Our Singapore holiday
The flight to Singapore was reasonably comfortable flying with Scoot in Business Class and being day time we were not tired and able to see from our window.
Our stay at Furama City Centre was booked for eight nights.
It was hot and humid when we arrived, but we are used to that and managed quite well, but the walking was what took its toll; I was feeling my seventy years.
"My feet, my feet, I could feel my feet".
The first day we explored the area around us, mainly China Town. Did a little shopping and checked out the eateries for future meals.
The next day we went to Changi Prison Museum by public transport; that was an experience and we then were able to use the transport more often. Very inexpensive and easy!
The Museum was a reminder of the suffering incurred by our soldiers and those of the British. The locals suffered macabre atrocities.
There are letters, photographs, drawings and personal artefacts displayed with the Changi Quilt being of special interest to me.
The courtyard has a replica Chapel, symbolic of those built by the internees, and is today a point of pilgrimage for veterans and families of ex-POWs. Very moving!
The next day we went to Changi Prison Museum by public transport; that was an experience and we then were able to use the transport more often. Very inexpensive and easy!
The Museum was a reminder of the suffering incurred by our soldiers and those of the British. The locals suffered macabre atrocities.
There are letters, photographs, drawings and personal artefacts displayed with the Changi Quilt being of special interest to me.
The courtyard has a replica Chapel, symbolic of those built by the internees, and is today a point of pilgrimage for veterans and families of ex-POWs. Very moving!
We also visited the "Old Ford Factory" where the Brits surrendered to the Japanese. That was very interesting as well. It was here that the British General Officer Commanding (Malaya), Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, surrendered to the Japanese Commander of the 25th Army, General Yamashita Tomoyuki, on February 15th 1942.
During the Occupation, General Yamashita used the factory to produce trucks and other military vehicles for military campaigns. Prisoners of war were also tortured there when part of the factory became the Japanese Headquarters.
During the Occupation, General Yamashita used the factory to produce trucks and other military vehicles for military campaigns. Prisoners of war were also tortured there when part of the factory became the Japanese Headquarters.
Another day we went to Clarke Quay and took a Bumboat ride and toured the Singapore River We saw, amongst other things, the Merlion. One important place of interest to Bob was "Brewerks" where we enjoyed a very expensive beer after we had gone to the Royal Selangor Pewter shop. At Royal Selangor we attended the School of Hard Knocks where we fashioned our very own Pewter bowls. That was fun.
We Visited the Gardens by the Bay. They are spectacular and I may have cured my fear of heights as I walked the bridge that links a couple of the Super Trees. The Cloud Dome and Flower Dome were out of this world; amazing structures with even more amazing plants. We were lucky enough to see the window cleaners at work high above us in the Flower Dome.
We then walked by bridge to the Marina Bay Sands, wow!! Checked out the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Complex where Bob could have bought a Ferrari in the Ferrari store. A boat ride was available to transport you from one end of this enormous complex to the other and apart from the very expensive shops there was an ice skating rink. The Casino is accessed from this area.
On my birthday we were to go to the Zoo but that was postponed until the following day. Not to waste the time we set off to see the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This is a spectacular multi-storied temple based on the Tang dynasty architectural style. A long walk there and back but it was well worth the effort.
In the afternoon we had pre-booked to have Hi Tea in the Tiffin Room at the famous Raffles Hotel. A big day on the hip pocket but well worth it!
The “afternoon tea”, if you could call it that, was divine and very special. Just when I thought I could not eat another morsel out came a birthday cake for the two of us. What a thrill. Naturally we were not in the event of eating it all, so, after a taste, we asked the waiter to return it to the kitchen and share it with other staff.
From the Tiffin Room we adjourned to the Long Bar where we relaxed with a beer and a Singapore Sling to top off our day. One of my friends had sent me money to buy the Singapore Sling so a photo had to be taken.
The “afternoon tea”, if you could call it that, was divine and very special. Just when I thought I could not eat another morsel out came a birthday cake for the two of us. What a thrill. Naturally we were not in the event of eating it all, so, after a taste, we asked the waiter to return it to the kitchen and share it with other staff.
From the Tiffin Room we adjourned to the Long Bar where we relaxed with a beer and a Singapore Sling to top off our day. One of my friends had sent me money to buy the Singapore Sling so a photo had to be taken.
On returning to our hotel, ready to collapse from over-eating, we were confronted with a tray with more cake, a candle and a lovely card signed by the Concierge and desk staff. It was a struggle but we ate it!
Our lovely special visit to the Zoo had a shaky beginning as the tour guide did not turn up on the day but went to another Furama Hotel. All was not lost and we were able to go the following day. Scott & Lisa and their children and Lynda and Karl and their children had paid for this breakfast with the Orang Utans for my 70th birthday. It was just wonderful.
The breakfast was as good as we were having in our hotel with a smorgasbord of wonderful treats; too many to choose from.
The Orang Utans sat on a platform eating their breakfast and we were able to stand in front of them for a photo opportunity. One very young one escaped onto the roof of the restaurant and climbed down the cords of a cane blind right beside me. What an experience. I then opted to have a photo taken with a snake draped around my neck, a bit scary but a must do. We then walked as far as my feet would allow viewing all the exhibits on the way and finally caught the little train back to the entrance. There we met our guide to return to our hotel. A wonderful day thanks to my children and grandchildren.
The breakfast was as good as we were having in our hotel with a smorgasbord of wonderful treats; too many to choose from.
The Orang Utans sat on a platform eating their breakfast and we were able to stand in front of them for a photo opportunity. One very young one escaped onto the roof of the restaurant and climbed down the cords of a cane blind right beside me. What an experience. I then opted to have a photo taken with a snake draped around my neck, a bit scary but a must do. We then walked as far as my feet would allow viewing all the exhibits on the way and finally caught the little train back to the entrance. There we met our guide to return to our hotel. A wonderful day thanks to my children and grandchildren.
One of the special parts of the holiday was meeting up with Linda Eunson. Linda is a Canadian working in Singapore as Director, Career Services, Asia, University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
We had met Linda eighteen years ago on a stop-over and she was thrilled to meet with us again. We had a tour of her workplace, an ancient pagoda style building with wonderful treasures and architecture then out for dinner. On our second meeting we were invited to her home, amazing, and her live in housekeeper, Lin, prepared us a wonderful meal. That was quite different and I wanted to get up and help wash the dishes; we took her a little gift, thank goodness.
Linda had a couple of copies of birth certificates for me and when I got home found that we are most certainly connected. Quite a thrill!
We had met Linda eighteen years ago on a stop-over and she was thrilled to meet with us again. We had a tour of her workplace, an ancient pagoda style building with wonderful treasures and architecture then out for dinner. On our second meeting we were invited to her home, amazing, and her live in housekeeper, Lin, prepared us a wonderful meal. That was quite different and I wanted to get up and help wash the dishes; we took her a little gift, thank goodness.
Linda had a couple of copies of birth certificates for me and when I got home found that we are most certainly connected. Quite a thrill!
Our last day was mostly spent hanging around waiting for the hours to roll by. We had a late check out, 4pm, so took a stroll to the China Town markets again after a late breakfast. All packed and ready to roll we checked out and opted to spend the afternoon at the airport before our 10.25pm flight to the Gold Coast.
It was a great holiday but there is no place like home.
It was a great holiday but there is no place like home.