Day 10 - Saturday 23 January - Shopping and Chinatown

Had a bit of trouble sleeping - stoopid thermoregulation issues.

Woke up at 6ish though. Got up, did photo and blogging stuff, then headed out by myself.

Pedestrian underpass sign
Pedestrian underpass sign

Swissotel at Raffles City
Swissotel at Raffles City

The sun was out so I thought I'd make the most of it before it got tooo hot. Decided to walk down to the harbour again. Even at 8:20am, the Merlion is super popular with the tourists. So got some photos of it and the harbour and it was all quite pretty.

Esplanade Outdoor Stage - with fogged up camera lens
Esplanade Outdoor Stage - with fogged up camera lens

Singapore skyline
Singapore skyline

Clouds over Marina Bay
Clouds over Marina Bay

Esplanade Bridge and Raffles City
Esplanade Bridge and Raffles City

The Durian - Theatres on the Bay
The Durian - Theatres on the Bay

Merlion
Merlion

Merlion
Merlion

Merlion
Merlion

Clouds over Marina Bay
Clouds over Marina Bay

ArtScience Museum
ArtScience Museum

Little Merlion
Little Merlion

Then back to the hotel to have a shower and have breakfast.

After breakfast (it was about 10:45 by this point) we headed out.

We took a train out to Orchard to see a couple of stores Stu wanted to see.

Shops on Orchard Road
Shops on Orchard Road

Chinese New Year - Year of the Monkey
Chinese New Year - Year of the Monkey

The first was Kinokuniya - a huge bookstore. Had a good long wander through there.

The second was The Demin Store - Stu thought maybe he could get some better quality jeans there. But it was just before 12:00 and they didn't open til 12 (!?) and the shop was quite small, so we gave up on that idea, figuring they wouldn't have anything in Stu's size anyway.

While we there, it rained. When we came out, the temperature was actually almost bearable. We headed back to the hotel, and by the time we got there, the sun had some back out. And it was HOT. And HUMID. Just awful.

Carlton Hotel, Singapore
Carlton Hotel, Singapore

Chilled out briefly in the hotel, then headed out again - downtown to go on a foodie tour. But this one had a lot more culture and history than the Hong Kong ones do. In fact we didn't actually eat anything for the first hour and a half - we just looked at some buildings and went into the Singapore City Gallery which was in the town planning office and it had all these super cool models of Singapore as well as history of the place and future planning.

Singapore Model
Singapore Model

Singapore Model
Singapore Model

Singapore Model
Singapore Model

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model from above

Singapore Master Plan poster
Singapore Master Plan poster

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model

1:400 Singapore Central Area Model
1:400 Singapore Central Area Model

Singapore Island Model
Singapore Island Model

Singapore Island Model
Singapore Island Model

Singapore Island Model
Singapore Island Model

The foodie tour bit then kicked off. We went to several food courts, where old street hawkers had been moved under cover, which gave them the benefit of running water and electricity and more space for customers but presumably less character. I guess similar to what they're trying to do in Hong Kong to move the little green sheds into more fixed premesis.

At the first one we had sugar cane juice, chicken rice (almost a rerun of yesterday's lunch!) an oyster and mushroom cake, and a banana fritter.

Maxwell Food Centre
Maxwell Food Centre

Sugar cane juice
Sugar cane juice

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice store
Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice store

Chicken rice from Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice store
Chicken rice from Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice store

Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake store
Maxwell Fuzhou Oyster Cake store

Making the oyster cakes
Making the oyster cakes

Oyster and mushroom cake
Oyster and mushroom cake

Banana fritter
Banana fritter

At the second one we had a vegetarian popiah (which is a wrap made with the same skins used for spring rolls, but not actually deep fried). Very fresh and very nice.

Ann Chin Popiah store
Ann Chin Popiah store

Ann Chin Popiah store
Ann Chin Popiah store

Vegetarian popiah from Ann Chin
Vegetarian popiah from Ann Chin

We heard some of the history of the local streets.

Old terraces on Smith Street
Old terraces on Smith Street

At the third one we had a Chinese-Malaysian chicken curry which was a tad spicy for me but very tasty.

Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee store
Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee store

Chicken curry
Chicken curry

Finally we ended up in an actual mall, and had a cake made with pandan juice. So light and fluffy.

Pure Pandan store
Pure Pandan store

Classic Pandan Chiffon Cake
Classic Pandan Chiffon Cake

So all up a pretty good afternoon.

Singapore Art Museum
Singapore Art Museum

Headed back to the hotel, had a shower, then had a swim in the hotel pool.

Glass in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel
Glass in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel

Had some drinks and nibbles at the hotel, then went across the road to the Swissotel to have a drink in the CityScape bar (after we found the entrance to the place - have I ever mentioned how much I hate malls?!). I had a Singapore Sling (as you do) and enjoyed the *ambience* and the view. Super expensive though :( Also didn't get the full panorama. Might have to try the restaurant next time.

Singapore by night
Singapore by night

Clarke Quay by night
Clarke Quay by night

St Andrew's Cathedral by night
St Andrew's Cathedral by night

Decorations at Swissotel Raffles City
Decorations at Swissotel Raffles City