Singapore

Today was much more eventful and tiring day than the previous. As my only full day in Singapore I did my best to make the most of it. The morning started with a decent sleep in to try and shake off any minor jet lag I may have felt and rest after a long flight. I then got on the bus to my first stop of the day - Fort Canning Park, which has some historical WW2 significance. Although I love war history, this was slightly underwhelming, I walked around for a while, but there wasn't much information regarding the actual role the location played during WW2. I learnt a lot about the First Nations people and the significance of the location in that sense- which I did enjoy, but I expected more.

My next stop was in the form of the botanical gardens. I was very impressed with the amount of diversity in the flora they had on display. They had forests, orchards, and even desert sections. The only flaw is that many of the experiences that would have been incredibly memorable were pay to enter - a common theme in Singapore, it would seem. Though I was aware of this before I arrived and didn’t let it affect my experience. The garden was enormous, and eventually I had to skip some sections and settle for somewhere to sit and cool down. I just wish I could see it all for cheaper, but I am sure I will transit through here again sometime. One thing I was super impressed by was the efficiency of the transport system. I never waited more than 5 minutes for a train and never took more than 15 minutes to get to my destination. A good way to warm up to the travelling lifestyle.

The heat, and more importantly, the humidity of Singapore, then required that I spend the next two hours in the shopping centre waiting for the sweat stains to fade. Though it did mean I got to try Singaporean coffee, which was nice, but I know I am going to miss Aussie coffee before the end of my trip, I’m sure of that.

Next, I was on to China town. Despite feeling a bit out of place and as though I was supposed to pay to enter, I made my way through the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. It was eye-opening and an interesting insight into different cultures. The remainder of my time in China town consisted of wandering the small stalls and assortment of shops. It felt more like Bali in this sense. But the heat in the tightly packed undercover area made it unbearable to stay for more than a few minutes.

I then made my way to the main attraction of Singapore for me - the gardens by the bay. I was impressed with the size of the area provided for the attraction (much like the botanical gardens- though Singapore is basically one big city, so it does make sense). I unfortunately happened to arrive during a kids' event, and so there were considerably more children around than I would have liked, but I was impressed nonetheless. Water is quite hard for come by in Singapore and your only option tends to be buying water bottles, but in steadfast protest of this I spent the next couple of hours drinking beer, with the occasional cup of water provided by the restaurant. I did this until the light show began at 7:45pm, in which the sun had only just gone down. This was quite amazing as well and made the trip to the gardens worth it. After a few more beers, I then proceeded to the train station for the final stop of the day.

Upon recommendation of Manjit, I stopped by the Lau Pa Sat Street markets on my way home. I had eaten earlier but was keen to try some proper street food. The only issue being the size of the portions were simply far more than I wanted, and although it was cheap, I needed cash. Given I was leaving tomorrow it felt like a waste to get cash out for one cheap meal. So, I then began my trip home. It was still an amazing experience, and I must have wandered the centre about three times and was simply overwhelmed by the choices available and the aromas that filled the air.

I then jumped on another train and made tracks back to the accommodation for a final sleep in Singapore.Read more