3rd May - A day in Singapore
The night? - restful! - we look outside from the 15th floor of the Amara - it is raining - Bernie with her weather fixation reaches for the iPad and the latest weather report - we decide to amend the day's plans - the projected weather not is conducive to an afternoon at the "Gardens on the Bay" - she chooses a pair of Chinese temples in the near vicinity of the hotel to be the focus of our afternoon visitations.
We wander across the road - sit in a park - we are just a little surprised at the hand sanitizer bottle attached to one of the trees - we are just a little more surprised to see a mother hen with her single chick feeding on the path.
We watch as locals and expats alike wander around in weekend attire with a weekend attitude to life.
We return to the hotel - the old but distinguished Australian couple decide an another nap before their noon checkout.
They rise - the old gentleman looks out the window - "the weather still looks fine" says he - "it is going to rain" says she.
They check out and place their bags in the custodianship of the concierge - they look at one another - "let's not rush" - they decide on more lemon tea and local cafe faire before they tackle an afternoon in Singapore.
A taxi to the Chinese temples in South Bridge Road - the sun still shines - shoes are removed as is required for a walk around the first of the temples - Bernie's feet are bare - the concrete paving announces it's intention to apply a blowtorch to the soles of her feet - she scampers between areas of shade and strips of jute matting pausing just long enough to photograph the ornate religious figures that adorn the building. Mike looks on with a mixture of amusement and surprise - amusement at the ungainly gait and surprise at the reality that she could still scamper!
On to the next - an active Buddhist temple with a chanting ceremony underway with participation by members of the local Buddhist community and their monks. The public, displaying considerable decorum and respect, circulated around the chanters silently looking and photographing. Bernie loved it all - she completed the full lap of the temple just enthralled with the ceremony, the religious figures and icons, and the ornamentation of the structure.
The sun is still shining - Mike says nothing about the rain!
We hail a taxi - a number pass us by but one does stop - with a puzzled look on his face he asks where we want to go - we tell him - "what was that puzzled look about" thinks Mike - we arrive at the Clark Quay, the location for the start of our river cruise - Mike pulls out his card - the driver has to search for his card machine - " that is strange" thinks Mike - "he must have been using it all day".
The river cruise? - 40 minutes from Clark Quay to Marina Bay and return - enjoyable - informative - "it will be well worth doing" said she - she was right.
As the boat trip proceeded we photographed and photographed until my phone was commandeered by the boathand. He proudly returned with it to show us the mirrored images of the waterside that he had taken with the aid of a clip-on mirror.
We decide that we have had enough - we head to the taxi point - we wait as taxi after taxi comes and goes without even acknowledging us - eventually a Singaporean of Indian heritage approaches us - "are you wanting a taxi"- "vacant taxis never come to places like this - you need the "Grab" app!
The Grab app is acquired and all taxi issues disappear in an instant! Now we understand the reaction of the taxi driver when he was hauled in the street - it doesn't happen anymore!
We return to the hotel - we change and shower in the swimming pool shower cubicles - collect our bags - fire up the grab app and are on our way to the airport in an instant.
We are well ahead of time - there is a note on the Turkish airlines counter - early check-in available downstairs - we check-in, dump our bags, get our boarding pass and head upstairs through departures.
We are greeted by a single officer who checks our boarding pass and passports - we then pass through automatic gates that scan our facial credentials before letting us through. Suddenly we are through! - where in the hell was the hand luggage and body screening?????
We sit in the Marharba lounge wondering - "surely there must be more screening before departure" - we shall see!
The Marharba lounge is the same old Marharba lounge 2 remember from the last time we were in Singapore - dated, a little unkempt, terrible food and freezing cold. Turkish airlines could do better than outsourcing their lounge services in Singapore to this lot!
Eventually we find out what to the boarding lounge - ah - here is that screening process that we were worried about!
Soon we are onboard - the chefs ask what we want to eat - "sleep is all we need" is the response - the takeoff is effected, the seat set to "sleep" and 7 hours later we wake to breakfast being served!
We arrive in Istanbul at 6am - the airport is quite - the passengers tired - the customs officers tired - the pace generally slow save for the few passengers with international connections who were rushing to compensate for the hour that our plane landed behind schedule.
We try an ATM and another ATM and another ATM to get some cash from our debit card - none of them wanted to cooperate. "The taxi will take a card" says Bernie - "hope she is right" thinks Mike - she is right!
We arrive at the hotel Renaissance Polat - is is around 8:00am - we expect to have to check out bags and come back later - "we only have one room ready sir but it is only on the first floor" - "a shower beats a view" thinks the travelers who settled in and partake of the ablution facilities. Istanbul here we are!
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