I had been told by a reliable source that Singapore was good for shopping and eating, and that was what Singaporeans like to do most. For me Singapore was a bout the people the wonderful people that I meet there. Well two of them I had met already in Laos, especially dhana.
Dhana and I had been talking over the internet and I was lucky, the day I arrived dhana was free from work for the day and was able to meet me at the airport. I told her it was a lovely surprise as I wasn't planning on being met at the airport till I arrived home to Ireland
So dhana was the first friendly face I saw when I arrive out of arrivals in Singapore airport.
I wasn't going to stop in Singapore in beginning, but I'm flying into Singapore 3 times during my travels in Asia, I thought I better stop and see it even if it was only for a couple of nights.
Dhana helped me get a hostel for the two nights I was going to be there in little India. I was so lucky I found a hostel that was doing a special promo for January, where you buy one night you get the second night free. Which was prefect.
The weather was already so much hotter than Bangkok and I was sweating like a race horse. It reminded me of when I first arrived to Vietnam and I couldn't get used to the heat. So I was really quick in changing into something much cooler.
Dhana brought me out for some Indian lunch. Well we were in little India. after all. And then we walked around it checking out the sites. She brought me to the Hindu temple there and since she is Hindu herself, she was able to tell me a lot about it. Which was great as I had just spent the last 4 months going into Buddhist temples and I still don't know anything.
She even introduced me to her father that was working in one of the shops there. We also had a look at what they called the thieves market, which was a lot of makeshift stalls selling a lot of crap really. A lot of old electronics, which I suppose if you were a collector, you might get lucky and come across a real find. But then again its not called thieves market for nothing, you might find it gone again just as fast.
Dhana then left me to meet her later. We were going to met up with joey another girl I met in Laos and her friends and go for drinks. So I was able to refresh myself which I really needed to do. I had bought a new camera at the duty-free in Bangkok Out of all the things I think I needed it was a camera. I was really lost with out one over the last couple of weeks before. Especially for new years. I wish I had my own photos of all the shenanigans.
So I made my way through the Singapore subway, which was really quite easy, and met dhana. And we went to go meet joey and her friends who ended up being joey 2(JK) and yeo. They were trying to figure out where we were going to go for the night. I had no idea but in the end we got the bus and headed to a well know area in Singapore near the business district, where there are a lot of bars and clubs to go to. It actually reminded me of Vegas a bit as it was and enclosed space but made to look like it was outside with a water fountain and the buildings all looking like real older style buildings. There was this one bar there called the clinic and it had everything you would find in a hospital nearly. The chairs were either real wheelchairs or couches made from metal bed frames. They even had a drink that they put into an IV bag and you sucked it out of the bag hanging from an IV holder. It was all actually pretty cool.
I hadn't eaten yet, so the girls were really good and we went to a restaurant, where I was the only one to ended up eating as the rest of the girls were OK.
We then headed out for the night. Singapore is similar to Ireland were no one is allowed to smoke in public or work buildings but they are also not allowed to smoke within 20 feet of an entrance. And people really stick to it. So no standing just outside the door for a smoke, but they also have nicer weather so no problem there.
The night was great fun. We danced the night away and joey even got me up on the stage to dance and I wasn't even drunk. But I also got dhana to come with me so I wasn't up there by myself.
From one club to another, pump, were there was a live band singing. And we hung out there for a while. I was really starting to fade at this stage as I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. I was woken up by these stupid guys who were checking in, in the middle of the night and had no decorum and turned on the light, waking me. And I was up early the next morning to catch my flight to Singapore
But when we left pump we went for food. Now that I rarely turn down and we went for some good food. Couldn't tell you what it is now, but I remember enjoying it. Dhana and joey got a taxi went me and dropped me off first and wouldn't let me pa for my share. I actually had paid for very little. The only things were the subway and my first drink of the night. After that I kept getting told its your first night in Singapore and wouldn't let me pay. So I was giving out and they told me since I hadn't tried a durian before. That we would go for durians the next night and I could pay for them. So it was a deal.
I headed to bed really tired but also in really good form. I had a great night with the best Singapore girls ever.
I only really had one full day in Singapore, and I wasn't sure what to do. But reading my guide book the thing that leapt up at me was the botanic gardens. I know it wasn't a jungle and I wouldn't see any wild animals but at least I knew I would be surrounded by plants and hopefully not ants and termite hills.
I really had a lovely time there. The park was quite amazing and wonderful place to go to if you lived in a city like that. I day didn't turn out as sunny or as hot as the day before and I was grateful for that. I wandered around the gardens and I went to the orchid gardens and I saw all the the different orchids there. I took to many pictures as I love flowers and it was so peaceful to walk around there. I also walked along what they called a rain forest walk, which was pretty much just trees on either side but it was much quieter than the rest of the park and very tranquil. I came back out of the gardens very peaceful and headed back to my hostel to change for the evening. I was going to china town before meeting up with dhana and joey again.
China town was crazy, it was so full of people and it took forever to walk down the street through the crowds. But it was really lively and they had some of the new years decoration up already. I thought it must be the year of the cow as their seemed to be cows every where, but I have found out that its actually an oxen. I guess they should have made them look more mean or masculine, not cute and with eyelashes.
There wasn't an awful lot to see there and it was just way to busy and besides I was on my way to china so I would see the real thing the next day.
So I got a hold of joey and I found out where they were. Joey had been talking about a red light district in Singapore and saying that I should see it. Cause she said people come to Singapore and say that its so clean and civilised. Chewing gum is even banned so it doesn't dirty the streets but she said there is another side to it. And that's where she happened to be, so I guess I was going to see it after all. I got the subway there and met her and JK and Yeo, and another friend call Chris. JK and Yeo were actually leaving and not staying for the night so I had to say goodbye to them already. I was sad to as they were so much fun and I had just met them the night before.
We then went to met Dhana as she was working till then. How I don't know cause she couldn't have had much sleep the night before.
We then went to walk street number 8 as that was where the cutest girls were suppose to be. So we walked along and there were girls lined up on the street. It was amazing. I have never seen anything like it before. I said all they needed to do was legalise marijuana and they had another Amsterdam.
But they said that would never happen.
Dhana was laughing because I was walking in front of them down the street and she said it was so funny cause the girls were looking at me as I was walking by wondering if they had competition on their hands. We were even joking that I should have stood beside them and pretending to be working and get a picture of it. But I don't think that would happen, sure there was guys there trying to stop me from taking a picture of a sign at a hotel saying a price for transit $10? ha ha is that for an hour?
Anyway I got the idea, Chris's boyfriend mark then picked us up and brought us to a durian place. For me to try my first durian. Now this was where I was going to get to buy something but instead mark paid for it and I started giving out saying I was suppose to pay for it. That's when he said that when your in Singapore with Singaporeans you don't pay for anything. And I was getting that idea. I'm getting this whole list of people I have to make it up to.
Mark started to explain to us about how you tell if a durian is ripe or not and what to look for. So when it came to sit down and eat it, I had to make a documentary for the girls and they videoed it. I had to explain how you could tell if a durian was ripe and then I had to taste it, by grab and pull. Ha ha.
It was a strange experience I have to say and not one I'll be rushing back to Singapore to try. The consistency was strange gooey and the taste wasn't unpleasant persay but it tasted like mushy onions and if you know me, you know I don't like onions. I would spend the whole dinner picking them out of my dinner before I ate it.
So between the taste and the consistency, I wasn't able to eat it, especially after I was told to put the whole huge seed into my mouth. I ended up gagging and spitting it out onto the ground. But the girls really seemed to enjoy me trying the durian and I think its something they punish all their foreign friends with.
Well after that, I got a lift back to my hostel, courtesy of mark and I had to say goodbye to my every good friends in Singapore I was really lucky to had met them in Laos and they made my stay in Singapore worth it. And I hope to return the favour sometime in Ireland, I'll have to find something for them to try, if not I'll definitely be back to Singapore to see them again in the future.
