Singapore

Thursday 9th March

My luxury accommodation

This didn't happen

Singapore is like any wealthy western city, but with great food, stifling heat and denge fever. It has a good public transport system, so after buying a map, I caught the bus into town and checked into the grottiest and most expensive room of my entire trip. I'd seen 'The Beach' by this time and had thought that kind of room depicted in Bangkok was an invention of the authors. But this room had it all - plywood walls, gaps at the top, noise. All it needed was Robert Carlyle leaning over the wall and offering a spliff. At least it was clean, or dark enough not to notice, and it was only for one night.

Count down to a ticket

Singapore is gadget heaven, and not just in the shops. Many of the pedestrian lights have count down indicators showing how long you have to cross the road before you are breaking the law.

Central Singapore

My camera was dying,so I took the opportunity to buy a new one. Rather than a point and click, I decided to go for something more professional, a Canon EOS, with a 80-200mm zoom. I think a smaller camera would have been more practical, I kept using my dying camera for nights out and so on, but for landscape and distant pictures I'm happy with the Canon.

Another thing Singapore is good for is coffee. There are Starbucks everywhere, as well as many other, probably better, coffee shops. After the rubbish I'd been ingesting for the last two weeks this was very well received.

A Hindu temple

Singapore has the best Indian food I tasted anywhere in South East Asia.

Old and new

During the day I ate from food stalls in one of the many street markets, where the quality was superb, while the prices were OK. For my evening meal though I made a foray into Little India, to the north of Singapore.

This area is famous for it's food, which is usually served without cutlery. The idea is that you wash your hands at the specially provided wash basin before eating your meal with your right hand only (the left is considered unclean because you wipe your bum with it).

The Singapore river and business centre

How Indians manage to eat naan breads with only one hand is beyond me - I certainly can't. So, I risked the wrath of any handy Indian deities and surreptitiously used my left to tear my food every now and then. With my meal came a rugby ball shaped popadum, and no alcohol. I'd make up for the latter later.

After I'd eaten I wandered home the long way (alright I got lost) and found myself in the Transvestite Street. I got accosted by one person as I was walking along and although they got close enough to touch me I couldn't tell it wasn't a woman. Beating a hasty retreat I found myself in a red light alley, where a snake oil salesmen was giving some patter in English. He was selling some potion which was supposed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. I pity the poor suckers who bought his wares and threw away their condoms.

Friday 10th March

Raffles hotel

From a different angle

The Raffles hotel is probably the most famous landmark in Singapore, so it was the one place I knew I wanted to see. I resisted the temptation to have a Singapore Sling - it was only 10am. I fully intended to come back and have one later, but somehow never managed it.

I spent the remainder of the day wandering around, taking in the sights, of which there were not to many. To me Singapore was a business centre, not a tourist destination. I was glad I'd seen it, not least because it was the furthest south I got, but I wouldn't want to go there again as a tourist. But I think I could probably enjoy living and working there.

Last modified on 22nd December 2007 3:31 PM EST

Back to photos