A few days in Singapore

Sad as I was to leave Fiji, i think I maybe left just in time. My last day there was wet beyond belief but as I was just getting back to the mainland it didnt really matter. So I headed off to Singapore. I went with ideas of english women drinking tea and men smoking pipes - too much Tenko for me! Actually though whilst some of the colonial buildings thankfully still exist, its very much an asian country with many people all of whom have no idea about space! I was far too british, queuing, waiting, taking time - NO - there is no time, you have to push and rush even if at times its not necessary. I gained a few bruises , one very memorable one from an old lady who I kept literally running into on Sentosa Island. I stood paying for a ticket to do some weird and wonderful viewing on the island (its a very odd place) and as soon as I had my ticket just in my hand she elbowed me out of the way! brilliant! I may have sworn, i know I should respect my elders but what a .....! anyway it was actually funny. I hadnt realised how slow my pace of life had been since Africa and it was actually refreshing to see a bit of hustle and bustle - and to be honest, Singapore is probably one of the least hustly bustly places in Asia! (I know this as I recall from previous travels AND my first minutes in Vietnam! but thats another blog!)
I stayed in Singapore for 5 days which was more than enough but was necessary as I had to get my visa for Vietnam. This entailed visting this dodgy little room in a media building that had no indication at all that it was anything but some sort of export company but it was the right place. i dutifully or stupidly left my passport with the very old man behind the desk, who looked anything between 50 and 200 years old, got a receipt that basically could have been for anything, paid my dollars and was told to come back 1.30pm four days time! oh well. you have to trust people sometimes. Thankfully four days later, it was with a visa that looks like it could have been cut out of a comic.
during the four days of waiting I think I walked every road in Singapore and its outskirts. This was much to the horror of local people who, if i asked for the odd direction, would always say - to walk, no no no its very very far - and ignoring their advice, I would find it was five minutes down the road! I used the MRT (subway) a few times, just for fun, but found walking down the steps was further than the actual walk to the next stop!
I think the nicest moments I had there, and all were interesting, but the nicest was one morning I headed out to a Monastery/temple about 40 minutes outside of Singapore centre. I was the only western visitor and it was quite stunning. Built 100 years ago, there were forests around it, now just high rise housing complexes. I was invited to join the retreat that was happening but thought probably best not, i had a minor fear I may be required to shave my head and wear orange which isnt my best colour :)
it was a very peaceful place though and it was nice to sit and chat with the monks about their work, the burial ceremonies that were taking place and a bit of life generally.
I then headed back to the masses, having a drink and bite to eat on the MRT as I went, only to realise there was a massive fine for eating or drinking on it and no wonder people were looking at me! I thought it was my natural beauty (or possibly red sweaty face and lanky hair) that was making them look!
The other moment was sitting in RAffles. It was like going back in time. Ive been to colonial hotels before, particularly in Sri Lanka so am used to the way the staff act etc but what a stunning place. I sat with my singapore sling listening to a woman singing a bit of Ella Fitzgerald and it was lovely. my only moment of sadness, i was there alone with no one to dance with but to be honest, once I had that romantic notion it soon went, who am I kidding , I cant dance anyway!
other than that not much to say about Singapore. Sentosa Island is a man made and still being made holiday island where you can get a cable car across to, go on stupid rides that arent fun, go to a man made beach that is looking over 100's of ships in the dirty harbour ocean. ALthough I did go and see the dolphin show. COmpletely against all i believe in with regards to animals in captivity, and I kept willing the dolphins to just jump over the boundary and swim out to see, but then thinking about it they were probably safer there. The show itself was nothing spectacular, and couldnt even compare in one second to my experiences in Mozambique and Kaikoura when the dolphins swam with us by choice, jumped out of the water and spun about by choice, but they are dolphins and they are still beautiful. So when the opportunity came to stroke one of them, I couldnt refuse. It may never happen again. I cried. sad I know but I cried, stunning mammals. I wont go to one of those shows again though. Swimming with them in the wild is for me!
So thats singapore, I didnt shop, despite the hundreds of malls they have - i ate on the backstreets with the locals, I walked rather than use any form of transport so didnt really do it the tourist way and it was better for it. my next stop Vietnam! Im writing this blog from there now, what a place!

A few days in Singapore

Singapore, Singapore