My Trip to Singapore-Part 1 (Chinatown & Singapore Flyer)

      Singapore-recently crowned the most expensive city and the land where young or old has their nose stuck to their smartphones 24 hours a day. 
      As you can see from the title, I took a 5 days trip to Singapore last month. It's very much the New York of South East Asia and I agree they do live up to their reputation. Tech Savvy and clean. When I'm on a holiday, my habit is to visit as much attraction as I could, much to the horror of my travelling partner (Dad) and my own feet. Advice? Prebook or purchase your admission tickets online or at the hotel before you depart for the attraction. It saves you time and a few hairs (from tearing it out of frustration while waiting in a LONG line-I'm not kidding).
     First up, how did i get there? I thought travelling from Johor (Malaysia) which is just a highway across, is cheaper. NOT! Take a plane directly to Changi Airport, it's less time consuming and less hassle. I stayed near Johor Sentral so on that day, I took the bus to Singapore. The Johor-Singapore Causeway was jammed packed because it was a weekday and it took 1 hour instead of a 15 minute ride (according to the distance of the causeway if there is no traffic congestion). It is advised that you avoid the 6-9am, 4-8pm rush. Anyway, upon arrival, there's the security/immigration check point I needed to clear and it took another hour to queue and have my passport stamp. Once I'm cleared, back to queuing for the bus to take me downtown.
      Public transport in the city is so convenient. Take the LRT instead of bus, its easy to understand, convenient and doesn't cost much. I traveled within the city without using a taxi for the 5 days. Buy the ticket, and ride the train. If you get lost? No worries, as long as you don't get your ticket scanned, you can ride and ride until you find your destination.
     What I love about the city is that it's clean. No litters on the street and clean LRTs. 
First 2 night was spent in Chinatown at a hotel named Porcelain Hotel. The exterior is really pretty and I was attracted to it but the rooms, albeit clean, was too small and cramp. TV at the foot of your bed, so close, you can use your feet to switch channels. Washroom is a tinted glass an arm-length from the bed. There isn't space for me to walk around. Since I was planning to spend most of my day out of the hotel, it doesn't really matter that much. 
     It was hot and humid, thin clothing are advisable. Chinatown is a really suitable place for people to hunt for souvenirs. I was so attracted to the Chinese Handheld Fans sold at few stalls. The embroidered and intricate details made it so dainty that I wanted to just frame it up. A few walks away led me to a square where groups of old folks (men mostly) are locked in a leisure game of chess. When in Chinatown, don't miss the Food Street where you can savour most of the local delicacies. It gets better during the night. I was lucky to catch glimpse of a food show going on at the Chinatown Food Street.

     The first night was spent at the famous Singapore Flyer (giant Ferris wheel) dubbed the Eye of Singapore. Its a stone throw away from the majestic Marina Bay Sands and across Gardens by the Bay. I arrived rather early, at 5.30pm. I was waiting for nightfall, when the view would be truly magnificent. So i spend the time just sitting at the end of the river, watching boats drift by and people jogging.
     By 7pm, I waited in line to board the Flyer. It wasn't a long queue so don't worry but there's strict security check before entering. The round trip took around 30 minutes and the dim lights around each car makes it so romantic especially for lovers. It's a slow climb to the top, I thought I didn't have any fear of heights but as I slowly ascended to the top, my legs started to go wobbly. My advice is don't look down if you're afraid of heights, look straight. The view on top is wonderful. When the lights go up in the city, it's light a beacon-Skyscrapers everywhere and you get a full view of Marina Bay. The Marina Bay Sands looks absolutely stunning in its full glory. I couldn't afford the trip up the Skypark but I bet the view on topof the hotel would be breath taking since it's even taller than the Flyer itself. The Supertree at the Gardens by the Bay looked like glowing purple mushrooms, cute.

Check out the glowing purple "mushrooms"

Marina Bay Sands (Left) and city

     My nightmare during the entire trip also happened here when I realized I lost my hotel room key. After telling security, I waited an hour for that same car that I took to come back around just to hear them say they can't find it. Being a very careful person, this was a big blow to my self-esteem. I was giving up when my dad suggested we stop by the security check to find it. It was there, it fell out of my pockets when they told me to empty it. Geezus! My mood was pretty down thereafter.
     Going back to Chinatown, I was surprised to see the streets cleared off stalls and shops. It was only 9.30pm mind you. They close early and open late. So back to the hotel I go and sleep off my frustration on how i became so careless these days.