Thursday 28th September
The weather is a constant here guaranteed warmth day after day (30c/90f) with a sprinkling of moisture, today is no exception. We are gradually making our way back to normal health, feeling much better we decide to walk to Raffles today.
After breakfast we are off first to Merlion Park to see for ourselves the Singapore icon that spills water from its mouth into Marina Bay. The Fullerton Hotel sits almost on the river in a central location that makes walking to attractions fairly easy. Merlion Park is right on the river on the other side of the Esplanade bridge that we can pass under arriving in just a few minutes. The Merlion was conceived as a city logo, the name Singapore, meaning Lion City, then commissioned as a statue and erected at the head of the Singapore river in 1972. When the city built the Esplanade bridge in 1997 the statue could no longer be seen from Marina Bay and so it was moved to the present location. Completely white, sculpted in glass reinforced cement by an Australian, James Martin the statue sits gleaming in the sunshine spouting foaming white water into the bay, while throngs of tourist’s look on or are engaged in photo taking.
We move on looking for a place to eat tonight but none of the restaurants appeal, maybe we are too fussy. We decide to take a forty minute river cruise on one of the little red and green wooden electric boats that ply the Singapore river here. There are several stops along the way, but surprisingly they are not hop on hop off, but just allows for a circuit of Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, and Marina Bay from and back to your embarkation point. When we reach the Fullerton dock pickup point to buy tickets, the young disinterested attendant tells us there is a thirty minute wait and closes the ticket windows, not taking any more questions. We decide to leave the ride to later. A quick comfort stop back at the hotel and we move on to Raffles Hotel, finding our way using Apple maps and Amanda maps, my sense of direction being famously inadequate. We pass through a park with a memorial to the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945. Completed in 1967 the four identical pillars, each 70 metres (230 ft) high, represent the shared experiences and unity of the four major races of Singapore – Chinese, Eurasian, Indian and Malay. The remains of the mostly Chinese killed by the Japanese that were uncovered much later in 1962 are interred beneath the monument.
Passing by the monument we soon reach the Raffles quarter that surrounds this iconic hotel, then into the hotel its self. I always love coming here although over the years the changes made seem to have substantially detracted from the original feel of the place. I still remember the first time in 1987, enjoying a gin sling in the original long bar, the history seemed to seep out of the pores of the building then, close my eyes and I could feel the stories of my father who served here as part of the liberation force in 1945. Now although much remains a lot has changed, still refurbishing work continues and large sections of the hotel are closed. We wander the colonnades and courtyards, moon cake festival is approaching, there are small stands selling these sweet Asian treats, eventually stopping at the gift shop.
Our tour over we head back to the hotel via the National Gallery and Parliament House, this the older city area of Singapore containing more of the finer colonial buildings like the old Parliament House, now an art centre. Looking down over this part of the city the clock tower from the Victorian theatre and concert hall sits since 1862, ticking away the minutes. We walk back, around the old Parliament House building towards the river, here stands a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles who’s foresight created Singapore. Sir Stamford once Governor of British Java was influential in wresting the then East Indies island of Java from the Dutch and French during the Napoleonic wars subsequently having a major impact on south east Asia.
Starting to feel a little hot and sticky we decide to make our way back to the hotel for a cool break and then try for that illusive river cruise. Back down on the river dock, the disinterested young attendant is watching a video on her phone, but there is another older gentleman with her, we open the glass shutters and she looks up giving us that “not you again look” the older gentleman steps in, again the wait is around twenty minutes maybe ten or fifteen but could be thirty. He suggests “we don’t go to far boat could be around anytime”, determined we buy our tickets and find a seat in the Fullerton hotels unoccupied outside smoking area just around the corner. After about ten minutes we decide to check on our boat, it is coming we are told, true, boats are coming and going all the time, but none deign to stop at our dock. A boat approaches, we are told to descend to the dock, just below the “River Boys” sculpture, but no, this boat is just disembarking passengers, not picking them up, at this time of the day the boats are mostly empty with just a few sightseeing passengers. We wait and wait as empty boats drift by as if on a carousel they can’t get off, eventually at the thirty minute mark my patience is wearing thin, “your boat come soon sir” I am told in stilted English so still we wait. “Why so many boats in the river and none stop” I ask the attendant, he shrugs his shoulders, it’s the system he explains. Finally our boat has an identity first 228 then no, 229 at least we can identify it as it approaches. Finally after nearly 40 minutes and countless boats drifting by, the boat with our number on it arrives and we board for our 40 minute tour. We sit outside on the rear deck of richly varnished timber and enjoy the breeze kicked up by the boats movement along the river. We float through Boat Quay, Clarke Quay under the bridges. As we pass through this area my thoughts are echoed by the on board commentary, stories again from my father about the sampans and junks that crowded the bay and quays, coolies in wide brimmed rattan conical hats, off loading goods from ships anchored out in the straights. Back in the present we stop to drop off passengers at the Clark Quay terminal, then alone on the boat we cruise the Marina Bay waters, there are two crew, while one is captaining the other offers to take our pictures against the skyline backdrop as it changes with our movement. A nice touch that helps us forget the long crazy queue-less wait.
Back at our dock we make the short walk back to the hotel, we have decided on dinner and drinks in the Courtyard bar then a walk in the warm night air to Merlion Park to watch the laser music and light show that is best viewed and heard from that vantage point at 8.00pm.
A little muggy today, taking breaks in the hotels air conditioning is refreshing, once the sun goes down the temperature reduces just enough to make outside the place to be. After our light meal and last drinks at the hotel we wander off again to Merlion Park, as we do so business types in shirts and ties no doubt heading off to a late meeting or to a parking station somewhere whizz by on electric scooters. This is a phenomenon here, a number of different folding electric conveyances are available to hire or buy, from small Segway type vehicles to scooters and one wheeled electric bikes. Since walking is only slightly less faster than driving here these devices make a lot of sense, but we can see a problem as the numbers increase since they are using public walkways and travel at considerable speed.
Down at Merlion Park there are plenty of people here to enjoy the show close up.
The lights from the surrounding buildings are considerable, but when they start to flicker and change colour all around the bay the sight is amazing. The music is not so impressive as the sound has to travel across the bay, any prevailing breezes picking up the notes and either distorting them or scattering them periodically across the bay. Still one gets the idea, a classical piece with a slow start, speeding up mid piece and eventually reaching a crescendo of light and sound at the finish. Lasting about ten minutes and shown twice a night, definitely a smokeless spectacle that replaces fireworks, probably cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Once the show is over we walk back under the bridge back to the hotel contemplating our last night of an epic (for us) journey that has taken us across four continents over the last ninety days. We are excited to be going home.