Leaving On A Jet Plane !

Singapore Part I

Hey dude,

Just a quick note from Singapore.

We've been to Little India today, went to the I.T. Mall and the kids spent their cash we'd promised them at Xmas all in one go (thank god!). Jedd and Zak got a Sony PSP each and India got a new DSLite so they will at least be kept entertained and out of trouble in their room at night !
Little India as the name suggests is an area of the city that is full of Indians, small shops selling everything under the sun and, when you get into the backstreets it really is like being on the sub continent ! blokes pushing tv's on trollies, small local shops etc. not like the rest of pristine singers at all !
Finished it there by eating at a local hawker centre which has numerous food kiosks and sells local or rather in this case Indian food. I had Mee Goreng, a spicy egg noddle with onions etc. $3 (about £1) and Lou had Mutton Steak, which was basically a mutton stew $5 (£1.75). Even the kids had some despite initially claiming not be hungry !
 
So far we've also been to China town (mainly to keep the kids awake the day we arrived to try and get their body clocks adjusted to SP time. not easy when you've been awake for 24 hours plus! talk about the walking dead ! and yes, we did make them walk ! hot and humid ain't the word ! the air conditioned malls are soooo nice to step into and cool down while you browse the many many gold, electronics and clothes shops)

The flight from Manchester was fine but long, plenty of films to choose from etc. and we then caught the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) to the city. Spotless, air conditioned carriages, empty at first but soon filled up as we got nearer the city as it was 7 am. Trouble was we bought tickets to Orchard Road not knowing where our hotel was and then after luggin our 1 heavy case for bit in stifling heat we cadged a taxi from the line outside the Singapore Hilton ! (didn't know the exact location of our hotel because we have mislaid the file of important documents that I have been painstakingly compiling over the last few months ! worse things happen at sea and all that ! Let's hope we can find our apartment in Brisbane, the name of which escapes me !)

The hotel is fine - Holiday Inn so we were not expecting too much. Bit far out from the city centre but not too far. The hotel puts on a nice AC coach free for a lift to Orchard Road the main shopping street. (Taxis are dirt cheap anyhows. All Toyota Crowns a basic lada style shape with bitching air con ! again had a nice chat to a couple of them about kids, the English Prem etc.)
Nice pool on the 6th floor, we're on the 7th. Kids love it and it's open until 9pm and generally we have it to ourselves. It's great to get in and cool down and then to be able to get out and feel the heat again unlike back home where you sit huddled in a towel for 10 minutes with you're whole body shaking until you warm up again)
Bought myself a rather nice silk shirt today in the shop where TWS (Lou aka The Winged Serpent !) got a nice silk kaftan from a lovely Indian bloke called Don. I say lovely but he was a Liverpool supporter. I spose everyone has their flaws ! He was telling us that he has been to Cairns 9 times and loves it.
We also went for a boat ride on the river which was ok but we should have done it at night for all the lights on the skyscrapers. Top bloke, sitting cross legged driving the thing, his somewhat toothless smile and pidgeon english interspersed by the american english tape that he plays every now and again when something of interest comes into view.

Going to Jurong Bird Park and the Reptile and Croc Park tomorrow so that should be a nice easy relaxing day, then maybe down town to Boat Quay for a meal in the evening. Don't know how I'm going to take pics of the night skyline without my tripod !