Day 3 - Singapore

Succeeded in getting up before midday for a morning swim.  It was fer-eezing, perhaps owing to the torential downpour the night before and the lack of sunshine at 8am in the morning.  Still, I managed 12 hasty lengths before turning blue and then, after a quick shower (and an interminable wait for the elder child to stir her stumps) we were out and about by about 10am

Meant to stop at a handy Mall for breakfast but the tour bus whizzed past it at full speed and deposited us (hungry and slightly grumpy) at the gates of the Botanic Gardens.  We enjoyed an amble round that for a couple of hours, taking in the pseudo-rainforest (complete with genuine cicada noises and ant trails) and the orchid gardens where I road-tested the macro setting on my new telephoto lens.

Half-way round the orchids and after seeing blooms named after Diana (Princess of Wales), Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela (actually this one wasn't flowering sadly) and then more orchids named after visiting dignataries such as the vice-president of Botswana and the ambassador of Venezuela's wife, our tummies were beginning to growl at us rather angrily so we stomped off inthe direction of the nearest Mall ( you're never more than a brisk stroll from a massive concrete, glass and steel edifice stuffed with everything you've ever wanted to buy and eat and drink ever).

We stuffed our faces with massive Indian vegetarian thalis in the Mall and then got back on the bus to the Flyer - the world's biggest observation wheel apparently, with spectacular views of the city and beyond.  Well, I thought it was worth the $8 million family ticket even if the kids got out their gaming devices halfway round and Kent sat staring resolutely at the floor.

Back on the bus for yet more "topless" sighseeing (well that's what they call it here) and off at Fort Canning which turned out to be 184 steps up a hill to see - not much really.  Not even a bleedin' ice cream.  Should have mentioned that by now the sun was at its full equatorial strength and we were all sweating like the proverbial P-I-G-S.

Back down the hill and then on a bus to yet another Mall for more food (well we have to keep our strength up).  It was here whilst perusing the T-shirts in Uniqlo that Lily suffered a major mishap, dropping and smashing her Beloved Lumia 800 on the floor - much sorrow ensuing.   Well at least it still works -  kind of.

Final stop of the day was China Town where we managed not to succumb to the temptation of buying a set of novelty chopsticks, an "I Heart Singapore" T-shirt or a Waving Cat (OK, Lily bought a Waving Cat but apart from that we were very restrained).  Then of course it was imperative that we ate some more and I have to confess that I ate 10 sticks of chicken satay (forgive me father for I have sinned) and very yummy it was too.

Now back in the hotel lobby listening to a very dreary live version of 'Betcha By Golly Wow' by a very depressed sounding woman singer.  Time for bed. 

Maria

PS: En route to the Mall for lunch we passed the hospital where I was born (not the exact same building but more or less the exact same spot and still called Gleneagles).  Here (for my parents' interest more than anyone else's) is a picture of me stood at the site of that historic occasion 50 years ago!