices!
* Marina Bay Sands - The 3 towered hotel with the boat looking thing on top is like Christ the Redeemer is to Rio! It can be seen from all over town and found myself taking a ridiculous amount of photos of it as I experienced it from all angles!!! The shopping centre underneath was pretty neat too with a mini Venice and ice skating rink. I enjoyed Ku De Ta on top but at $24 SGD / AUD for a cocktail I didn't stay too long!
* Gardens by the Bay - The sound and light show was awesome!!! I really felt like I was in a dream world! Very cool and very beautiful. Even during the day it was also lovely but missed doing the domes as best on sunny days and it was overcast and drizzly during my visit.

Things I learned:

* Regardless of which subway exit I took it was always the wrong one!!!
* Don't think 'I'll just walk it so I can see more' - I didn't see or experience much more than I would have taking the subway, lost time and have extremely sore feet!!!
* Don't forget your tissues - it was quite often toilets had no paper and that they didn't provide serviettes with meals.
* Singapore can be dangerous!!! I nearly did myself a severe escalator injury as I headed up the wrong side too agape at the shops on Orchard Rd to realise ... I mean what country drives on the left then puts the up escalators on the right?! And then the next shopping centre was correct?!
* Reflexology can be heaven but massages can be hell! The lady in Lucky Plaza had me almost drooling the foot massage was so good!!! She then preceded to give me a back massage that was the most painful I have ever experienced and my screams of pain did not slow her down!!!
* That traveling alone is like Vispasana meditation!!! Sometimes I get so tired of talking so it's actually nice to have the quiet time! But incidentally I met so many people I had brief chats with along the way! Mick from Possum Creek who I shared the plane ride with, the Hong Kong / Singapore couple at Ku De Ta and my Indian photographer, the Indian man at the hostel who was visiting his daughter, Ella my Indonesian roomy, Agnes from Singapore who photo bombed my panorama! Fast talking Lisa from New York. A couple from Yamba I met while waiting for my transfer to the zoo - another Australian having brekky with the orangutans. And probably others I've forgotten!
I don't always get chatting to this many people when I travel but found this stop with a little small talk it was quite easy!