Travelling again

[happy daze john in oz]

SINGAPORE

Living only 15 minute drive from the airport has its’ benefits, there is no need to spend any more time there than is needed. A 7.5-hour flight to Singapore is a gentle stroll compared with some flights of greater distance.

A comfortable aircraft with most pleasing crew, apart from one lady who for some reason to take exception to us. We were into the flight when the lady in question arrived with the drinks trolley. ‘Would you like a drink sir’ she asked, is the Pope a Catholic? For me a very cold Tiger beer, for her a glass of white wine.
Returning to collect the empties she enquired would I care for a refill. As a young man my mother instructed me never to refuse any reasonable request form a lady. By the time we arrived in Singapore I was just finishing Pope mark ten, and her mark seven. On observation I noticed no other passenger in the close proximity to us had been treated in this manner. Why we were singled out for such treatment remains a mystery, obviously this hostess from time to time picks out passengers for her ‘treatment’.

Singapore, a most wonderful city, much like a young maiden, well developed and so beautifully assembled. A pristine city which lives and breathes a live of its’ own each and every day. So different now to the city of yester year, the city that so many of us knew then. Long gone the days when Orchard Road and Raffles Hotel were the main attractions.

The airport is the second busiest behind Heathrow, but one must allow plenty of time when arriving to book in. It take some 30 minutes to walk from one end to the other, but along the way signs telling the traveller how much further and how long it will take to arrive at their designated departure point. Toilet facilities at one minute walking distances mark the way, coffee points are plenty but the most amazing part is the width of the walkways. Despite the number of persons there, room to move is plentiful and the cleanliness is something to be applauded.

The public transport system is something that many countries could and should copy; it is efficient, cheap, clean and very reliable. The trains are similar to those of the London underground but with hard seats, no Graffiti and no one on their phone. No open platforms here, but behind glass doors passengers await the train, an un-maned one, which stops in line with the glass doors, opening in time with the train doors. All passengers behaving in a most civilised manner, a pleasant change from some countries where courtesy died long ago. The Singapore laws are strict, laws which
All respect as punishment in Singapore is in many cases to the extreme.

The road system copes extremely well with the number of vehicles, leaving the airport to the cruise terminal takes 15 minutes at a cost of only $20. It consists of part freeway purpose built with a 4-kilometre tunnel at the end, one of the most efficient travel means I have been with.
We took the open top bus for a city tour, taking in all the sites of great interest, all the city sights, some very good looking buildings of unusual design but pleasing on the eye.

From there we went to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This is located close by the Singapore version of the London Eye, but this ons stands some 30 meters taller. Whilst that gives a great view across the city, the view from the hotel is stunning.
Take the lift to the 56^th floor for a charge of $20, your photograph is taken prior to entering the lift, within one minute you are on the 56^th floor and leaving the lift you are greeted with a copy of your photograph in a very nice folder, all for the lowly sum of $80US!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very few takers.

The view from the viewing platform is one of the best anywhere in the world. You can see across most of Singapore from one end to the other. View the hotels, office blocks and apartment blocks of which there are so many, very few here live in small houses there is just not the room. In the harbour just below the hotel a floating soccer field complete with supporters stands for about 5,000.

But the view across the bay is something else, in and around the bay area some 500 ships wait at anchor. Some as small as 3,000 tons for local trade, up to massive container ships of 300,000 tons. General freighters, bulk carriers, tankers and super tankers the length of which I have never seen before. All wait for a berth to load or discharge their cargo. Singapore must surely be on eof the busiest ports across the globe, acting as a pivotal point for the entire Asia Pacific region. It is a port where many ships sit and await a cargo, or come into for repairs, the dry dock facilities are quoted as some of the best available. Many of the cruise ships use them as they are efficient working 24/7 unlike some countries where the working day is cut to just 8 hours.

The cruise terminal, built jointly by Singapore Government, Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruise companies is one of the best there is. Built to take two at a time and with the most up to date control systems available. So plentiful are the facilities that one can be processed in as little as ten minutes, a far cry from the 30 in similar terminal in Sydney.

Singapore is certainly a city in which one could comfortably live, however the cost of living there is amongst the highest across the globe.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi John
Welcome back to terra firma mate! LOL
As per usual your info on your trip is very well put and I know we can expect even more on the actual Trip at Sea!
Now hope you two flit Birds will settle for a while! always galavanting some place or the other!
Good on you mate,life is too short to sit and do naught!
So if you can afford it,then why not! Whats Money anyway! haha!

My Sister in Law,and a Lady Friend of hers plus one of our Good Friends (Couple) are sailing to Cape Town from Sydney on March 25th on the Queen Mary 2 ,its a 24 day Cruise with a few Port stops along the way,so they should really enjoy!

Wish it was me ! Cape Town my lovely home town!

So that's it mate,all I can do is look on and hope! LOL
Cheers

PS One day my Number will come in!

[Lou Barron]

Yes Singapore is a very nice place to visit ihave been there a few times in 1942 just before they took over then back again as a guest of the Japanese then a couple of times after the war
Yes it is a very nice place indeed

[Richard Quartermaine]

John, you made my day. All those years ago from the end of 67 to end of 86 with a break of four years in England and Scotland and then three and a half years in Indonesia regularly visiting Singapore and again in Singapore regularly visiting Indonesia. Then sadly never returning. We watched the growth from a garrison town to a metropolis that ran like a Swiss watch and no matter how many times I hear all the diatribe I cannot be swayed from admiration for those who had the guts to apply rules and regulations to get on with the job regardless of those who would have brought the tiny state to its knees had they had their way. The multi-racial people are well provided for with an exceptionally well managed government compulsory provident fund; the CPF, and for those who behave themselves a quality of life that is not to be matched in many places in the world.

Here are a couple of photos of about the time of our arrival there. The boy in the middle is a friend with our son and daughter, now a grandmother. If you go into Google Earth street view you can see the 63 Belmont Rd our then QI residence.

Good to know you enjoyed.
Richard