Serangoon

Yes it was my birthday today, woohoo! Thanks for all the birthday wishes. That's all we'll say on the matter.

Today we did the tourist thing and hopped on a couple of those open topped tourist buses you see running around many cities. Fairly cheap and a good way to learn about Singapore.

Singapore is one of the most expensive places in the world to own a car. The government charges a 100% import duty on every car, people have to bid for the right to own a car and this right only lasts 10 years before you have to buy a new one - and a new car, and there is a congestion toll to discourage people from driving in certain areas. This means Singapore is one of the biggest exporters of second hand cars only beaten by Japan. The public transport system is very good and cheap.

It still doesn't mean there aren't a lot of cars on the road, there are heaps but it moves pretty well. There are still a lot of Ferraris, Lambourghinis, and especially Porches on the road though Korean or Japanese cars are the most popular as expected.

Another interesting fact is that Singapore has expanded its land area by 25%, pretty soon it will be as big as Australia - maybe not. That explains why you'll be driving along Beach Road but you are a long way from the coast, it used to be on the beach. Reclaiming land is a logical approach when you only have a small island to start with.

Anyway T and I did a loop of Little India and then went across to Chinarown. I remember being dragged through Chinatown as an angelic 7 year old and being less than impressed. This time though it was very different, a really interesting place with lots of small shops selling just about everything.

In the middle of Chinatown is a big Buddhist temple which was really ornate.

T and I had one of the best meals we have had for lunch, purchased from one of the street stalls of which there are a few.

The architecture here is really interesting, you have the massive glass skyscrapers surrounding the older original buildings. These old buildings were very practical, the family worked downstairs in the shop and lived upstairs. The shop section all had a 5ft wide walkway so people could get out of the afternoon downpours and still walk along. Most of the upstairs residences have glass in the windows now but there are a few with just bars and storm shutters.

Even today you see the high rise residences with washing hanging out the windows on long poles. Most people live in government flats that are actually quite nice and not the old blocks they were in the past.

Our evening activity was the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. This was really well done. It is set up sort of like the Dubbo Zoo in that there are no fences but it is a lot more compact than Dubbo. They load you onto tram-type things that they drive you around on and they give you a commentary on each animal. They have all the expected animals - lions, tigers, elephants and lots more. In some sections like the deer and tapirs the animals can come right up to the trams and check out what is going on.

After the zoo it was another open top bus ride back to the hotel.

Of course when ever you travel with my wife she invariably runs into someone she knows. We were at the bus terminal this morning and she met Peta and Michael (Mud) friends of Rachel and Warwick's.

It's a small world!!Read more