Since we are just shy of 6 months in the
pregnancy, we decided to take a quick trip to Singapore for a weekend before
Kat was no longer allowed to travel. Surprisingly although there is quite a lot
of choice regarding airline and departure time, it is a popular route and
therefore not as cheap as I might have thought despite being a short flight.
The good news is that Singapore and Manila are in the same time zone, so there
are no problems with changing watches and the like.
Before starting on this, I should say that
it would be unfair to m
ake a direct comparison between Singapore and The Philippines as they have taken different developmental paths since the end of their colonial era and there are also significant cultural differences, but it is impossible not to be impressed by the orderliness, cleanliness and feeling of security when out and walking the streets. Also the mass transit systems (MRT and busses) work well and on time with fast and easy access to the trains although they can get busy especially during rush hour.
ake a direct comparison between Singapore and The Philippines as they have taken different developmental paths since the end of their colonial era and there are also significant cultural differences, but it is impossible not to be impressed by the orderliness, cleanliness and feeling of security when out and walking the streets. Also the mass transit systems (MRT and busses) work well and on time with fast and easy access to the trains although they can get busy especially during rush hour.
Our departure from Manila was pretty much
as expected, we had checked in online and so were able to shortcut some of the
process at the desks, although needed to show our ID documents and demonstrate
we had the correct papers and I needed to obtain an Emigration Clearance
Certificate (seems like an excuse to charge us foreigners money to travel) there
was an express lane fee, despite there being only one lane and nobody in front
of me, I was still charged P500 on top of the terminal departure tax fee!!
NAIA 2 is somewhat better than T1, the one
that has been labelled the worst or nearly worst airport in the world, by dint
of being newer, although it has a long way to go before rivalling Hong Kong or
even T4 at Heathrow, let alone T5. There is little space for shops and so most
passengers just sit around and wait, something of a lost opportunity I think.
We arrived a little after 1pm, and once
clear of immigration (a stress free process for both of us) we withdrew some
cash from an ATM and then took a cab to the hotel, which was down near the
docks. The ride was smooth and traffic free, Kat remarked on the width of the
roads and the absence of jeepneys and tricycles, she also noted the regulations
regarding the taxi fares and the penalties for not paying them (6 months in
gaol and or S$1000). We were checked in and offered an upgrade to our room,
which meant we were on a higher and more exclusive floor, the view was
interesting if not overly scenic being of the commercial harbour area.
After a short rest we made our way via the
MRT to the Orchard Road area for our first experience of shopping. I had a
particular item in mind and having done some research had identified a number
of shops where I could avail myself of this device at a good price. The shop
was a considerable walk from the MRT station, but the signposts were plentiful
and clear so we didn’t have a problem finding it. After a short negotiation with
the shop keeper, who was trying to sell me accessories as well as the phone I
had bought, his offer was “But already I am not making a profit on the deal”,
mine was rather more absolute “That’s all the money I have with me!” so we
agreed to disagree and I didn’t buy the additional cover……
I had made a reservation at a
bar/restaurant a short distance away near Clarke Quay (a couple of MRT rides
away, it is very similar to the London Underground, making use of RFID cards
which you load with a cash value and tap in and out to get through the
turnstiles, I didn’t see any paper tickets). We arrived at our chosen
restaurant, which we had seen on a TV programme a few weeks earlier and decided
we should check it out, a little early so I took advantage of the wait to have
a couple of pints of their own micro-brewed beer, the first of which was
something like 7.5%ABV, rather more than the 4% of SM Light that I am now
accustomed to. Our table was next to a small canal area, which provided a
cooling breeze, the food was excellent, my burger was cooked to my liking and
the chips (French Fries) were soft inside but crispy on the outside. I had by
now switched to a much lighter beer since I really can’t handle it like I used
to.
On the Saturday there was a bit more
shopping to be done before we went off to do some sight seeing, we had a full
agenda for the day, including visiting Little India for lunch, the marina area
and hopefully the Singapore Flyer later on, maybe in time for sunset. Once
again we made use of the MRT to get across town, although we didn’t hit quite
the right part of Little India, we had a good look around and bought lunch of a
biryani and chicken curry from a vendor we had watched making naan breads,
something I have since tried and found harder than it looks. After lunch we
went over the marina area. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel really is quite
impressive with the structure on the roof housing the garden and pool area, we
didn’t go up there as I thought it was a bit expensive just to get a view and
have a drink at over S$20 pp. Instead we took some photos and went to the
Gardens By The Bay for a look around. We unfortunately arrived just as it
started to rain so some areas were shut down for safety, but we did get to see
quite a lot, visiting the Cloud Forest (which you would expect to be really hot
and humid as it is a huge greenhouse, but it isn’t and was very comfortable!). We
then visited the Shoppes by the Bay (yes shoppes!) that is a very high-end mall
adjacent to the Bay Sands hotel. It was a bit like Bond Street in London with
many items un-priced and you know what they say about that don’t you – if you
have to ask the price, you can’t afford it!! 
After a cup of most refreshing
Earl Grey tea, we walked over to the Flyer; although it was visible, it turned
out to be almost 1km away and by now both of us were suffering from sore feet
which turned out to be small blisters. We made it to the Flyer and were able to
board almost immediately, a little too early for sunset, but as it turned out
with more rain on the way we got one of the last flights for some time. The
view was great from the gondola; Kat is not a fan of heights and so sat in the
middle for most of it, odd when you hark back to her delight at the
parascending during our honeymoon. It was only then that I realised we had been
walking on the track for the Singapore GP as you could see some of the markings
from above.
Afterwards we had dinner, much like lunch,
from a vending stall, but this time Chinese in the form of crispy duck and rice
and a large Tiger beer for me!! We thought we could get the MRT back to Tanjong
Pagar, the station near our hotel, but finding the Promenade station near the
Flyer was more difficult that we had anticipated in the dark, and by now, rain. Eventually on the advice of some people we stopped to ask (yes, I have now stopped by such an English man, refusing to ask for directions) for help, they suggested the Esplanade Mall station, which was by now closer. However on reflection of the discomfort I was feeling and Kat was obviously feeling as she was limping, I offered to get us a taxi instead, she eventually agreed.
Sunday was a bit of a wash out, the weather
was atrocious with torrential rain most of the day. We stayed in to watch some
TV in our room (a total waste of being in Singapore, but then it was more about
time together than running around shops and stuff). We popped out for lunch and
to top up our cash reserves, food and drink are quite expensive in Singapore.
It was at this time that I bought a copy of Top Gear magazine and realised
there is a huge tax on owning a car on the island. Something like a minimum of
S$70,000 (£34,460 or PHP2.43M) for a Certificate of Entitlement, which is valid
for 10 years, then you have to re-register the vehicle, or get another. Now I
ask you, who is going to spend £35,000 licencing a 10-year-old car??? And that
is on top of any import duty and costs of shipping. It explained the lack of
old cars and vans on the roads, however not the relative lack of motorbikes
etc. this must mean the MRT is an effective public transport system.
Later in the day we set off to meet Don a
friend of Kat’s who I had last seen almost 4 years earlier and Kat probably not
for 3 years. He is now working in Singapore and is enjoying life with Vanessa his new
fiancée. We met up at Harry’s bar in the Esplanade mall, where we had been only
the night before; I had a couple of cans of proper Guinness, which was really
nice for a change. Don guided us outside to an area where vendors sold food
from small stalls; you can pick and choose what you want from any of them with
no assigned seating. The food was excellent and it was great to catch up after
so long. After dinner we walked down to the bay side and watched the light show
before we parted company for Kat and I to return back to the hotel.
The next morning we got up early for
breakfast and to get to the airport for our 10:30 flight. The journey was easy,
even on a Monday morning with light traffic on the roads. The airport itself is
clean and tidy with a good selection of shops and food outlets both ground and
airside. Check-in was simplicity itself with no terminal fees or other taxes to
pay separately (why can’t NAIA just abandon the fee rather than all this
messing about trying to integrate it into the ticket price?) I managed to buy a
couple of small items to use up the majority of my remaining S$, after buying
couple of drinks I have only $5 left, total result!!
As we waited for boarding, Kat asked me
whether I would like to return to Singapore some time, on reflection of the
short time we were there, I have to say that I would like to do so and
experience those bits we didn’t get to see in the 3 days we were there and also
to shop more. I very much liked the orderliness, cleanliness, sense of safety
despite the apparent lack of visible police presence, the total ease of getting
from place to place and the sheer range of shops and gadgets on sale, a sharp
contrast to the Philippines and Manila in particular. However, having said
that, there is a lot of SE Asia that we haven’t seen yet and so unless there is
a compelling need (work for example) Singapore may have to drop down the list
whilst we experience Japan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia
and China and don’t forget we still have to visit the UK with our little one
sometime too…….
