It's official. I am seriously, head over heels in love with Changi Airport. Singapore, how did you get it so right?!
Let me backtrack...right to the beginning.
My flight (Singapore Airlines) to Singapore was pretty uneventful - bar a bout of twitchy leg starting before I even got on the plane and which got progressively worse until (sorry Dr Stone) I couldn't take it any longer and had to take a sleeping pill... It took about 45 minutes to kick in, but gave me a blessed three-four hours of relief. And it was a way shorter flight than anticipated (just under 11 hours, rather than 13, which made so much difference) so I got off the plane in not too bad shape.
However, I had a plan. I've done a bit of research on the airport and heard so much about it from everyone else that I knew all the things I wanted to do. First stop, book myself in for a free tour. I got on the tour at 11am so seeing as at this stage it was only 7am, it was off to search for a reclining couch for a bit of shut-eye. I had nearly two hours of sleep once I finally found them - genius!
Then it was up and out for my tour. I had landed on the 'colonial' one which was all about the city's heritage (rather than the 'cultural' one which went through Chinatown etc.). It was really interesting! I had no idea this Raffles character was such an important guy (apart from giving his name to a hotel of course). Our guide was pretty frank - telling us bad things as well as good about Singapore - and it made it much more interesting compared to a bland from rote tour. We got off the bus near the main city buildings and WHAM. It is rather hot here I must say... Ok, no, can't keep up that charade. It is HOT, H-O-T. The humidity slapped you in the face and it's like walking around in soup. I know this will come as no surprise to the vast majority of people who may read this, but it's all a novelty to me!!
Back on the bus and then back to the airport, where I immediately turned around and booked myself on the other free shuttle to get into town. I love you Changi! I got dropped off at a place called Suntec City which is a giant mall, which I immediately left and made for the subway to get downtown to go for lunch at a hawker food centre called Lau Pa Sat which I gather is a bit of an institution. For $4.50 (one of only two choices available at the place I chose to go to) I had 'braised meat ban yian' which was delicious (the proof of which is splattered all over my t-shirt at the moment). I honestly think I could live in Asia just for the food alone!!
After lunch I wandered back towards Suntec via Chinatown, finding interesting temples and parks and things to fritter away memory space on my camera (I'll try and upload pictures as soon as I find a computer where I can and it's not too dodgy). Several things intrigued me: what is the toasted sandwich-like thing that everyone's eating? Also what is the dried pork all about? And are televisions particularly cheap here as I seriously saw at least 20 being checked in as luggage (mostly it seemed to India??). I love the grass - it's all fat-leaved and was lovely to walk on. And all the (hundreds!) of ships up and down the coast - are they heading to China?? I also saw a Swensens! (Mention of that is just for you Mum).
Then, back on my, again free, shuttle to the airport, where I went to the rooftop pool for a swim and a shower. That's right, the ROOFTOP POOL. Auckland Airport, avert your eyes in shame! You have a lot, I repeat, a lot, to learn from Changi. A swim and a shower was glorious and prepped me for my $3.80 (no, that's not a typo) laksa from the airport food court. $3.80!!! And it was delicious! I don't know what's different about Singaporean laksa, but it always seems browner, richer somehow than Thai laksa (or is laksa not really from Thailand and I just have no idea). Anyway, totally yum.
Now I'm making use of the free internet, before I go down and watch Algeria vs. Slovenia on the big screens they're showing all the World Cup matches on. Honestly, it's going to be hard to get on the flight!
Sorry it's been such a long one, but I do have five more hours to kill until I even have to be at my gate, so you'll just have to lump it!
Next stop, Johannesburg!!!!
(P.S. Slovenia won 1-0! If they can do it, surely NZ can...)
Let me backtrack...right to the beginning.
My flight (Singapore Airlines) to Singapore was pretty uneventful - bar a bout of twitchy leg starting before I even got on the plane and which got progressively worse until (sorry Dr Stone) I couldn't take it any longer and had to take a sleeping pill... It took about 45 minutes to kick in, but gave me a blessed three-four hours of relief. And it was a way shorter flight than anticipated (just under 11 hours, rather than 13, which made so much difference) so I got off the plane in not too bad shape.
However, I had a plan. I've done a bit of research on the airport and heard so much about it from everyone else that I knew all the things I wanted to do. First stop, book myself in for a free tour. I got on the tour at 11am so seeing as at this stage it was only 7am, it was off to search for a reclining couch for a bit of shut-eye. I had nearly two hours of sleep once I finally found them - genius!
Then it was up and out for my tour. I had landed on the 'colonial' one which was all about the city's heritage (rather than the 'cultural' one which went through Chinatown etc.). It was really interesting! I had no idea this Raffles character was such an important guy (apart from giving his name to a hotel of course). Our guide was pretty frank - telling us bad things as well as good about Singapore - and it made it much more interesting compared to a bland from rote tour. We got off the bus near the main city buildings and WHAM. It is rather hot here I must say... Ok, no, can't keep up that charade. It is HOT, H-O-T. The humidity slapped you in the face and it's like walking around in soup. I know this will come as no surprise to the vast majority of people who may read this, but it's all a novelty to me!!
Back on the bus and then back to the airport, where I immediately turned around and booked myself on the other free shuttle to get into town. I love you Changi! I got dropped off at a place called Suntec City which is a giant mall, which I immediately left and made for the subway to get downtown to go for lunch at a hawker food centre called Lau Pa Sat which I gather is a bit of an institution. For $4.50 (one of only two choices available at the place I chose to go to) I had 'braised meat ban yian' which was delicious (the proof of which is splattered all over my t-shirt at the moment). I honestly think I could live in Asia just for the food alone!!
After lunch I wandered back towards Suntec via Chinatown, finding interesting temples and parks and things to fritter away memory space on my camera (I'll try and upload pictures as soon as I find a computer where I can and it's not too dodgy). Several things intrigued me: what is the toasted sandwich-like thing that everyone's eating? Also what is the dried pork all about? And are televisions particularly cheap here as I seriously saw at least 20 being checked in as luggage (mostly it seemed to India??). I love the grass - it's all fat-leaved and was lovely to walk on. And all the (hundreds!) of ships up and down the coast - are they heading to China?? I also saw a Swensens! (Mention of that is just for you Mum).
Then, back on my, again free, shuttle to the airport, where I went to the rooftop pool for a swim and a shower. That's right, the ROOFTOP POOL. Auckland Airport, avert your eyes in shame! You have a lot, I repeat, a lot, to learn from Changi. A swim and a shower was glorious and prepped me for my $3.80 (no, that's not a typo) laksa from the airport food court. $3.80!!! And it was delicious! I don't know what's different about Singaporean laksa, but it always seems browner, richer somehow than Thai laksa (or is laksa not really from Thailand and I just have no idea). Anyway, totally yum.
Now I'm making use of the free internet, before I go down and watch Algeria vs. Slovenia on the big screens they're showing all the World Cup matches on. Honestly, it's going to be hard to get on the flight!
Sorry it's been such a long one, but I do have five more hours to kill until I even have to be at my gate, so you'll just have to lump it!
Next stop, Johannesburg!!!!
(P.S. Slovenia won 1-0! If they can do it, surely NZ can...)
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