Ok, so I have finally moved into the 20th century and created one of these. (Let's not venture into the 21st yet...) Thought it might solve my problem of having so much that I want to write about what I see, and never enough time to put it on paper.
So I am currently in Singapore and the new Changi airport, awaiting my third and final flight on my trek to Cambodia. It's been a longer trek than originally anticipated, as winter decided to show itself late this year - on the night of my flight out of Toronto - resulting in me missing all of my connections.
But, no harm done. I was able to spend a night in Singapore which gave me a chance to leave the airport and wander the city. I started on Orchard Street, the shopping hub of the city. It is packed with bigger malls than you brain can fathom - I felt like Mario in the big world level of the original Nintendo.
There are the world's biggest and most expensive shops - and block after block of malls. And just as you emerge into the Colonial section of the city - city hall and other historical buildings - you turn the corner and there's another mall.
The sun was setting on my wander and I was able to see the Singapore City skyline at night which is well worth all of my walking. It stood in the shadow of the pristine War Memorial which stretches high in the sky, a pencil thin version of the monument at Vimy Ridge. The buildings themselves can only be described as something out of a futuristic movie, except here they are, in their streamlined glory.
Turning south past the monument takes me to the river walkway. The streets around Orchard has begun to quiet by this point - about 8pm - and here along the river is where I find everyone. The river has walkways on either side, with bridges to cross over lit with twinkle lights, and seafood restaurants with outdoor patios that line the one side of the river. Locals and foreigners sit under the colourful canopies eating and drinking, with the water quietly lapping behind them. Farther down, couples sit along the edge of the river, in the shadows of the tall street lamps, away from the bright lights of the shops. Families wander over the bridges, stopping to take pictures along the way. They catch in the background a building that is reminiscent of Epcot with its dome structure and its tiny blue lights.
Somewhere along this walk, I realize how truly tired I am. It's something like 8am Saturday at home so I've been on the road some 36 hours without proper sleep or a shower. I hop on the nearest Metro and head back to my hotel. The streets around the hotel are far less than the glitz and glamour that is downtown, and I am reminded heavily of Korea - the small eateries, one after another, with smells of fish, rice and beer and heat wafting from them. (It's 32 C here)There are people everywhere - mostly men - bikes, mopeds and trucks too which I weave through until I am finally able to crash in my own room and catch up on the Olympics (when did we get 23 medals?? When I left it was 15!! Go Canada!)
More later, but now I have to check in for my final flight - and hope to goodness after all of this that my luggage awaits me in Siem Reap.
Cheers.
