Singapore – 14 to 18 December 2006
After the last minute scramble to fit the last of the unpacked items into our backpacks, we put them on the scale to see how we did. Most airlines only allow 50 pounds per bag now unless you are one of their premium customers, and we lost that “privilege” when J quit traveling for his job two years ago. The scales gave us the thumbs up at approximately 30 and 35 pounds respectively for D and J’s backpacks. While this is good for mobility, how can we live for five months with only this many clothes, especially when half the weight appears to be related to bug spray, malaria prevention medication, and miscellaneous electronics for the camera and computer? Usually our two week trips to England consisted of four bags each pushing the weight limit (then 70 pounds each). No time for second guessing as the ride to the airport is waiting.
Twenty-eight hours after leaving the house we arrived in Singapore at 6:30 AM local time, 13 hours ahead of EST. We lost a full day due to the time in the air and time zone changes. It was a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam, with a four hour layover there, then 11 ½ hours in the air from Amsterdam to Singapore. Fortunately we were able to fly business class with J’s miles from his previous life, so we were fairly well rested on arrival. We flew Singapore Airlines from Amsterdam to Singapore, and all the good reviews we have heard about them are fully deserved. They can’t seem to do enough to try and make you comfortable.
As it was early and we were in no hurry, we decided to catch the local bus from the airport into town. We thought this might help put us in the correct frame of mind for future travels as we expect to see quite a few local bus routes. If you ask at the information counter in the terminal, they will try and direct you to a taxi service or an express bus. You have to specify the local train or bus route to get any information on those. Both leave from the lower level of Terminal 2, just past the Singapore Airlines Operations Centers. We caught bus # 36 which traveled along Orchard Street where our hotel was. Fortunately the airport terminal is the first stop on this route as it was morning rush hour and by the time we got close to the downtown area the bus was standing room only.
After arriving at the hotel and a short wait for the room to be ready, we dropped off our bags, changed into cooler clothing, and headed out for a walkabout. Singapore seemed the same as we last saw it three years ago, only with much more building going on. Like the last time, Christmas decorations were everywhere, and Orchard Street, the major shopping area and where we were staying, is probably the most decorated area. We headed for the river and Clarke Quay, and decided to stop in the Brewerkz for lunch. Brewerkz is the first local brewpub in Singapore and brews around eleven different brews, but we highly recommend their IPA. An added benefit is they provide free WiFi access, which proved useful over the next few days in trip planning. While in Brewerkz the heavens opened, which set the stage for the remainder of our Singapore visit.
Our primary goal while in Singapore was to plan for the beginning of our Thailand leg and visit the night zoo which we missed last time.. We only had two nights booked when we arrived in Singapore, and the plan was to extend for two or three days at a cheaper hotel and then travel to Bangkok and on to Chiang Mai. That plan was soon foiled because of the holidays. It seems many Malaysians come to Singapore during this time and all our hotel options were booked. Also, many Singaporeans travel to Thailand, so there were very few flight options, and along with a festival in Chiang Mai, all hotels there were booked. In the end we were able to find a more expensive hotel than planned in Singapore for three days and a budget flight to Bangkok on the 19th. Thanks to the WiFi at Brewerkz, we also booked three nights accommodation in Bangkok.
An interesting note about the hotel we found in Singapore, the SHA Villa, is that it is a training hotel for all areas of hotel operations. The students spend three months training in everything from wait staff to front desk, then do a six month internship either at the SHA or another hotel. As a result, there is never a wait for anything because there is always at least a half dozen eager trainees wanting to help you.
With our next steps sorted out, we did some of the standard tourist stops over the next couple of days that we had done before. Between, and sometimes during, thunderstorms and monsoon rains, we visited the Merlion, Chinatown, The Fullerton Hotel, but we again missed the night zoo because of the weather. We decided we would have another chance as we have to return to Singapore in mid April for our flight to Manila. We passed on visiting Raffle’s for a Singapore Sling this trip as last time we found them to be extremely stuffy and way overpriced!
Next stop Bangkok.
