Singapore Day 19

Greenery at Raffles,

construction across the street

Doorman at Raffles

Back to work and school for the Hayre-Lewis family, and we decided to go to the famous Raffles Hotel. After a lazy morning with me coughing and blowing my nose from my cold, we phoned for a taxi and set off for Raffles.

Named after the founder of Singapore, Sir David Stamford Raffles, the hotel was started in 1887 and except for expanding, looks pretty much like it did in 1899. Hotel guests are greeted at the entrance by a Sikh doorman, all in white.   I must say he was a very nice looking man too. Floors are tile with lots of open space and little nooks with greenery. It would be nice to stay here, but if the prices are anything like the gift shop it is way out of my price range.

Raffles corridor

Since the goal of this expedition was to have a Singapore Sling in the place it was invented, off we went to the “Long Bar,” which has been patronized over the decades by a host of literati, including Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham, and more recently by such as Michael Jackson.

Tanis and her Sling

The Sling is a gin and cherry brandy with fruit juice, topped with pineapple and a maraschino cherry. I had mine virgin, but Tanis had the real thing. “Good, but not worth S$28,” is Tanis' opinion. Eaten with peanuts, whose shells are thrown on the floor, it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Civilian War Memorial

We then walked to the Civilian War Memorial which honors those killed during the Japanese invasion and occupation of Singapore during WW II. It states “Memorial to the Civilian Victims of the Japanese Occupation 1942-1945” in English, Tamil, Mandarin and Malay on the bottom.

After taking another taxi back, we were invited for dinner at Sheila's. There we had an all time Singapore favorite, wait for it, wait for it.....tacos. Lorna, who is Sheila and Pericles' domestic worker, certainly knows how to cook. We said good bye, as all will be at work/school tomorrow when we leave.

Maya

Singapore Day 18

25 to 50 meters high!

Cold and wet

Tanis and I are on our own today, as Pericles has a Model United Nations to attend, and Sheila has a meeting with domestic workers about their rights in Singapore. We decided to go to Gardens by the Bay near the cruise ship terminal. The most notable aspect of this garden has got to be the giant “supertrees” which can be seen from everywhere, but it also has two huge enclosures, one containing a cloud forest and the other flowers.

Walking into the cloud forest is a shock, not only because it is cold, but also because you enter facing a 35m waterfall. This is a very well done display in a dome that is all glass. The glass is suspended from ribs that go around the building. The display includes plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-meters above sea level.

Baobab tree

Click here for the 360 view of the Cloud Forest by Roy Chuang. (I hope that this hyperlink transfers to blogspot.)

After climbing to the top of the mountain and coming down again, Tanis and I went to the Flower Dome. This was somewhat anti-climatic after the Cloud Forest. The most interesting display was the baobab trees from Australia, Africa and Madagascar. Huge trees too, must have taken some effort to transport them to Singapore and then plant them and have them grow.

Flower Dome-largest columnless area in world

Another view of supertrees

By this time we were pretty beat so we went to the food court near the supertrees, with a choice of Chinese, pizza, spicy Malay, hamburgers, sandwiches and such, we chose Texas Chicken, which looked like a US chain. We had regular chicken (not spicy...which has five kinds of chilli on it) cole slaw, strange biscuits which had sugar on the outside, and a drink.

Refreshed somewhat, we walked to the entrance and took an audio shuttle around the park to see what we had missed...and did we miss a lot. There are gardens around the central supertrees spaces, about ten altogether, not to mention the various lakes and ponds. It would take at least two more days to do the garden justice. Reluctantly we left as we were both hot and tired. Taxi home and a quiet evening.

Iconic Singapore hotel Marina Bay Sands

Outside the domes, a carved lion

Tanis on skywalk,  not me!!

Singapore Day 17

Sheila, Tanis and I ventured to Little India in the east part of Singapore this morning. As it is Saturday it was fairly busy, but nothing compared to tomorrow, according to Sheila, as Sunday is when all the Indian construction workers are off work. Then it gets really crowded.

Tons of gold shops, many run by Chinese. I found a pair of earrings I liked, but price wasn't acceptable (gold price is really high) and we couldn't reach a deal. Tanis and I did get some nice blouses for S$6, which works out to about US$4.80. We walked quite a distance, looking at things, including suits for Sheila, who is going to India in February, but didn't buy any more than some dal and spices.

We had lunch at a South Indian restaurant, dosa and sambal and a bunch of stuff I didn't recognize. Tasty and not too hot; Tanis is rather fearless for a self-confessed wimp tongue, and didn't burn her mouth much.

Taxi back to NUS, then we went swimming at the college pool, very cool and relaxing.

Had a lovely Thai dinner in Singapore tonight, hot, but not too hot. Like I said before, Tanis is more adventurous that she give herself credit for.

Entrance to tons of clothing

A spice grinding store

A statue on the Hindu temple

Our tray of food

More food

Interesting sign at an intersection

Pani puri, what I would call gol gappas

Infinity pool at NUS

Outside of the Hindu temple

Singapore Day 16

The entrance to the Yale-NUS office

Disembarking was extremely easy and fast, as we did not have to wait at all, but walked right off the ship and through Singapore immigration. Down to the bottom floor to get our luggage and customs, then a taxi to Sheila's apartment.

No one was answering their phones (yes, my phone does work in Singapore, with a global sim card) so I went looking and ended up in Pericles' office, where his secretary took me up to his apartment to get the key. All this was in the same building, while Tanis sat and watched our luggage outside. We are in a very nice apartment used for college visitors, with a full kitchen, ceiling fans and air conditioning. Wireless included, but somewhat unreliable, as it keeps kicking us off. In addition, we are about 25' from Pericles and Sheila's apartment.

Sheila and Pericles

We walked through the NUS (National University of Singapore) campus to a convenience store to get some things, including cough syrup for Tanis, got lost on the way back, but made it just fine. Rested until everyone was home.

A very tasty dinner

We had a very nice dinner at Sheila's and finally met Siddhartha, but Maya was at a sleep-over, so we won't see her until tomorrow.

Siddhartha

Singapore Day 15

Franciso, a pastry chef, and Raggie

Another day at sea. We won trivia one more time with the Aussies, and had an interesting time learning how to make Fettuccine Alfredo in Parmesan Baskets and Gamberi Alla Fra Diavolo along with chocolate mousse with red fruit compote. This was demonstrated to us by the head chef, Raggie Saldanha and Maitre d'hotel Franciso Patricio. They make a good comedy team. After this we went on a quick tour of the galley. It takes 460 crew members to cook and serve every day! Who knew?

We are now packing, and next post will be from Singapore at Sheila and Pericles' home.

A butcher cutting up chicken

Singapore Day 14

Endless corridors on the ship

Relaxing day at sea. We won two games of trivia and Tanis went to a presentation of Thomas Kinkade paintings. Formal night tonight, with lobster, which followed a “Meet the Captain” cocktail party.

Another day at sea tomorrow, during which we must pack our suitcases and have them out in the hallway by 8PM.

Figure this out...small boat in the middle of nowhere,
small island with a white picket fence.  I surely
don't know.

Singapore Day 13

Lambok from our balcony

Tendering from the ship

Lombok today. More primitive than Bali and more Muslim, although there is a large Hindu presence here because the old Balinese kingdom used to control the island. Lombok has much more poverty than Bali (and more trash piles, ala India), but kids and adults too waved to us as we went by. We went on an excursion to the “Craft Villages of Lombok.” not quite what it was advertised to be but interesting nonetheless.

Pretty pony
Cidomos

In the rain, we stopped at the village of Banyumulek where pottery is made. Somewhat of a disappointment as we did not see much pottery being made but did get besieged by hoards of vendors with junk jewelry. Very persistent and rude. The best part was the cidomos ride to and from the village (chiefly because the road is too narrow for the buses). Cidomos are pony carts which carry 2-3 passengers and the driver. Quite fun for us.

A tight squeeze

Leaving Banyumulek we drove north to Gunongsari, purported to be a village of woodcarvers. We did not go to a village but to an “art center,” which was vendors selling all sorts of things, not necessarily wood. At least they were not as rude as the ones previously. Massive traffic jam leaving the art center, but finally back to the ship.

At sea for the next two days, then Singapore.

Waving kids everywhere

Hand planted rice

Singapore Day 12

During the night we crossed the Wallace line, Jac. This, for the rest of you, is an imaginery line drawn in 1869 by Alfred Russel Wallace to divide the Asian flora and fauna from the Australian fauna and flora, and it is between Bali and Lombok. This actually anticipated the plate tectonics and continental drift theory. Apparently the Lombok Strait is one of the deepest bodies of water in the world, and quite rough. We are actually sailing past Lombok to get to Komodo Island, and then we start back and stop in Lombok on Day 14.

At Komodo Island today, which is actually an Indonesian National Park as well as a World Heritage Site. I would like to visit all of the World Heritage Sites but I don't think this is going to happen.

Two 10' males unhappy with each other

Tanis very much wanted to see the dragons, which are really very large monitor lizards, but I had no desire to go on the trek to see them. I stayed on board ship while Tanis went on shore with my camera so she could take pictures. She came back drenched in sweat but happy with pictures for me.

"Man-eater" sunning himself
Actually, no deaths by dragon since the 1980's

Notice the stick used to protect the tourists!!!

Although they can run pretty fast

Singapore Day 11

Supy

Today's offering in the car

Up very bright and early as we only have half a day in Bali. Breakfast in the stateroom at 6:20; coffee, fruit and egg McMuffins, although they're not called egg mcmuffins on the menu.

Caught an early tender and met Supy.

Our first stop was at a Mahabharata statue just outside the port. Since Bali is 95% Hindu, unlike the rest of Indonesia, which is 90+% Muslim, there are lots and lots of statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, but this statue is bigger than most. It is a fight called Karna-Ghatotkacha from the Mahabharata, an ancient text of India.  Google it if you want to know more.

Inside the Hindu Temple

Front of the Buddhist Temple

Our next stop was at a temple complex...but not just Hindu. This area had next to each other the Hindu Temple, a Protestant Christian Church, a Buddhist Temple, a Catholic Church, and a Mosque, which was under construction. Talk about acceptance, wish this occurred everywhere, not just in Bali.

Lotus

Down memory lane for Tanis, we drove to the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel where she had stayed when she was here before on the Bali quilting tour. This is a lovely modern hotel built for the tourist trade in lush grounds with lots of vegetation and picturesque pools.

After shopping in a mall and an open air market (mostly clothes) we drove to the beach, ate some more mangosteen, mango and rambutan, and were back on the ship by 1:00. Had a great time in Bali, had a great guide in Supy, and would definitely come back again.

Stone carvers..
EVERYWHERE

Entrance Gates...
into villages, at homes,
represent two halves
of a mountain, important
in Bali

 



 These are called penjor, and are erected for celebrations and festivals, and are found on all the streets in Bali.

Sunset leaving Bali