I am flying with Singapore airlines from Christchurch, do not hesitate to fly with this company, the service was exceptional and the food was the best I have ever had on a plane, plus the female cabin crew uniforms are just gorgeous! I was worried sick about how I would manage the allergy itch on my legs, however, it wasn’t too bad, I had my meal early doors and was able to get some sleep. I do feel I hugely benefitted by breaking my journey home, this was around a 10.5 hr flight and 8 hrs ahead here as opposed to 13 hrs ahead in NZ.

I am booked for 4 nights, however, have only actually have 3 due to flight times. I am meeting Barbara who I met on the North Island hopefully on 2 occasions after work, so that ends up being Tuesday and Wednesday night due to my confusion re the nights I was actually staying lol. I arrive in the evening around 17.40 pm and my transfer driver, Joseph, is waiting for me, such a nice guy, couldn’t have been more helpful with regard to suggestions of what to do etc.

The hotel is very central and Barbara has kindly suggested I go to a restaurant very close to the hotel, I was a bit worried about being out and about in the dark in a city, however, have no fear, Singapore is so safe and what will strike you is the cleanliness of it. I head out in search of Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano and find it really easily.

I decide to walk along the canal before I go in just to stretch my legs first. It feels like a night in July in Spain, around 30 degrees with the most beautiful warm wind flowing through. The pizza’s looked huge and whilst I am hungry it would be too much, so I see a portion of lasagne coming out, it looked nice and not too big a portion and I order that. A lovely lad originally from Perth, who is here on business, ends up sitting at a table beside me and we have a chat during which one of the waitresses brings him a note from a girl outside who tells him she thinks he is very handsome, so funny, his wee face! I said she probably thinks you are with your mother and a lovely lad!Hopefully something came of it, I headed off back to my hotel to plan my day tomorrow.

I am up early early very little sleep due to my legs, the only real ease I get is by showering them with freezing cold water, on the hour, and I just give up and get up. Breakfast starts at 6am and I am about the first one in, again I am not overly hungry, however, it is something to do and if I have a good breakfast, lunch won’t be required. My plan is to get a ticket for the hop on hop off bus, I find this helps me to orientate myself and get a feel for a city. The transport here is excellent, the underground is superb, both the underground’s here and in Hong Kong are broadly like London so easy peasy as long as you are going the right direction!

I buy an online ticket and download the app which even gives pictures of the bus stop, my nearest stop is No: 7 at Clarke’s Quay, however, because it is so early and the buses don’t start until 9.30 am. I go for a good walk along the Quay and then circle back, I end up starting at stop 8. I decide to go to the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Stop 11 on the yellow line & then Raffles at Stop 18, then assess what I have time for after that, maybe the gardens by the bay?

I meet people at the bus stop, it turns out we are on the wrong side of the road so we hot foot it across and catch the bus……

Stop 11; Botanical Gardens – well worth a visit I just loved walking around and was able to download an app and listen to commentary on what I was seeing, the history of the gardens and the on-going work within them as I walked.

I spent a couple of hours here and as I walked I bumped into a couple of these chaps!

I was so lucky, I walked out to the stop as the bus arrived at the gardens and on I popped, next stop Raffles. Of course, and as you all know, as you go around on the bus there is super commentary of where you are, what you are seeing and general information. Singapore has a ban on chewing gum and vaping $2,000 dollar fines incurred! I arrive at Raffles and it is really impressive and opulent.

You are guided to “The Long Bar” by signs within the hotels grounds, there is a queue waiting to get in, approx 30 min wait which by all accounts is not too bad so I wait. It is really well managed and did not feel like a 30 min wait. My advice is go before 12 as the queues can be 1.5 hrs long.

In front of me is a couple from Macclesfield, really nice couple Caroline & Tony, who like a lot of the people I meet in Singapore are either just about to go on a cruise (in their case) or just off one. Anyway, nothing will do, they invite me to join them at the bar when we get in which was so nice of them. I order a vodka based cocktail as I am not keen on gin, to begin with!

Caroline lets me try her Singapore Sling, you could not taste the gin and it was absolutely delicious, and well I just had to then didn’t I? I was determined to send my mum a text she once sent me, which I just loved at the time (15-20 yrs ago)

And then for some shopping as you do!

I loved that once you were in there was no rush, you could stay as short as time or as long a time as you wanted. Anyway, by the time we are leaving it is coming up on 3pm so we all board the bus and say our cheerio’s, I decide to go back to the hotel, shower, change and walk into town to meet Barbara. I left 1 hr before our meeting time for a 30 min walk and I do not know what the heck I did, well I do, my data ran out unbeknown to me and because it wasn’t saying anything I just kept walking until I was nearly at the docks, it ended up I was walking for around 1 hr 20 mins lol – and eventually met Barbara a bit hotter and drippier than I would have liked as it is very humid in Sing.

We are booked for drinks at the Lantern, however, she takes me to a “Hawker” centre for a bite to eat first – it is a complete attack on the senses. First of all, you secure your seat, all you have to do is set down eg some tissues on a free table, Barbara leaves some tissues and hand sanitiser, plus one of her work bags……what? No-one will sit in those seats or indeed touch anything you leave, people are leaving down their work passes, Barbara has even seen people leave a credit card, no-one touches a thing! My appetite, despite not having anything from breakfast time, bar my cocktails, isn’t great but I am determined to try some of this food. You can order anything from any of the street food stalls, these are all health & safety checked continuously, so as safe as eating in a restaurant.

Barbara orders us Carrot Cake! Not as we know it, a traditional radish type dish & a gorgeous Indian Paneer/spinach dish with naan bread. It was the perfect amount and I really enjoyed it.

Off we go to The Lantern for drinks and a proper catch up…….so good to see Barbara and so kind of her to go out of her way to host me….we make plans for out next meeting which we hope to go to Ce La Vie! Plus she gives me top tips re finding a Pharmacy and things to do tomorrow.