Finally, I got some downtime!

Vini and I had to fly back from Manila to Bangalore this weekend and due to the scheduling of flights, had a one day layover in Singapore. Since Vini used to live in Singapore and had a number of friends still in the area, this actually worked out to be a great day of rest for us.

After a mad rush day of shopping in Greenhills (Manila), we headed out to the Ninoy Airport and our flight to Singapore. We landed in Singapore late on Friday evening and traveled to our hosts home. Indu is an old friend and mentor of Vini’s and a wonderful lady I feel so honoured to have had an opportunity to meet. Tea and hours of conversation filled the time until the wee hours of the morning.

On Saturday I got to play tourist! Vini and Indu needed to do some shopping and visiting with friends, so we headed out to the Esplanade where I could safely wander alone at will.

View of the city and Fullerton Building from the Esplanade Drive walkway

View of the Esplanade, Theatres-on-the-Bay, from the Esplanade Drive walkway

From the Esplanade, you get a great view of the national symbol of Singapore – the Merlion.

Merlion statue as seen from the Esplanade Jetty

Merlion statue as seen from Merlion Park Jetty

Undergoing redevelopment, the Collyer Quay stands unused

Enjoying the sights on the Esplanade bridge.

Indu recommended a quick Bumboat tour of the Singapore river to see the sights and maximize my time in the area. Bubmoats are traditional vessels that we used to ship cargo back and forth between ships and warehouses in the port before the days of containerized shipping. They have eyes painted on the fronts (a symbol of good luck) and in recent years have been used to ferry tourists up and down the river.

The ticket seller informed me that this is a good time to take a Bumboat tour, as the vessels are being phased out over the next few years in favour of quieter and more eco-friendly river tour boats.

Bumboat at the Merlion Park Jetty

I exited the Bumboat at Clarke Quay and walked back to the Esplanade to meet Vini and Indu for lunch.

Approaching Clarke Quay (from the Bubboat)

View of the opposite side of the Clarke Quay from the river walk. I got caught in a sudden downpour, and unlike locals wasn’t carrying an umbrella. The sky quickly cleared and I dried off in 20 minutes.

The Dalhousie Obelisk, found along the river walk, was erected in commemoration of the visit of the Governor of India in the late 1800’s

Celebrating the year of the Pig

Singaporeans have a great sense of humour. They sell postcards, shirts and magnets poking fun at their fine country. Anything that won’t land you in jail may very well take a huge chunk of cash out of your wallet.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign.. and fines too!

I did get a little bit turned around in my wanders back to the Esplanade and normally wouldn’t have been concerned. The area is so calm and serene I could have sauntered through the streets for hours – unfortunately, I had a lunch date and an upcoming trip to the airport and couldn’t be delayed. I stopped a police woman and asked for directions. Not only did she point me where I needed to go, she walked with me to the turn in the road to make sure I was heading in the right direction.

Now that I’ve been to Singapore and know that Canadians don’t need to apply for a visitor visas before landing in this beautiful city/country, I’m plotting ways to return. While the cost of living in Singapore is high, the hotel accommodations are far more reasonably priced than similar rooms in most of India. I’ll need to start saving my pennies now to ensure the hubby and I can visit the city for a longer time in the near future.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Merlion, Esplanade, Clarke Quay, travel

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