Singapore, a "Fine" City: The Land of Rules and Cleanliness

Another great flight with Singapore Airlines SQ 943 and a pleasant entry through customs.

The Shuttle bus to Hotel was only S$9.00 (C$9.00). I Was told it would take an hour (the same as public transit according to google maps ) due to "all the hotel stops".  As I boarded along with one item passenger my outlook had changed and I was at the hotel in about half that time.

The shuttle bus option was a more scenic affair taking the boulevard leading out of the airport with its palm tree lined thoroughfare.

Before boarding, the shuttle bus driver instantly reminded me there is no eating on the bus as his XRay vision must have seen the candies in the bag I had for my nephew and niece. Also, a firm order for seatbelts on otherwise a fine of S$120. Not sure for him or the tourists. Welcome to rule filled Singapore.

As we headed from the eastern part of the city to the western end, the tall skyscrapers started to appear along with other unique architecture. From afar, the city has a Star Wars like metropolis feel especially as the Marina Bay and Gardens areas come into view

Arriving at the 4 star (according to Hotwire, nothing was 4 star above the lobby and gym / pool on the second floor) Studio M hotel, I checked into my first room that was nowhere near the pictures on line and smelled musty. I changed my room to a higher,  less smelling room. Regardless only two days in Singapore I needed to venture out. And just in time for....Happy hour!

The hotel was situated conveniently along the Singapore river, a good starting point for a walk to have one's bearings straight. Along the strip by the water are excellent choices of many different types of restaurants - bistros, taco shacks, Aussie sports bars, casual dining and finer dining. As I was taking in my surroundings I was buzzed by motorized scooters three times before I made note to be more focused. It is also a runner's heaven as I'm sure most were taking advantage of the "cooler"  afternoon air.

As I settled into Boomerang for a quick " happy hour middy" (S$7.00) then Go Loco for a quick taco snack (S$8.00) I was reminded I was in one of the world's most expensive cities. 

I later followed the river walk through to Clarke Quay, and on the other side of the river where there is another strip of restaurants where I settled into Dallas for a somewhat less expensive chicken penne (S$24) when
suddenly a fire alarm had engaged on the patio next to me if the next restaurant. In other words above my head. (My first thought was how hot is this food?)

I wandered close to Marina Bay and its three monolithic yet adjoined buildings connected by a ship looking structure on the top. I took several photos of the light and music show that occurs nightly.  A spectacular event to which I happened to show up at the right time.

Like a moth to light I was attracted to the building and light display and continued to cross the water over the bridge to walk around its base. While continuing to walk I found a lively food market and had to check it out. Being a cautious water when I travel I had foregone most options from a visual perspective but settled on something like an Indian chicken and vegetable pancake with a spicy curry sauce (S$7) and a Tiger Radler (S$3).  Delicious! Why I was still hungry, I'll have to blame on travelling and jet lag. Satisfied form my food curiosity I aprox she star bridge for my final steps to the base of Marina Bay and discovering the lower levels were a colossal high end shopping area. Taking an air conditioning break I wandered across one quarter for one of the several floors and quickly grasped this was beyond colossal or huge or humungus.  With no patience for recognition of brand names I wandered out the other end to loop around - - - -  and back toward the strip of restaurants.

I walked back through the lively Clarke Quay,  looking for love music. I settled in at the Crazy Elephant where there was a band comprised of members mainly in their late 50s cranking out Bobby McGee and other such vocal classics headed by a lovely lady who could belt it out like Janice Joplin.

The next morning I wanted to put some running into my vacation. I started later than I hoped but after a quick instant oatmeal breakfast (I never travel with our them, and every hotel has a kettle and a coffee mug) I had the shoes on and headed out into the humidity, worse than the day before, along the river.  Free firm a half marathon before leaving Toronto, my pace time according to my Garmin watch for the 6km "touring" run was...disastrous, although a better at to see a city.

Upon returning to the hotel I had to hit the pool as the humidity had done what it does -  either makes your hair curly (my hair is not that long), or sweat abnormally.  After laying on the cabana style chairs and taking a "sel-feet" photo, I heard upstairs to find my room cleaned to a standard less than expected (now is this place a four star?).

After a shower (and cooling down) I ventured out to Raffles Hotel for the word famous Singapore Sling.  As I meandered through the same neighbourhoods eventually veering north into new territory I could not help notice how hotter it was then the previous day.

Before arriving,  lunch called and I found a decent German place that had a pulled pork  special for S$12, and with beer, tax too was S$32. Across the street was Raffles and I walked along its edge located on ---- street and headed to the Bar and Billiards room. Just like something you've seen in the movies from the 40s. Or earlier.

I was seated at the infamous bar and within minutes ordered and was served the world famous cocktail from the world famous bar. Sadly I don't think they have happy hour prices  there. Ever.

With that checked off the list I headed to the post office to post a couple of post cards, one to my nephew. I sought out directions to Gardens by the Bay, an Avatar looking playground with a connecting walkway which must be seen at night. I was keen on walking but everyone I asked for directions was recommending the MRT (subway). Which I did. However, by the time you enter these subways, four floors underground I started to wonder whether it was actually quicker.

After a fair jaunt that included the machine taking my money without providing a ticket, I went on my way to the Garden that was a great spot to take photos of the city and of course the Mammoth Marina Bay Sands. I also bought the ticket (S$8) for the walk "between the trees".

Impacted by the hear and sun I headed straight for the Shoppes at Marina Bay to cool down.  from there, rather than walk I took the MRT to Chinatown (again I don't think it saves any time) then walked to Clarke Quay,  and bought a water at the first 7-11 I could find. With that downed I though it prudent to eat dinner before heading back.  And it was happy hour. So Brewerkz it was. A fantastic brewpub where I ordered the best grilled chicken sandwich of my life!  With that downed and consolidating some photos of the trip so far, I went back to my hotel.

Dropping off some gifts at the hotel, I quickly showed, checked some emails, tried to order my shuttle bus for the next morning then headed out to soak up the last of Singapore.

I was drawn back to Clarke Quay with always a lively scene, live bands, plenty of food and drink choices. 

My final morning, I spent some time by the pool on the second floor (that and the lobby only make this place seem a 4 star hotel, watch for my Trip Advisor rating) and after packing up it wq time to leave. As the shuttle bus was full until a later time slot than was needed I booked an Uber ride (S$18) with JC.  Another informative driver this time a little too late for me but had told me where all the "cheap" places were to eat and  out of the way places to see. I told him what I accomplished in my two days and he agreed it was a good taste. After explaining the presence of cameras and the police will eventually catch up to you for anything, he described Singapore as a "Fine" City -  a fine for this and a fine for that.

Checking in to Singapore airport was a Breeze again and sailed through customs.  Baggage screening is done at the gate so alleviates the bottleneck of most airports and a much less dating line of you are a few minutes late.

A quick stop at the Plaza Premium Lounge (where I had been before) and off to gate A12 of Terminal 3 for flight SQ 326 to Frankfurt Germany. Not a very busy flight and three seats all to myself! The Economy Business class.

Bali: Not Just a (Aussie) Surfer's Paradise

I arrived into Bali later at night due to a one hour delay at Singapore. During the flight, I met a fellow traveller sitting in the same row as me who had purchased a similar around the word ticket and was travelling to the same cities as me (over a longer time frame). Not only that, we discovered we were born in the same hospital, he grew up in the same town where my brother now lives and also has a brother in the same downtown neighbourhood where my youngest brother lives. Similarly, he was recording his journeys through video logs on a Facebook site.

Connecting through Singapore, and after inviting my new found travel friend to the Plaza Prenium lounge, we went on the hunt for the lounge and ended up exploring most of Terminal 1 as a result. Similar to Hong Kong, the airport has a high standard of shopping (a high end mall with planes in the parking lot) and such services as a swimming pool, a Zen like garden and prayer rooms (at the crossroads of Muslim, Hindu and Christian religions).

After another comfortable Singapore Airlines flight and basically two full meals in me already since breakfast, I arrived into Bali in the heat of the late evening and was immediately thrown to the wolves as I entered in to the frenzy that's known as the Bali arrivals lounge.  I was warned about arriving into Bali and "swimming with the taxi sharks". Sure enough, there they were in their blue shirts.  After negotiating an agreeable rate at the desk (200,000 Rp, approximately C$20), I set out on my half hour ride through the dark to Nusa Dua (" two islands"). 

After an easy check in at the Bali Tropic Resort and Spa and my bags taken to my room, I sought out the only hotel bar open at that time where I had my first Indonesian beer, Bin Tang lager.

The next day as I walked to the restaurant for breakfast, I had a full view of the architecture, beach and layout of the hotel grounds. A spectacular and exotic place.  The breakfast that included an omelet, croissant, a banana danish (?), banana pancake and raisin pancakes,  pineapple,  tea lasted me until dinner time.  Despite asking for tea, coffee was brought to me twice and as such I had an ample amount of cups surrounding me at my table.

After trying to connect to the CBC streamed --- game (your tax dollars at work) unsuccessfully,  it was time to walk around to know my surroundings for the next four days. 

I began walking south on Nusa Dua Beach along a strip of very nice looking hotels with beautifully manicured lawns and palm trees until I reached Water blow, a peninsula of vuggy rock formations that looked very Mordor- like while the waves relentlessly and infrequently pounded the lifeless and hole ridden shore (like the inside of an aggressively toasted English muffin). Along the way I was approached by the many massage ladies you hear about all charging double what they will eventually settle for. After many hours of flying on the last few days and a half marathon just before I left, 100,000 Rp (C$10) for an hour seemed like a good option. From Whistleblow, I began my walk back and felt a second massage was also a good idea.

Back at the hotel, I was on a mission for the pool and immediately made friends with the bartender Andy at the swim up bar during the afternoon. Like me he collects currencies from around the world as discovered when I told him I flew him in from Hong Kong and he was looking for some HK$ to add to his collection.

As darkness rolled in (around 6pm), I went to one of the three restaurants overlooking the Beach (with trees overhead...never do this). As per usual, the odd piece of fruit or something dangling is inevitably knocked from the tree to land on your table by a curious squirrel or some other foraging creature. After dinner,  and not much going on except the soothing sounds of the waves on the shore and after an unrestful sleep the night before, I had an early night of listening to an audio book and watching Bloomberg TV. 

The next morning I had an ample breakfast by the Beach again this time discovering papaya jam and croissants pair well (what a mind blower!).  Afterwards I made use of my two-for-one card the hotel gave me for a massage at the hotel spa (600,000 Rp, C$60), a much different experience than on the beach. As per the two-for-one, I booked one for the next morning too.

Feeling limber (and the need to work off these filling breakfasts) I went for a run this time north along the beach trail for 6km where I noted a happy hour at Warung Bamboo, three for the price of two and a pizzas on special.

After the run and a shower, I went across the street to Pepito's, a franchised convenience store where the nearest bank machine was located. As I entered the amount I wanted, somehow the daily maximum of 2.5 million Rp (C$250) was spat out at me.  As I prefer as much on my credit card as possible versus cash, this was not good. So, I was officially on a sending spree (and it goes far in Bali). 

I ventured back to Warung Bamboo, a relaxing beach bar part of the accompanying hotel with bright coloured bean bag chairs, large wicker chairs and lots of bamboo decor (shocking). Not a very busy spot (maybe the European and Asian tourists aren't into drinks overlooking a paradise Beach sand, blue skies and sun with cheap drinks and snacks) but it was my paradise for an afternoon.

After being at the hotel and its surroundings for over a day now, I felt it was time to venture out. Andy, the pool bartender recommended Pedang Pedang as an afternoon destination. With nothing more than curiosity and restlessness, I sought out a cab, negotiated a rate and enjoyed the company of Kresta as my driver for the next couple of days.

Kresta, a Balinese gentleman in his late 50s, hair darker than mine ever was, was a wealth of information on general Bali information, populations, number of rooms in each luxury hotel (his nephew worked at one of them), tides, recent highway constructions, airport renovations,  places to see, random facts, daily life a Balinese family, etc. He told me holds a 24 hr shift and sleeps when he can (which he did as I was later touring around Sanur and Ulawatu).

We drove out a half hour to Pedang Pedang where he told me descriptions of what it was like. As we arrived I noticed the onslaught of cheap hotels and Aussie surfers equipped with jimmied up racks on the sides of their rental motor bikes to transport their surf boards.  As we arrived, Kresta explained the walk down to the beach through a narrow walkway via the rock. I was free to take my time and check out the surroundings (a concept new to me for cab drivers). As he dropped me off at the busy intersection, he motioned he would wait for me "up at the top" where the parking lot was, and drove off.  So, I followed the other tourists and headed down the steps and the narrow tunnel to an almost other dimension that opened up to  beach and surfer culture!

A narrower Beach than I was expecting, this was surfer 's mecca. How did I not know about this place in my younger years and during my infrequent surfing career (ok, lessons) spanning four countries.  While I was not equipped to take a dip in the water, I marvelled at the stress free, good times environment and then made the return trek up the narrow and steep stairway. I continued up to the parking lot where I found Kresta at the local coffee shop/restaurant/bar drinking a pint sized glass of tea. He motioned me to sit and urged me to buy two beers if I was going to have one, and keep one for the road. I'm starting to like Kresta at this point.

With an unexpectedly short period of time at Pedang Pedang, we continued to Uluwatu known for the temple on the cliff and the famous sunset.  With the same arrangement, he dropped me off and would meet me in the parking lot sometime later. I paid my ticket and had to don the appropriate purple skirt attire in order to enter(complete with my Maple Leafs blue t-shirt). Other than my brother's wedding in a kilt and visiting the blue mosque in Istanbul, this was the third time in my life I have worn something not pants-like or shorts-like. The walk through was impressive with very distinct architecture and stunning views overlooking the cliffs, dotted with the presence of a couple of monkeys.  An amphi-theatre is set higher up in order to view the pre-sunset show and the sunset itself. Perched just ahead of the amphi-theatre I snapped some memorable sunset photos and could hear the music above from the amphitheatre. I ducked out early ahead of the crowds as the actual sun setting was impacted by clouds on the horizon.  On the way out, the presence of monkeys increased dramatically and basically were perceived as a brooding bunch seeking items for dinner. This was apparent as tourists leaving were more aware of their distance than when the monkeys' numbers were vastly less on the way in. Regardless, I exited alive. 

As a couple of hours had passed I now had to seek Kresta.  As I walked though the parking lot, I spotted the grey-blue taxi with the doors open as Kresta was catching a few winks in the back seat. With Pedang Pedang and Ulawatu crossed off the list, and now dark, we headed back to the hotel and went for dinner at the same hotel  restaurant.  After going though a question period of what "Sate" was, I ordered the  chicken "satay" .  Along with dinner was a duo of guitar player/singer and a cajon/percussionist cranking out some great acoustic dinner versions of popular tunes. After a full day I went back to my room and followed up on the North Korean missile launch and China's one belt one road  initiative. Funny on the same weekend. A confidence?

Now in a routine, the next day was "the usual" - Bali breakfast by the beach, massage at the hotel spa (second half of two-for-one), beers at the swim up bar.  All before lunch. In taking to Andy I asked where else I should view and he began speaking of Sanur. As I was trying to meet a friend from Vancouver who was staying north of me, I thought it would be good to at least be in the area.

As Kresta gave me his business card, I had the hotel desk contact him. For a similar $300,000 he would take me to Sanur for the afternoon. 
Sanur.  Upon arrival in Sanur, Kresta felt it was important to see the top two hotels in Bali. So he drive me through security, dropped me off to wander around while he waited in the parking lot. Both were extremely lavish with amazing Beach fronts and Indonesian yet modern decor.
Definitely sights to see even if not staying there.

As lunch o'clock was approaching, Kresta drove me around Danau Tamblingan,  the main strip.  I requested a stop at Baby Monkeys - an eclectic Caribbean style restaurant with reggae music and serving of course Balinese food. After enjoying a grilled chicken with a Balinese spicy, yet sweet, tomato sauce and a pitcher's mound of rice, I began wandering the main street of Danau Tamblingan with its mix of high end restaurants, not so high end restaurants, gelatos, wood carvings, phallic shaped wood bottle openers, clothing, beauticians and grocery stores.  Because I had the overwithdrawn cash to spend I was aggressively buying gelatos, drinks, etc along the way. Although neither the heat nor humidity on their own were overbearing, combined, they forced me to take refuge in one of the franchised grocery stores to eventually buy some water.

I met Kresta at the scheduled time (around 430pm) outlside of Baby Monkeys and took another informative drive back to the hotel, as we headed into darkness.  When I came back ot the hotel, I had to take a dip in the pool after such a humid day.  

On the last day I woke up,  I headed immediately to the restaurant to enjoy one last Bali breakfast before one last scheduled massage (I had "millions" of Rp to spend).  A quick shower, a check out and Kresta was already waiting for me and sadly headed to the airport.

Not just a surfers paradise, Bali is safe, friendly,  inexpensive, tropical, cultural and adventurous. Walking around various parts of Bali, including the airport, and definitely your hotel, it will randomly smell like a spa with the aroma of incense burning. Lombok is supposed to be the up and coming spot.  It is best to see Bali before that day arrives.

Next up...Singapore.