Singapore
We started our journey through South-East Asia with a few days in Singapore and it was crazy. Everything in the city centre seems sterile and clean, even the hawker stalls, and there is an efficent metro making getting around really easy. The huge space-age shopping centres with big dome glass roofs are all spotless and air-conditioned as the weather here is so hot and humid. The only place that isn't clean seems to be our hostel - the communal backpacker toilets are going to take some getting used to after travelling in Oz!
Once out of the central area you can find a bit more authentic culture. Little India is crammed full of Buddhist and Hindu temples and exotic smells of spices and cooked meats (and the pungent smell of people who had too much curry the night before). We visited here on a Sunday night and got swept along in the weekly Sunday market with loads of Indian men bustling in the streets and market vendors yelling with microphones. Becky felt a bit exposed as there were very few women to be seen at night in this part of town but Holland delved right in and tried several spicey Indian dishes which he ordered by pointing and discovered what they were by dipping his hand in and tasting some (the local way). All the dishes here seem to be very hot and some even tingle your fingers before you even get the food to your mouth. Yum.
We also explored Chinatown, firstly taking in the cultural centre to learn about the areas history then walking around streets which are dripping in red paper lanterns and have interesting food stalls selling such delicacies as dried squid and curried fish head. The main language appears to be English, except in the localities mentioned above which use Indian languages and chinese respectively, so we found it easy enough to get around. The only thing that slowed us down were the daily rain storms, so heavy that all we could do was shelter ASAP.
Singapore also has a whole leisure island called Sentosa. We took a cable car over here from the top of the world trade centre one evening and watched a lazer and light show which was incredible. We also briefly explored the high-rise central area with its shiney skyscrapers. We saw the Merlion and got an idea of industrial Singapore as we overlooked the enormous port. Finally we finished our time in Singapore in the colonial Raffles hotel and tried their famous cocktail the 'Singapore sling'. All in all a good easy going introduction to South East Asia.
Once out of the central area you can find a bit more authentic culture. Little India is crammed full of Buddhist and Hindu temples and exotic smells of spices and cooked meats (and the pungent smell of people who had too much curry the night before). We visited here on a Sunday night and got swept along in the weekly Sunday market with loads of Indian men bustling in the streets and market vendors yelling with microphones. Becky felt a bit exposed as there were very few women to be seen at night in this part of town but Holland delved right in and tried several spicey Indian dishes which he ordered by pointing and discovered what they were by dipping his hand in and tasting some (the local way). All the dishes here seem to be very hot and some even tingle your fingers before you even get the food to your mouth. Yum.
We also explored Chinatown, firstly taking in the cultural centre to learn about the areas history then walking around streets which are dripping in red paper lanterns and have interesting food stalls selling such delicacies as dried squid and curried fish head. The main language appears to be English, except in the localities mentioned above which use Indian languages and chinese respectively, so we found it easy enough to get around. The only thing that slowed us down were the daily rain storms, so heavy that all we could do was shelter ASAP.
Singapore also has a whole leisure island called Sentosa. We took a cable car over here from the top of the world trade centre one evening and watched a lazer and light show which was incredible. We also briefly explored the high-rise central area with its shiney skyscrapers. We saw the Merlion and got an idea of industrial Singapore as we overlooked the enormous port. Finally we finished our time in Singapore in the colonial Raffles hotel and tried their famous cocktail the 'Singapore sling'. All in all a good easy going introduction to South East Asia.
posted by Web Design, Corporate Video Bristol | Mentor Digital at
2:02 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home