I have to hand it to Singapore Airlines, 13hrs on a flight is a long time: their high standards made it passable. Getting to Changi Airport early, at 5:30am allowed us to sample the Metro before the already commuting throngs really geared up. It also lulled us into a false expectation of how sticky it will be.
“Window sir/madam- we don’t do many of those in this hotel. I have upgraded you though to a larger room”. So no room with a view and the huge room has just enough room for that poor cat to bash its head on each wall on the way round.
We’re in Chinatown in this “City in a Garden”. New Year decorations adorn the streets and religions happily mix. The informative street signs don’t glossify the social history – we learn of one street which used to be one of “death houses”, where the poor used to decant to on their way out. Now it’s a mass of multicoloured [food] stalls.
Raffles and co built this place in zones. Crossing the commercial zone which now inhabits the sky we find the Ancient Civilisations Museum via the Civic Centre. Informative and chatty guide did not miss a beat as in turn we fell asleep whilst standing. We missed some of the tour’s insights…..
Not the cheapest of places – 10% service charge then 7% tax added to all bills. Clean though with signs of penalties everywhere – as well as surveillance cameras. The new building work gives a new sense of scale to densification.
Travelling reflections 