February 5
Singapore
I slept for three hours, woke for an hour, slept for a further four hours and then dozed. Not a bad return for the first night so I should be fit to face the day.
 |
 |
|
|
The completion of the Funan Mall has not improved the view from my bedroom. At least when it was under construction, I could watch the men and machines working a few hundred feet below.
It was warm and a bit cloudy outside, there's a surprise, and I enjoyed noodles, tea and pineapple at The Sidewalk for breakfast.
I left there at about 09.00 and the Indian Heritage Centre didn't open until 10.00. The obvious solution was to walk there, a distance which turned out to be about three kilometres along two busy and straight roads.
The journey took me past Raffles, recently re-opened after a couple of years renovations. Unfortunately, this resulted in the removal of Ah Teng's Bakery and its replacement with a normal café.
The Bakery was housed in a beautifully panelled room, the loss of which is criminal. There are also now some very strange sculptures on display.
Bugis, once the home of all things transvestite, is now a shopping Mecca and has its own street market. I looked at some of the stalls which were great fun but I wasn't shopping.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The area has a number of spiral staircases which are very photogenic. The shops are excellent.
Little India is loud, colourful and untidy. The antithesis of most of Singapore. I wandered around, looked at the buildings and the shops and waited for a few minutes for the Indian Heritage Centre to open.
 |
 |
|
|
The display was interesting but not exciting. Lots of gold and silver, some statues and architectural bits and a lot of history of the Indian community in Singapore.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
On the way back to the main road, I found the canal/river and a couple of very interesting churches, one Methodist and one Roman Catholic. The latter was delightful. A beautiful space, both tranquil and aesthetically pleasing.
On the edge of the Arab Quarter, I stopped at the end of Haji Lane for a much needed iced tea. The temperature had risen in the bright sunshine although there was a welcome breeze.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The Malay Heritage Centre must be in one of the most beautiful buildings in Singapore. Originally built 160 years ago by Sultan Ali, the son of Sultan Hussein Shah, Istana Kampong Glam was once the royal seat of the Malay sultans in Singapore. Fronted by lawns and fountains, it is elegant in the extreme. Interestingly, I saw no mention of the ill fated Malaysian Federation and Lee Kwan Yu's role in its downfall. The main part of the building is obviously considered a temple as I was not permitted to wear shoes.
Leaving the Centre, I passed in front of the Mosque and down a lane packed with Turkish and Lebanese restaurants. Most seemed to be doing a roaring trade.
I ignored the pleas from the restaurateurs to dine with them and went round the corner to a small Vietnamese place. This was almost hippyish in style but I had a perfectly satisfactory banh mi and a cold lemongrass and ginger drink, slightly too sweet.
Right: A Banh Mi |
 |
I started to walk back to the hotel but decided to take the train from Bugis. The station is so large, almost Hong Kong sized - that I might as well have walked all of the way. After having walked about ten kilometres in the day, however, I deserved a rest and fell fast asleep once I was back at the hotel.
Some time before 18.00, I had my customary beer at The Sidewalk and then walked up North Bridge Road, almost a kilometre to Purvis Street, home to a long row of restaurants. Jai Thai, where I normally have a meal on my stays here, is a good but basic Thai. I had a Penang curry and some vegetables with brown rice and tea. Not too unhealthy.
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
I walked slowly back down Beach Road, stopping to admire the newly refurbished Raffles and the lights of the CBD on my way.
Back at the hotel, I collected emails and organised my photos.