Far from the madding crowd
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2006
1
18
47
Trip End
Jul 24, 2006
Singapore, Singapore
Tuesday, May 2, 2006
I guess if I had been in Singapore another time I may have had a different impression, and there is the rub of all guides for anywhere; it is one persons impression, taken at a moment in time, and based on experiences and standards and upbringing and a whole host of factors.
So here is my dilemna; Singapore is impeccably clean - clean of pollution, litter, dog debris et al, it is spotless. Singapore is incredibly safe, I'd say I felt the safest here more than anywhere else in the world, no signs of punch up's, theft, or even shouting. Singapore has some great architecture; colonial style houses and offices, modern skyscrapers, wonderful hotels. Singapore has some great attractions; Sanatosa Island (with beaches and entertainment), a theme park, a huge wildlife park, temples, museums, river trips and city tours. Singapore has fabulous cheap transport; one of the best airports in the world, a metro to write home about and buses that run everywhere on time. NIghtlife is fabulous from the famous Raffles Bar (Singapore Slings were invented here), The Swiss Hotel's (tallest hotel in the world), 71st floor Asia Bar, to the Quays with 100's of eateries, bars, music lounges and restaurants. And best of all, the place was so relaxed it was almost asleep, apart from a little jostling in China Town around the market stalls, you could walk anywhere without knocking into anyone, you could pick your pace, go in any direction and enjoy space around you - remarkable for a city.
So what was wrong? Absolutely nothing, I just think it is the type of place you could do all the sights and see all the attractions and be done in three days, and there is nothing else to hold you there. Others may see it differently, and I did meet some people who were staying a month, but me; I'd be bored.
Now it might have been something to do with the weather. It was either cloudy and overcast in the morning or else the afternoon, and on three days it actually rained, once enough to wash the city away. That day of course happened to be the day I chose to go to the beaches in Santosa Island ('Something amazing ... nothing to see actually', is what the locals have taken as it's acronym). However, I was pretty impressed; you can choose; bus, ferry or cable car to get to the island, and there is a host of fun activities including a liuge to take you to the beaches. Island buses can fery you to the different parts, but I just wanted to chill on the beach. There are several man made beaches, all pretty, with plenty of golden sand and palm tree backdrops. Beach complexes dotted along the front provide beverages and showers, and there are volleyball and football nets arranged at certain points.
Some fifty meters in front of the shoreline little islands have been deigned and constructed, some of which have rope bridges connecting them, but most are attainable by a short swim in the warm waters. Their construction though has little to do with fun and more to block out the views of the huge number of cargo and tanker ships that either pass or moor, less than a mile from shore.
I was told that the waters were some of the cleanest in the world. Yeah sure, the thousands of ships that pass by obviously run on solar power, their bilges pumped only when elsewhere and the local refinary on an adjacent island has no pollution whatsoever, ever. But it was fabulously warm!
The best part of my day at the beach was seeing just so many groups of youngsters having fun. There were dozens of groups, playing; frisbee, netball, football, british bulldog, and a host of other games and all were laughing and giggling - it was a remarkable sight.
The sadest was after seeing a wedding and reception being prepared with makeshift alter, guest seating, and round reception tables all bathed in white linen, and finished with beautiful bouquets. The view on one side of the public beach, palm trees and hotel gardens, an idyllic setting? Look across the beach and out to sea and there as a backdrop to the ceremony; a plethora of ugly ships. But the day could not have materialised as planned for anyone, because at about 5.00pm crashing thunder and incredible fork lightening heralded the start of a torrential thunder storm, which sent the 1,000's of island visitors sprawling for cover, and the nearest dryest exit off the island.
Me I got absolutely drenched - and spent the next two hours getting back to my digs, the ferry's having stopped running due to the weather and not enough busses to cope with the sheer demand of everyone leaving at once - did I mind? Hell no, it was all part of the travel experience, but I was pretty uncomfortable and exremely cold in wet clothes with the metro air conditioning fanning me!
