Monday 25th September
The flight from Helsinki is a long one, we sleep as much as we can, I have the feeling that we are in a child’s toy aeroplane, the giant child whizzing us around in the air then occasionally dropping us into the bath water where we bob up and down through the night until once again the giant hand picks us up and we fly smoothly through the air again.
After a meagre breakfast we land, the planes nose cameras show our approach into Singapore across the straits and into Changi airport. We collect our luggage proceed through customs where a small male Singaporean is checking to ensure our incoming travel cards are completed correctly. What is unusual is that he is singing, yes singing Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole songs while doing it. He stops at us, giving us a note perfect rendition of Strangers in the Night, not the whole song mind you just a snippet. It certainly takes your mind of the wait in the queue. With a smile on our faces we pass through the check point and meet up with another little Singaporean, this time our driver. Once outside we can feel the warmth of the afternoon air, very pleasant, lifting our spirits as we are both feeling like crap. We are soon on our way to the Fullerton Hotel our bed for four nights before returning home. The Fullerton built in 1928 has had a chequered career, originally the post office was the main tenant, but the building also housed an exclusive gentleman club, and acted as a lighthouse. Only developed into a hotel in 2000. Allan and Denise, our friends from Stirling are in town and we have arranged to meet them for dinner. Our mobile phones are still working with our English numbers so we are able to keep in touch with them as we approach the city. The hotel is situated right on the river by Boat quay that leads to Clarke quay a little further along. From our room we can see back across the water in the opposite direction towards Marina Bay sands hotel, Merlion Park, and the Singapore eye that Amanda bravely rode three years ago.
We shower and dress for dinner still not feeling that good and make our way to meet Allan and Denise at the hotel’s courtyard bar in the lobby below. It’s always good to see a friendly face far from home, although we are closer now than for the last three months. We have a drink in the bar and catch up with events at home and our mutual travels before walking down to Boat quay for dinner, the night is perfect, tropical, the river awash with the reflected colours of the buildings and Cavenagh bridge that crosses the quay just outside the hotel. The lights just shimmer on the water as we walk along adding to the magic of this town. Along the street runs the restaurants with inside seating situated on our left on the side of the road while their outdoor seating areas run along the riverside as far as you can see, leaving a centre pathway to walk through. This restaurant row stretches right along the river here from Boat quay to Clarke quay, some four hundred restaurants. The mixed aromas in the air add to the atmosphere, we decide on Italian, taking a seat by the water. We settle in to enjoy some pasta and conversation, before heading back to the hotel where Allan and Denise take a cab to their hotel. They are leaving for home tomorrow after spending a week here. Tomorrow we will have an easy day catching up on sleep and trying to shake the bug that as I write this is persisting.