Singapore

Album of photos here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2215089&l=6a3d7&id=61205739

Long old flight, and since, no major symptoms of jet lag. Best thing really does seem to be just keeping yourself awake until bed and then sleep as normal… But the last thing on my mind on landing was keeping awake, and therefore another thing at the back of my mind was using Changi airport’s swimming pool, sauna, gym and other facilities which have won Singapore the “best airport on earth” award year after year, after year…!



The Sultan mosque casting a shadow over my hostel in Singapore. Perfect location in Little India



The aftermath of early morning prayer...



Little India by night. Bustling.

Straight through security and onto the squeaky clean MRT (underground…) to Bugis, the closest spot to Lonely Planet's recommendation: “Sleepy Sams” hostel…and what a recommendation. Boutique style accommodation… very secure with keys and door codes, screened off bunks clean showers etc. Good choice, and getting there seemed to give me a second wind and off into Singapore I headed. Quickly stopped by Little India to throw down an authentic Biryani. Feeling worse for ware I decided to sleep hoping that the jet lag would go. But waking up at 4am, being wide awake, thinking it was more like 7pm was interesting, so after a doze of a half hour or so I got up and explored early morning Singapore with a pair of trainers and the little camera. Saw sunrise down in the CBD over looking the straits, made all the more better by the fact that the city was absolutely dead, no traffic, no people… It was the last time I saw it like that!

After a scorching breakfast back at Sleepy Sams it was onwards to hire a bike from Treknology Bikes up at the top of Orchard Road (the main shopping area of Singapore)…and when I say shopping, I mean its huge here. Absolutely huge. Mall after mall after mall… Thankfully on a bike you can wizz past this awful commercialism and hit the parks. East Coast Park is spectacular, with 10km (one way) of bike and running paths right the way along an artificial beach. If it hadn’t been for the equatorial rain part way through the ride, so wet I skidded across a drain cover and fell off, I’d probably have run there that night too. Lucky I fell onto grass and no one was around! Though I did manage to ram the front wheel of the bike underneath a temporary metal wall surrounding a building site (one of many in Singapore!).



East Coast Park prior to massive thunderstorm...!

Anyway, to cut a long Singapore story short. Odd place. Way way to busy, lots of pollution, thieves (had my hire back stolen, even though it was locked up!), and too many traffic lights (if you want to walk anywhere you have to constantly stop to cross the road meaning it takes ages to get anywhere). All in all time to get away. So to Tioman I head…

nt to follow soon...