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Two Chicks & a Climber Reach New Heights
The one thing Singapore is famous for is how squeaky clean the island is and believe me, it was! As us 3 were in total awe of how spick and span the Changi airport was, however, when we spotted a bit of filth on the ground we found ourselves making a big deal out of it.
Settled in Cozy Backpackers corner right in the heart of the city and in no time, we hit one of the 80 shopping malls right opposite our hostel. Hungry for a bite that we ate an inexpensive Vietnamese meal, hurl a chopstick anywhere in Singapore and it'll land in something edible. All international cuisines are here, Singapore is only a third of the size of London and has 10 times more eating places than London, what does that say?
Enthusiastic for a brand new digital camera, I headed to Sim Lim Tower/Square to rummage around for bargains on the latest camera models and succeeded after camera-searching for 3 hours. Andre and Semhar strolled through the streets and watched a foreign romantic film. Andre found Singapore too built-up and the locals discourteous.
Before meeting the two in the evening, ambled through the streets of Singapore and it is a surprising and eye-catching melange of cultures, eras and environments. Saw many of its star attractions within walking distance of the city district, filled with one-time colonial hot-spots like the Raffles Hotel that separates the spicy Little India and the commerce-frenzied atmosphere of Chinatown. Little India was totally poles apart from Singapore and certainly not the real India either. Chinatown is Singapore's cultural heart and still provides glimpses of the old ways with its numerous temples and decorated terraces.
As night came, we decided to hit a few bars and I got the chance to try the famous $15 Singapore Sling cocktail. At 2am after being on the internet, Semhar and I decided last-minute to head to the Quays by an unhurried rickshaw to Gotham Club. A dark and dripping with cool, the new kid on the club scene making some noise with dance and techno tracks.
Lots of visitors to Singapore combine their stay with a visit to Malaysia, which is just a kilometre away (20 minutes walk) across the causeway over the Straits of Johor. You can travel between Malaysia and Singapore very easily by bus. We hung around the bus station literally all day as seats were fully booked till 6.30pm. Immaculate air-conditioned buses meant Andre couldn't sleep at night till we arrived at Kuala Lumpur at 1am.
Singapore is much more expensive than other Southeast Asian countries, which may come as a shock if you are travelling on a shoestring budget. You can still stay here without spending too much money, as long as you can forego the temptation to run amok in the shops or indulge in luxuries you may have craved for while travelling in less-developed Asian countries, which I hope to do so before I catch my flight home.
Aman x
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