March 24
Singapore
Noodles, vegetables and fish for breakfast, washed down with Chinese tea. The Sidewalk was quiet and a few mynah birds had come in to try their luck. I extracted my camera from its bag and readied myself to take a photo but they decided to go elsewhere before I had a chance.
Right: Another good breakfast |
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I caught the train to Tanah Merah and then a No 2 bus to Changi Village. The route appears to have changed since my last visit here, about five years ago.
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There were lots of new roads and lots of road works under way. Many of these had lanes which seemed almost too narrow for a bus. We did pass the Prison Chapel Museum and also the prison, itself. As ever, there was lots of barbed wire in evidence, marking both prison and military property. Quite a number of uniformed soldiers boarded the bus along the route.
I disembarked in Changi Village and immediately ordered an iced lime at the hawker centre. It was a mixture of limes, ice and hot water. Probably sugar, as well, but I didn't see it. A good drink for an increasingly hot morning.
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I passed the brewery - I wasn't impressed on my last visit - walked through the ferry terminal and to the start of the coastal walkway. This wasn't as long as I expected as the far end seemed to have been fenced off. There were good sea views, however, boats of all sizes, planes taking off from Changi and three dog walkers. All good fun.
I returned to the Hawker Centre, now filling for lunch, and ordered a chicken rendang. Not bad, with lots of both heat and flavour. I had a quick wander round some of the shops and then boarded the bus for Tampines.
This took about half an hour through the suburbs, during which time the skies darkened and rain looked imminent. The mall at Tampines used to be the largest outside the city centre. It may still be. It seemed like a good place to hide from the weather.
I looked but didn't buy, then sat beneath a skylight and had an iced lemon tea. The sun was blazing down on me. So much for the impending storm!
The train took me back to City Hall and I measured the distance from there back to the hotel. A whole 300 metres. I should be able to manage that with my bags tomorrow.
At the hotel, I had a brief rest and processed an email, asking me to confirm that I would be attending the restaurant for dinner.
My plan had been to cross the road to visit St Gregory's Armenian Church, one of the most beautiful in the city. Unfortunately, the gates were locked and there appeared to be a couple of builders' vans parked outside.
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I contented myself with photos of the Children's Museum. I'm sure this used to be the postal museum.
I retired to The Sidewalk for a coffee and a lump of pineapple. A strange mixture but I wanted neither too much food nor too much alcohol with an expensive meal due in the next two and a half hours.
Outside, it was still dark and there had been some impressive rumbles of thunder while I was in the hotel foyer. The rain will probably appear while I'm on my way to the restaurant tonight and while I'm carrying my bags to the station tomorrow.It rained for about half of my walk to the restaurant, then stopped and it became a nice evening. I replaced my umbrella in my back pack and all was well. |
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Coriander Leaf, in the Chijmes complex, is a classy restaurant. I ate here about five years ago and decided to have another go.
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I was perched on a stool directly overlooking the kitchen, so that I could watch the chefs close to. The food was good but not brilliant. The service was not just good. It was brilliant.
I selected the set menu of Syrian/Turkish food, some of the cost of which would go to the earthquake relief fund. The food lacked "bite" but was well presented. The dessert was wonderful. They even gave me a jar of harissa to take home.
I walked back to the hotel and started packing.