Day 19: Gardens by the bay, shopping in Singapore and Chili Crab eating

After what was the best sleep of the trip, we decided to start the day with a visit to the infinity pool. Unfortunately, the city was covered in haze due to a fire in Indonesia but, even with this thick gray layer, the views were astonishing. We spent there a good hour, surprised twice by some fighter jets passing only a few meters above our heads at full speed. Adam and his camera was not fast enough to capture the happening, but the three F-15 Eagles causing the 200 meter high triple-towers to tremble is a heart-pumping experience (See something similar on youtube).

But enough of pampering, it was our last day in the city and we had to make the most of it.



Once we checked out we went to visit the gardens behind the hotel called Gardens by the bay. It has lots of giant tree-like structures and three big pavilions with lots of flora inside. We decided to visit two of them. The first one had a “compilation” of plants that grow all over the world and the second one is full of beautiful orchids and has a waterfall inside. Outside the pavilions, between two of the giant tree structures, at about 100m high, there is a walking path we were about to take. Unfortunately, it was closed because of the haze so we had to skip it.

  

Following the recommendation of Karyn and Mable, we went to the city with a clear target in mind: Shopping!  Around Bugis Junction there is a commercial center and a big market full of small stands with clothes, accessories, food and lots of local shoppers. The commercial centers are full of known shops like Zara, Pull & Bear and Esprit but they are much more expensive than in Europe due to the import/export taxes. In contrary to that, the markets are quite cheap and you can find all what the cute Singaporean girls are wearing ;) Next to Bugis, in the Kampong Glam area, you can find the Arab neighborhood with two or three nice streets full of shops with pricy clothes from independent designers. On the Arab street there are lots of textile shops and some Muslim clothing stores and in Muskat street you can find the Masjid Sultan, one of the most important Mosques in the city built in 1826.



Despite of the big variety, we didn't buy so much since we only had our backpacks and a plane ticket with hand luggage only. Just one thing more about shopping in Singapore, in the markets and in lots of shops around them, you cannot try anything on before buying! At the beginning it was really annoying for me but after feeling the consequences of heat and humidity myself, I could perfectly understand why it is like this.

Our last dinner in the city couldn't have been more special. We went to have Chili Crab at the No Signboard Seafood Restaurant near Huang´s place. Well, I will just say that after I couldn't feel my mouth for about 15 minutes… just check the pictures ;)



On the way to Huang´s place we bought a “surgical mask”. We just didn’t want to be different from the locals who were really worried about their health because of the haze. Of course, we ended up having fun instead of using it the proper way.


When we got back to Huang´s place, we had the chance to meet his wife, Noah. She is a very friendly Taiwanese, full of energy and happiness. We stayed up until late talking about lots of things and we were so lucky to see Huang´s collection of Absolut Vodka bottles. When we went to sleep and prepare our things for the flight next morning (my backpack was so full ;)), I asked Adam if we could stay longer or maybe for a long period of time. Singapore is a very nice city. We will come back for sure. Thank you guys!

Day 18: Sentosa and the Marina Bay Sands

We started our second morning in Singapore packing again. This time we needed only our swimsuits and our pajamas because we were going to spend the night in the Marina Bay Sands complex. A room in the world´s most expensive standalone casino property was waiting for us and so were the views from its rooftop infinity pool.

To start the day properly Huang took us to have a typical Singaporean breakfast. I had two delicious Kaya toasts, bread with coconut custard jam and butter, (worth to give it a try) accompanied with some eggs that, supposedly, had to be cooked in a jar with hot water. Of course, when I cracked them they were no cooked at all and I couldn't avoid putting a funny face causing Huang to burst into laughs. I think he will never forget me because of that. Adam had some Japanese Noodle soup with Milo (typical Singaporean drink that is basically milk and chocolate powder).



With our bellies full of food, we headed to Sentosa. In this other post Adam explains what you can find there. Of course, we updated the pictures on the tip of the famous palm tree and we had a sandwich in one of the bars next to the beach.



After the beach, it was time to go and check our hotel room at the MBS. We had booked the room three months before and we were really disappointed when they wanted to give us a room on the second floor of one of the towers and without bay view. Luckily, Adam started complaining and we quickly got upgraded, still no bay view but we would be staying in a room on the 19th floor of the middle tower that happened to be a Junior Suite. It was incredible! The room was bigger than our flat in Munich. We had our own soundproofed TV-room, a big bathtub, a huge bed, a living room with an American kitchen and two small balconies. We didn't have bay view but we could admire the incredible Gardens that, contrary to what Adam wrote in his old post, had been recently built behind the complex.



A quick shower and some pictures later, we went to have dinner with two friends of Adam: Karyn and Mable. We had a pizza in a restaurant with live music but, since we couldn't hear each other and since we had two extra passes for the infinity pool, we decided to head back to the hotel and spent the rest of the night there. We enjoyed the swimming pool, its views, the cool water and the chats with the girls. Good night Singapore, see you tomorrow!

Day 17: Singapore, the Lion city

A fluffy, small and white thing called Yakao (toothpaste in English), that happened to be Huang´s dog, welcomed us to start our first day in Singapore. After some indications from our host, we headed to the Sim Lim Store, a “must visit” place for everybody who, like us, loves technology and gadgets. We spent there the whole morning checking phones, computers and tablets and had lunch in the food court in the basement. Some pig organ soup was on the menu but we chose to eat something less… how to say… peculiar? :P



After lunch it was time for some real sightseeing. We walked around Little India, Chinatown and Clarke Quay, getting lost among the restaurants, shops and bars. I couldn't stop admiring the incredible buildings, the cleanliness of the streets, the glamour of the local girls and the politeness that flows from every citizen. It is true that Singapore is full of rules, fines and laws that seem strange to us but, sincerely, without all these rules, the city wouldn't be what it is today.

       

Next to Chinatown there is a little food market where we finally found some Durians already sliced up to little portions. Adam already talked about them and their strong smell in his former post, but this time… we tasted them. It has a soft consistency; it is sweet but at the same time tasteless and, after eating, your breath smells exactly like the fruit: basically, you smell like fart... Huang told us that you have to try it at least 5 times to like it, well, what can I say? I had enough with one bite.



After sunset, we went to the Marina Bay Sands hotel for the incredible light, music and laser show. We stayed around until late waiting for Ankitt and Arendt, two friends of Adam he had met in his last visit to the city with Paul. While waiting, we discovered a restaurant called Catalunya, named after the part of Spain where I come from, and we saw the emblem of the city: the head of a Lion. Why is a head of a Lion the symbol of Singapore? Let me tell you. In the 13th-century, a prince from Indonesia was shipwrecked and washed ashore to an island. There, he thought he saw a lion so he named the island "Singa Pura" which in Malay means “Lion City”. From that, the name “Singapore” was derived.