Day 27 Part 2 : Food, bowling, food.

14:45
It’s starting to rain in Malay Town, and we deserve a pit-stop. We stop at a craft beer bar called Black Sheep, and I have a fabulous pint of stout. Felix and I head over to the Marina Bay as the heavens open. We’re aiming for the Marina Bay Gardens, a botanical masterpiece in the heart of the city. We spend a lovely hour wandering around the Flower Dome, but are thwarted in our attempt to visit the Cloud Forest, as it’s closed for maintenance. We start walking around the garden areas, but the rain is getting torrential. We decide a couple of hours of downtime is in order, before we head out again later.

23:25
We head out again around 17:00, and aim for the Chinatown Complex hawker market. Around half the stalls are open. Many open first thing, and close when they sell out - and that can be as early as lunchtime. Undeterred, we start out by buying a pork rice dumpling each. Wow. Shredded BBQ pork, wrapped in a handful of rice, then steamed in a pandan leaf, and served with a Hoi Sin and/or a sweet sauce. Next up is a vegetarian Popiah, a rice pancake stuffed with a few different types of vegetable. Yum. We move on to a plate of Xiaolongbao - steamed bao buns stuffed with flavoured pork and a hot pork stock. Felix has some fried chicken and some crispy pork belly strips, and I satisfy myself with some chicken and pork satay skewers. We’ve eaten incredibly well, and probably for about £10-£15 each.

We set off in search of entertainment, and find a bowling alley in a shiny shopping mall. Our hearts sink when we see a closed sign, but a member of staff pops out to tell us that’s only until 19:30. I pop over the road for a well deserved beer, and Felix does some high-level mall browsing. The bowling is great fun. Not the highest quality, but there are some high points. I score exactly the same in the first and second games, so at least I’m consistent(ly bad). Felix wins the first game, and I win the second. Honours even, we depart in search of more food. We take a long walk up one of the smartest and most expensive shopping boulevards I’ve ever seen. Every store is a temple of fashion. It’s a little overwhelming to two guys who don’t exactly align with consumerist attitudes. After a couple of false starts, we locate Lechon Pinoy, who serve suckling pig in a variety of ways. We go for simple - rotisserie piglet served with spiced creamed spinach and some rice. It’s a sensational bit of meat. Succulent where it should be, crunchy where we want it to be. The crackling is a juicy joy. We wolf it down. We’re pretty much done though. It’s been a long day.Read more