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Singapore
Landing in singapore airport paved the way for what this country appeared to be: shiny, easy and helpful! I caught a shuttle bus for approx 4 squids and it took me all the way to the door of my hostel - which proved to be the swankiest hostel i've ever stayed in! all flash with a beautiful roof garden (unfortunately i'm so rubbish at using a camera that none of the pictures from up there have come out at all!)
My first day i decided to go and explore. i took the (very cheap and airconditioned) subway into town but soon got completely lost! As i kept rearriving at the base for one of those horrid tour buses i decided it was a sign and i should just go on it! It actually was pretty good and I got 2 tours and saw loads of the city in reasonable comfort (on the ground it was sooo humid that walking even a little way led to severe amounts of sweat!)
the tour had alerted me as to the whereabouts of the race track so i headed there next to be a geek and take pictures of the pit building! I'm not entirely sure i was meant to be wondering around the track, there didn't seem to be anyone else around but no one shouted at me so all was ok! the day held more exploring for me, but such a shiny city can have its draw backs - when it rained i found it impossible to stay upright in my flip flops on the shiny floors! I looked like a cartoon character and all the locals would look at me as if i was mad!
I was hoping to do the night safari tonight, so i'd signed up to the hostel tour, but they needed 2 people to get the bus to come and can you believe it noone in the hostel wanted to go! to the most popular attraction in singapore!)
The next day i went off to explore chinatown - we'd been through briefly on the tour, but i hadn't had a chance to explore. i followed a trail in the fake lonely planet i borrowed from the hostel (although obviously i got lost) and saw lots of cool temple type stuff!
After that it was off to the shopping mecca that is orchard road. Forget Oxford St, this is where its at. Seriosuly, i have never seen anything like it in my life! Gucci next to Prada next to Armani next to D&G and so on! Mostly its not shops next to each other lining the streets - but shopping centres! crazy!
After a dose of craziness i headed back to the hostel. Still no one had signed up to do the night safari (although by this point i was known by everyone as the girl that heckles you to go to the night safari with her...) so i decided to go it alone and go to the zoo as well as the safari (they were together) and take the shuttle bus that noone told me existed until now home!
The zoo was pretty good as zoos go - but it was still a bit on the cruel side. (Positively lovely compared to london zoo.. but that's besides the point) they had some bizzarre-o circus style acts with the elephants and a sea lion (can't imagine the ones in the galapagos ever being that well trained) which normally i'd hate but the animals did seem to be having fun (especially "Stan" the sea lion - he was loving it!)
The night safari was good - but i expected the animals to be more free but really it was just a zoo at night. A tram took you round and a girl with a very annoying fake american accent commentated and there was also a show (again) although no matter how many times people were told to turn off the flashes on their cameras.... the highlight of the show was the otters who had been trained to pick up different types of recyclable rubbish and put it in the right bin which was cool! who'd have known otters could be so clever!
And so the end of my time in singapore, short but sweet. This is a very busy city but soo clean and shiny and safe. Off to Bangkok next - i fear it may not share too many of these characteristics!
love to everyone xxx
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