Singaporing In The Rain

Phyl got up to go to the bathroom, and the room was still dark.

G- What time is it? Is it 10 AM yet? I don't want to sleep the day away.

P- Holy shit! It's 10 after 11:00!!! Half the day is gone!

G- Well, we didn't go to sleep until 4:00 AM. Let's hurry up and go see Singapore.

We were up and out of the room in 30 minutes. It doesn't take long to get ready when you've showered the night before, have only a couple shirts to chose from, have virtually no hair and aren't wearing make up. It was Saturday morning and the hookers were done but the area was bustling. We got directions to the metro about 5-6 blocks away and enjoyed our walk past sidewalk markets selling fruit, veggies, cooked meats and fish on ice. We purchased a metro pass that allowed us to get on and off the metro and buses as much as we wanted, needing only to add more money when it ran low. After a few minutes figuring out which train to take, we headed to Harbor Bay, thinking it would be like the River Walk along the bay. This turned out to be an error as it was a mall, ferry & cruise ship terminal. From the terminal, we did see Sentosa Island, a Universal Theme Park, just south of Singapore. After asking a man in the mall, we were directed to Marina Bay, our intended destination.

G- I'm starving! Before we leave here, we should eat something.

P- What do you want?

G- I see a McDonald's. Are you ready to cave in and eat a burger?

P- Yes, I am. With a very cold diet coke, full of ice.

G- Let's do it.

After lunch we took the metro to the City Hall Mall, exited and walked past City Hall, St. Andrew Church, and along the river. The sky was turning black and the wind was blowing. It felt fantastic, but did not bode well for walking around the city. We kept moving, but stayed close to buildings that we could duck into. Finally, as we waited to cross a major intersection, the sky opened up. We ran to a restaurant, along the marina, and waited with many other drenched tourists. Fortunately, the view was the Marina Bay Hotel, consisting of 3 glass towers with a platform across their tops. The platform connected the 3 towers, supported a restaurant and viewing area and looked like a ship. In the marina, in front of the hotel, hundreds of white balls floated on the churning waters. The whole scene was quite impressive and from what we heard, you'd have to sell a kidney to spend even one night in the hotel. The hotel was connected to the land via a really cool bridge, called the helix, but we were unable to walk across it due to the bad weather.

Once the rain stopped, we walked along the marina to the fountain statues that represent Singapore. We passed the concert halls called Theaters On The Bay that looked like big porcupines....

G- OMG! Look at that sign! It's advertising The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

P- I never saw that.

G- I cannot believe that you never saw it. I went several times to Sena Mall on Veterans for the midnight show. It was fun. More fun if you were drunk, of course. If we were going to be here, I'd say we should see the show. But I doubt it would be as fun. Plus, I'm scared to ruin my fond memories by seeing it now and thinking it's stupid.  But watching a large group of Asians doing the time warp would be hysterical!!!!

P- Yeah. I have the feeling that's what would happen.

We moved along past a WWII Memorial and the Singapore Rotary Club where we could hear a chorus singing Christmas songs. We sat and listened to the singing for a while and discussed where we'd be for Christmas this year.

It had been a long afternoon and we had walked several miles, so we returned to the City Hall Mall and sat in Starbucks drinking Mocha Frappuccinos and playing on line. We walked around the mall, amazed at it's size and the number of very expensive designer stores. Having had enough for one day, we returned to the hotel.

G- Ok, the girl at the front desk says that there is a coin operated laundromat just 2 blocks away. I'm excited at the notion of having my clothes cleaned in a machine and not in the hotel sink with dandruff shampoo.

P- Me too. Let's go do that. Bring everything.

We divided our meager clothes into 2 batches and washed. A guy slept on the bench next to us. Phyl took off her bra so it could be washed. Only afterward did we notice the camera. Hopefully it doesn't actually film anything! After folding our freshly cleaned clothes, we stopped at The Lavender Frog Porridge & BBQ Seafood Zighar  to pick up dinner.

G- You want to try one of the frog leg pots?

P- I don't think so. Frog legs taste like chicken and I've already eaten enough chicken.

G- Ok, how about fried rice and the scallop stir fry? The guy told me he could package it to go. I really want to go back to the hotel and eat in the air con.

P- That sounds like a good idea. Uh oh!

G- What's wrong?

P- I need a bathroom immediately!! My stomach just flipped over.

G- I saw a sign for one around back. Here, take pinky and the toilet paper.

I ordered the food and waited for Phyl. She returned with a look of relief on her face.

G- How was it?

P- Not bad. It was a western toilet and very clean, but thank gawd you keep toilet paper in the bag with pinky.

We ate our dinner, the best fried rice we have had since being in Asia and ironically, it is like the fried rice we get in Chinese restaurants at home. Then we showered........

P- You may want to wait a little while before taking your shower because I just took a cold shower.

G- What?  Why was the water cold?

P- I don't know, but it wasn't so terrible for me, but I know you could never stand it. 

I waited for about 15 minutes, then turned on the water and it was still cold.

G- What the hell?  I cannot take a shower with cold water!!!

P-  I'll call the front desk and see if there is some problem..................................  Well, you know that button next to the red light on the control panel?

G- The one we thought controlled the TV's electricity?

P- That one.  It appears that it controls the hot water heater.  The guy said to turn it on and wait about 10 minutes and we'll have hot water.

G- Should we have known that?  You think that they would have told us when we checked in.  I've never seen such a thing before.

P- Me neither, and I wish I had called before I took a cold shower!!!

After my hot shower, we went to bed. It seems like feast or famine, because we cannot sleep without the air con, but we have been unable to control the temperature and it was freezing in our room. I awoke several times during the night and always heard the housekeeping cart in the hallway.