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Smeagol is off to Singapore, Burma and Bangkok

Smeagol is off to Singapore, Burma and Bangkok

Old Sep 2nd, 2011, 08:00 AM
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Monday

When I wake up it's raining so hard I can barely see outside. K said she hasn’t seen rain like this since she came back to live in SP in January! I feel really exhausted today and mooch around the house till about 11 and then walk to the nearest MRT. I get off at Orchard and go into Paragon In search of a couple of shops I like in there.
A quick drink in Project blood bros, a cute café on floor 4 and then off to ION which is a (yet another) new mall in Singapore. It’s still lashing it down with rain outside. I have an uninspiring lunch of crab chowder at the Marmalade pantry (an off moment for my normally trusty luxe guide) but I am too exhausted to go elsewhere. (jet lag seems to be really kicking in today) I wonder around some of the different malls but to be honest I feel like I am getting nowhere and (unusually for me) I am not in the mood for shopping I catch the MRT to city hall and walk to the Asian Civilisation Museum.

Its just S$5 entrance and they currently have a special exhibit with some of the terracotta warriors, I spend a lovely hour and half here looking at the fantastic exhibits starting with a history of Singapore and then looking at the different cultures in Asia. I would definitely recommend this place if you have some time to kill and are in need of an indoor fix.

I go for a coffee over by the Fullerton hotel (which is over the road from the ASM) it’s finally stopped raining I then decided to get a cab to china town to see if the Chinese temple is open (Thian Hock Keng). It isn’t but I take some pictures from the outside, I wonder up Amoy road and just stroll around some of the areas I haven’t yet been to in China town in my many previous visits and take some nice photos, past the wet market and along to the CBD to meet K at 6:15.

We walk to the hawker centre Lau Pa Sat which is housed in a Victorian building in the financial district. To me it seems for locals rather than farangs. We have sting ray, morning glory (to spicy for me) and some dim sum. The food is great and I like the fact its quick and easy. Not sure how much the rest was but the sting ray and morning glory came to S$22. If you are in this area its definitely worth eating here and the building itself is nice.
We get a cab over to a bar that K has heard about with a magician (Bar 84) which is situated in the gallery hotel. A friend of Ks said the magician is amazing and a must see. We get there just before 8 and whilst the bar is very cute we are the only people in there and they amazingly charge a S$10 patronage charge!!! We have a couple cocktails and our very own private magic show and no one else turns up!!! The magician is very very good but when he finishes after about 30 minutes we decide to go. I am very surprised to see a magic show charge S$10 on top of the S$10 patronage charge and suggest to K this is why they are empty!! We walk over to Robertson Quay where there are a few bars and have a drink outside. We talk a stroll and then get a little lost, finally finding hotel where we call a cab and wait (the taxi booking system here is so efficient) back to Ks. Not a truly adventurous day but I enjoyed it none the same.
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Old Sep 2nd, 2011, 03:24 PM
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great report... please keep it coming..

how is the 50+ man?
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Old Sep 2nd, 2011, 03:33 PM
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Following along - more, please.
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 12:31 AM
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Tuesday

Its mid morning again by the time I get going (still exhausted) the sun is really shining today and I grab a cab to the Botanic gardens. It’s busy at the café with tour groups but the gardens themselves are quiet. I always find it super peaceful here and find corners I haven’t explored before. The sound stage (shaped like a giant lily pad – I think) would be an amazing place to watch an orchestra and will definitely check into this for the next time I am in SP. There are new installations and considering its free it’s a great place to explore (you do have to pay to enter the Orchid gardens which I don’t go to) I’m probably here for an hour and a half.
I walk to the Orchard exit (not actually on Orchard) and walk up to Tanglin mall. It’s REALLY hot today. I have a quick pit stop at the Tanglin shopping centre then onto looking at the crafts etc in Tanglin Mall. Lots of shops seem to have disappeared since I was last here, I don’t buy anything but Tanglin mall has some nice antique shops (I would say its similar to River city mall in BKK but on a smaller scale). I walk along orchard and make yet another drink stop at a bar by the somerset MRT. I love the MRT in Singapore, like many in SE Asia they are clean, fairly cheap and efficient.

I get off at Raffles places and wonder round the area here. I then walk across to the esplanade (which is a lot further than I thought) and walk over to the Theatres on the bay, known locally as the Durians. It’s quite busy here and you can get some magnificent pictures of the theatres and the Marina bay sands complex. I sit on the bridge and people watch for a while (and get many request to take peoples photos – I also bizarrely end up in several snaps of a touring mainland Chinese family, who have me in photos with several members of their family including holding their wriggling toddler)
I walk over the bridge to the famous Merlion statue, in all the time I have been to SP I haven’t been here before. It’s crowded with tourists. I walk round the corner towards the new Fullerton Bay hotel (which is gorgeous and has one of the best lobby’s I have seen) and have a drink by customs house. This is quite a cute area for restaurants and bars. I am meeting K here shortly and her friends M & G who I have met before (they are from Singapore) at a tapas bar! (K liked the happy hour offer!) We all meet up, order tapas and drink 2 for 1 cocktails and watch the sun set!
K has booked a table at the lantern bar (which is on top of the Fullerton Bay hotel) for drinks at 9. We arrive early but this isn’t a problem and we get a table overlooking the Marina. WOW the views are fantastic and the bar is very stylish (sort of like a Bedouin tent) The British maitre ‘D is super attentive and all the staff are very friendly. Booking a table is a must but I would recommend a drink here for the views and cool surroundings. Sure the drinks aren’t cheap but it seems nothing is these days in SP (still way cheaper than the UK so I’m not complaining). M drives us home and it’s been great to catch up with old friends today.

I feel like I haven’t really done a lot in SP this time round but this is visit number 5 and I have already previously visited many of the “tourist” stuff but there are still many things on my list to do next year. (I have been feeling really tired this trip, I think the jetlag has gotten to me), no matter, K and I have a morning flight to Yangon tomorrow and we are both super excited to finally be going to Myanmar.
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 05:34 AM
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You should have charged the Chinese tourist for packing pictures with you!

Look forward to the Myanmar portion!
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 06:17 AM
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Keep writing...there are alot of us following. Any photos to go along with this story?
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 06:21 AM
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Karen check Nicky's Facebook wall. She has over 850 photos from her trip!
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 06:29 AM
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you may have not done anything specific in sin, but it sure sounds like you enjoyed the down time...
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 07:53 AM
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I'm enjoying your report. Like others, I can't wait for Burma!
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 09:43 AM
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Now Pook you know I only posted about 120 pictures LOL. Poor David did sit through all 847 photos the other night......
Just got in, I'll try and do a bit more In a bit, not sure how interesting it's going to be for those of you who have already been, we didn't do anything off the tourist trail!
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 07:35 PM
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fab pics, thanks...

maybe we need to return there and go up bagan way?
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 08:09 PM
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and Inle, too, Bob
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Old Sep 3rd, 2011, 10:20 PM
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Bagan is gorgeous, both K and I want to go back and Inle is high on the list. with K being only 2 hours away she will probably make it back quicker than I.
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Old Sep 4th, 2011, 07:25 AM
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>>>I feel like I haven’t really done a lot in SP this time round but this is visit number 5 and I have already previously visited many of the “tourist” stuff but there are still many things on my list to do next year.
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Old Sep 4th, 2011, 09:36 AM
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to quote andy: 'and the report continues, WHEN'?
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Old Sep 4th, 2011, 11:09 AM
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Looking forward to hearing about Myanmar
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Old Sep 4th, 2011, 11:55 AM
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Robert , Singapore is a definate for 2012, love it there. Now if only I could afford SQ business, I'll have to settle for business on BR to BKK and then Y class on SQ from BKK... More to follow promise, busy this weekend.
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Old Sep 9th, 2011, 03:30 PM
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I'd be interested in your experience in Burma. It's always nice to know what other travellers have experienced, even if it is not much different from what others have posted. Please continue your TR for the benefit of those of us who are going in the future. It seems like there will be quite a few of us there in January.
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Old Sep 9th, 2011, 05:08 PM
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we all are busy this weekend TOO, but we would find time to read your continued report--tell HRH harry to do the cooking while you type
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Old Sep 9th, 2011, 05:10 PM
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shelleyk I think you will have already traveled to Burma by the time Smeagol finishes her trip report.
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