Hello Singapore

Oh hi! We started the day at 4am to make our check in time at 5:25am, for our flight to Brisbane (no, we couldn't re-route). The flight, our first one with Qantas, was very efficient, serving us two in-flight meals in 4 and a half hours. On arrival we spent 5 hours in Brisbane airport, before catching our second flight of the day to Singapore. That flight took 7 and a half hours, and was only a stop over...But what a stop over it was!

We did feel very jet-slagged by the time that we arrived in Singapore airport, we had been on the go for about 23 hours. In the time that we had in Brisbane airport, amongst more pointless things, we had managed to book ourselves into a hostel in Singapore for the night, so we immediately got in a taxi and sped off to the Little India area.

We even made it out of the hostel that night to have an Indian meal and a brief explore of Jalan Besar.

The next morning we felt a lot better for some sleep, Wiji had cranked up the air-con in the night, so in the morning it was a bit like waking up in a refrigerator. The tiles on the floor were very cold, but outside the room it was lovely and humid, lol.

Just around the corner from our hostel, the restaurant promised some quality chod!


We got up early to explore...The traffic was speeding along, Mexico styleee.


There were some very modern buildings being thrown up too...


In amongst the sky scrapers, multi-lane highways, massive malls and local markets food stalls we found a Hindu temple on Waterloo Street. Locals were collecting incense sticks from the entrance, holding them to their foreheads and praying, before entering the temple...


A sight to behold...




A mixture of ceramic tiles, painted wood and stone.


Further along we came across a Chinese temple. Outside there were stalls selling flowers a bit like peonies, but with the outer petals folded back at angles, seen here in the foreground.


We came across several Chinese stalls. We quizzed several stall holders over the meaning of the symbols and products in general...they all seemed to offer the buyer good luck. We made a purchase, just to be on the safe side.


There were plenty of interesting old buildings that had stood the test of time...


It was great to people watch and catch a glimpse of some of the interiors.


Here's one for Capel.


There were lots of street cafe's full of locals tucking into a roti and small bowl of curry, and plenty of fruit and veg markets.


On our loop walk back to the hostel we snapped a pic of the previous nights Indian restaurant, having read on the menu that they are a chain and there are ones in East Ham and Rayners Lane, lol.


Several of the older buildings had tube lined tiles on the exterior.


And then it was time to catch a taxi back to the airport. Here's Wiji in one of the Singapore garden displays, in the airport. An alternative festive feel.


The airport contained masses of designer shops, and also a lavish display of orchids above a pond of khoi carp.


Overwhelmed, no? No, not really.


We also enjoyed the fern garden...


And were a bit disturbed to see the amount of new plants being put in. No expense spared it seemed.


By 1:55 we were on the plane, in the air, on our way to Borneo, reading the Borneo Post and the Malaysian Star. The headline news in both was that rear set belts do save lives. Excellent.