Day 2: Heat and humidity/La chaleur et la humidité

Emerging from the plane I was immediately hit with the humidity.  Fortunately I had removed my jersey prior to leaving but I began thinking perhaps the shorts that I had not packed might have been a good idea and I should have heeded Bev’s advice.

We did not have any Singapore cash so while I got orientated at Changi Airport Bev found a cash machine and got some money which was, as it turned out,  a good start. 

Hotel Yan next to the Tibetan Buddhist Temple

We made our way to the train station. I had worked out that our hotel was about a ten minutes from the station but I had neglected to look up the name of station before we departed and having no internet was a problem.  I worked out the station name but had to do some more walking to buy tickets. Here, a very kind and helpful man changed our $50 note, gave us some coins for the ticket machine and showed us how to select the right tickets.  He remembered that our street was in Little India which accorded with my recollection. 

Where's the traffic?

The maps we had were not very helpful but I figured out where the street was and with some very good navigation we came upon the street.  The service we got from the registration desk at our hotel was great and we were told that our room would be ready in about an hour.  We used the time having a coffee before dumping our bags and heading out. 

As Bev had not been to Singapore before I thought we would go to the tourist places which Bev had also researched.  It is about 15 years since I was last there so it was almost like going to a new place for me.  When I was here last I don’t recall using the MTR (metro system) and we used it all day finding it a very cheap and convenient way to get around. 

It's too hot to shop on Orchard Road

Our first stop was Orchard Road, the premier shopping area.  We alighted into a mall called Ion where we found a nice place to have a coffee that was almost as good as in Wellington.  The caffeine hit gave us a bit of energy before we returned to the heat and humidity.  Once we emerged onto Orchard Road it was like a foreign country.  I remember nothing of it which is unusual for me as I have reasonable memory for a place.  We found a very lovely early 20^th century street called Emerald Hill Road where the houses from that period had been largely preserved and renovated to the style of those days. Behind it were late 20^th century tower blocks making an interesting juxtaposition.  The old terraced houses

Welded to the spot by the heat

were really interesting, like nothing in either Wellington or Sydney.  The street took us to a Food Hawkers Market at Newton which had been recommended. 

Example of a house in Emerald Hill Road

We were ready to sit by that stage and I had a fish porridge which was very good. It is made up of poached fish, some rice and the water the fish is cooked in.  Simple and not something I have had before.  Bev inadvertently managed to get two meals (through a miscommunication with one of the vendors) -  laksa and a chicken noodle dish.  Both were very tasty but not too spicy and I helped her eat them.  The Tiger beer we bought could not have hit the spot better on such a hot and humid day.

We took the train to Fort Canning Park where we had a slow but interesting walk through to Clarke Quay, another tourist trap alongside the Singapore River.  It was a surprise however to find so few tourists in the area. We were suffering a bit from the heat and humidity and even I, who walks rather fast, was starting to flag.  We then took a train to City Hall where we made our way to Raffles Hotel to treat ourselves to a special drink – the “Singapore Sling”.   

Newton Hawkers Market

When we got there we found that the hotel was in the midst of a major renovation with half of it closed off.  Nonetheless there was a bar where we were able to get our Gin Slings (they are expensive) but they did come with an unlimited supply of peanuts in their shells. This was a real treat and something we had planned to do as part of our visit. I noticed while we were there however, that to the south it was becoming dark with thunderheads forming.

We spent a pleasant hour in or so in air conditioned comfort having our drink.  When we emerged from the hotel it was into a tropical downpour (as the French would say  “il pleut comme une vache qui pisse”).   Fortunately we had our umbrellas but that did not stop my feet, trousers and  shirt getting very damp  as we dashed across a road that was ankle deep in water.  It was definitely a way to cool off.  By that time we were ready to head back to the hotel and our very tiny room. 

A rest stop in Fort Canning Park

We decided we would have dinner in the local area as there were lots of  stalls equivalent to the hawkers stalls including  one of a chain of Auntie Mena’s Pig Organ Restaurant (not silver service).  After wandering around I suggested a café that seemed to be popular called the Vietnamese Barbeque Café. 

Clark Quay on the Singapore River

We ordered a premium meat platter and some fried spring rolls.  A huge platter arrived along with a charcoal brazier and grill on which to put the meat.  There was also a selection of vegetables.  We initially started to barbeque the vegetables but the waitress suggested that we put them on the

barbeque on the aluminium foil provided.  It made things much easier.  Cooking the prawns and other meat was more straightforward and despite Bev getting slightly smoked out and being somewhat uncertain about the risks of food poisoning, the end result was delicious.

It was a nice to finally have a shower and go to bed for a good quality sleep.  

Entrance to the Bar

Enjoying her first Singapore Sling

My impression of Singapore was mixed.   The people were generally courteous and helpful.  The place is clean.  I did not see any graffiti (I suspect that the consequences are severe if you are caught doing it).  There is no litter or rubbish anywhere.  The footpaths do not have chewing gum embedded in them.  Similarly there are few smokers needing to dispose of their cigarette butts in the receptacles of which there are not many.  Service is generally very good.

It is rather odd to be in a society where there are few white faces.  Overall it feels a safe place to live and visit, although a bit sterile and almost too perfect.  A pity about the heat!