SingaporeFuturetown

They may as well rename Singapore 'Futuretown' and be done with it. After battling through a rush hour metro system without any sleep for nearly 24 hours, I landed at Jill's ridiculously high-in-the-sky gaff - the curvature of the earth was quite apparent from her balcony - and immediately slumped in to a bed for a few hours.

Let's just set Singapore in a bit of context; in it's modern form it's a young country, only 50 years old. It used to be a huge swamp and now it's apparently the fourth leading financial centre on the planet and has the world's third highest per capita income ($60,000p/a). This has spurred on possibly the most mental development of a country outside the oil lunatic states in the Middle East. Whilst Singapore hasn't decided to construct islands in the shape of  the world or a palm tree or a giant dollar sign for the grossly nouveau riche, it has quite efficiently removed all its virgin rainforest and is undertaking a continuous programme of land reclamation. I can only assume also that the planning department has a super-deluxe version of SimCity, as the city pretty much is SimCity

Having recuperated a little it was time to strike out and get amongst it. We strode out in to the monstrous humidity and within 5 minutes I was sweaty mess. No chance of hiding it. Obviously the best thing to do in humidity of a level similar to falling in a bath is to go for a 20km bike ride on a bike slightly too small for you. Which is precisely what we did. Our journey took us through a linear park that runs alongside the coast, which allows for some breeze to make you fractionally less hot. Unless you're peddling furiously. It was nice ride though, plenty of stuff to see and and one point we were riding parallel to the airport runway. Runways seem quite short when you're hurtling down them at 300kph in a metal tube full of flammable liquid; when you're sat atop several metal tubes attached to pedals they're long bastards. A good 12km of the 20km ride was runway.

Quite a few ships waiting to dock at the port.

This gang was doing some sort of religious thing. I have not a clue what, but it was being led by an old chap at the front. One of them had a dog in there with them. Maybe they were praying to the ship gods. 

Thankfully at the end of the trip there was promise of food, which I'm quite a fan of. Being still slightly dazed from a long trip I wandered through the stalls of a hawker market looking for something I recognised. Jill had told me about the wonderful food here and I pottered round eyeing up various stalls. Not really having a clue how it worked I sort of was a bit crap and opted for a fried rice dish. Luckily Jill then went off to sort out something a little more better and landed back with a cracking stingray sambal and another dish that slips my mind right now. Way better than my rather safe choice.

Throughout the week in Singapore, and despite being in work, Jill was a cracking tour guide. We walked for a few hours along the coast towards the Marina one day. The Marina is home to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This is potentially the most iconic building in Singapore - bearing in mind Singapore is home to Raffles, this is some feat. How does it achieve this? It manages to do this by being one of the most ludicrous looking buildings in the world. Essentially, it is three skycrapers stood very close to each other. Doesn't sound too great no? Perched across the top floors the architects decided - clearly off their tits at the time - to place a boat.

Here it is.

We got the lift up to the bar at the top and settled with a beer to take in the vista, with some cracking tunes being played by the DJ, including a disco edit of a Human League track - one of several reminders of Sheffield I have had on this trip.

Port through the skyscrapers

Most recent reclaimed chunk of land.
Note the glasshouses - where Sheffield leads others follow...

The Marina, with rain rolling in.

The world's second busiest port.

Louis Vuitton's floating shop.

In parts Singapore is super-modern, in others can be a picture of quaint shutterboarded shophouses. In stark contrast to India, litter was non-existent and the streets were spotless. Absolutely spotless. Its almost though a secret army of workers descended in the night to polish the street lights, handpick dead leaves from trees, and scrub between the paving stones. Despite being in Asia, Singapore manages to achieve 'Western' standards of civic cleanliness, and is a sort of Diet Asia. A safe introduction for those new to Asia - TAKE NOTE DAD. Hint hint.

Now, one more thing I did was visit a little known tourist site, so unknown that people who have lived here for years don't know about it. This site is Haw Par Villa. I took a trip one morning to visit it. That'll be the next blog, because frankly, it's worth a entry of it's own.

It was a lovely week and just what was needed following India - home comforts such as a bed with a mattress that was note merely for decorative purposes, hot and cold running water, wonderful blessed air con and a cracking catch up with my sis. I'll end this entry with shitloads of pictures for you all. You lucky devils.

Ice-skater in a shopping mall.

Slightly obsessed with building facade treatments...
this one was many little silver  things that fluttered in the wind.

Looking up inside Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Symphony Hall, I think, at night. 

Some more buildings at night.

Marina skyline at night. As if it isn't obvious.

"A large hotdog juice please". 

Old Singapore.

Pretty much encapsulates Singapore's approach to development - old and new.

Looking down shopfronts.

Table and chair.

Marginally more humane than clubbing them I guess.

Roof detailing in Marina Bay Sands mall.

Roof detailing on Symphony Hall.

Balconies.

Prada shop on Orchard Road.

Prada facade. 

Building facade.

I didn't quite capture the name of this huge sculpture of a baby.
I shall call it "Windsock Fanny".

Lambo parked up outside a radio-controlled car race track. You have a lambo, and you're driving RC cars.
Out of shot, Ferrari F40, honest. 

Just more buildings.