Four Continents 2012

Singapore: 18-21 August

		The adventure begins at Sydney airport. Our A380 is towed from its parking position to the gate. *
		Nick getting settled for the flight. *
		When we arrived in Singapore, it was raining heavily and this was the view from our hotel's rooftop bar. †
		It cleared up a bit, and we were able to get to a nearby little restaurant and have some fairly authentic Chinese food. *
		The next day was fine, and we went to Boat Quay and looked at the waterfront on the Singapore River. †
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		Cavanagh Bridge: the oldest bridge across the river, and now reserved for pedestrians. *
		But use of the bridge was always restricted. †
		There are bronze statues of Singapore's past along Boat Quay. †
		And going over its edge. *
		There are interesting shops along Boat Quay. *
		And restaurants for every taste, including any British visitors. *
		The symbol of Singapore (at least, according to the tourist brochures) is the Merlion: half lion and half mermaid. *
		Its offspring, the Mercub, is rather more approachable. *
		One of the more extraordinary buildings in Singapore is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. We suspect it was built just because it was possible. *
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		The top has palm trees and a swimming pool *
		We preferred rather more traditional hotels, such as the Raffles. *
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		Or the Fullerton, near the river, where we had an excellent and not very expensive lunch one day. *
		Or you could see both at once. *
		We visited the Asian Civilizations Museum, with artifacts from all over Asia. *
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		One day, we visited the Little India area and saw this typical street scene. †
		There were colourful shops. *
		And a very confused bar with staff in topees and decoration that included tigers, elephants, a black panther, Tarzan and a Native American. But it served a very refreshing lime juice. *
		In the Little India area, we visited the Sri Veeramakaliammam Temple with its typical Hindu decoration. †
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		This is said to be the house of the only Chinese merchant to live in little India. *
		Another day, in Chinatown we visited the Sri Mariammam Temple, where we were privileged to see a short service. *
		Decoration on the outside of the Temple. †
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		Just down the street was the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. *
		There was much that we did not understand in this Temple, but it was richly decorated. *
		A nearby market street was decorated with paper lanterns. †
		Then it started to rain, and we took refuge in a restaurant. †
		We often travelled in the Singapore MTR, which is clean and efficient. *
		The pedestrian passageway linking Bayfront MTR station with the Marina Bay Hotel. Sydney public transport planner please note the spacious walkway and quality finishes. *
		Under the Marina Bay Hotel is a shopping centre with some remarkable things on display. *
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		Inside the shopping centre there is a waterfall. Those seeking a new experience can be paddled round the waterfall in small boats. *
		From above, the waterfall is a swirling whirlpool. Nick took a short movie. *
		Near Marina Bay Sands are the Gardens by the Bay, with some interesting metal sculptures. †
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		Perhaps the most interesting are this forest of metal trees. *
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		At night, they are lit up. †
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		Night view of the Singapore Flyer from Gardens by the Bay. *

From Singapore, we flew with Lufthansa to Frankfurt, then on to Turkey.