Singapore and Thelma and Louise do Australia 2020: Day Two

When people say to me 'oh you are going on holiday' I always make it perfectly clear it is not a holiday. I am on the go all the time and today was no exception. We were up quite late for us (9.00am), however I was awoken by the mosque calling people to prayer at 6.00am, but went back off again. We had a shower and made our way out. Found a little coffee shop kind of thing that was attached to one of the local universities. We were scanned again for our temperature (something that has been a theme of this journey) and sat down to a cup of coffee that was so strong and thick you could have stood a spoon up in it, and a slice of sweetened bread (I always find the Asian break quite sweet) and gorgeous peanut butter! It was funny, as for some reason, the peanut butter on toast come with a boiled egg (they do like boiled egg here but now know it is part of a traditional Singapore breakfast) which I declined. They guy said to me 'no cow' which I guess is their way of saying vegan. Made me chuckle.

We made our way to Fort Canning Park which was so beautiful; warm (around 42 degrees) but so beautiful. It was split into different types of gardens/area and we spent ages walking around taking it all in. It is obviously the place

where the Singapore people spend Sundays as we saw so many groups of people, carrying their food, rice cookers, guitars into he park to make the day of it. What did make me laugh was there was a huge church there that looked like a scene from contagion. Red warning signs, people in masks, red tape - checking everyone in.

From here we made our way to what was, for me, living the dream. We arrived at The Raffles Hotel. This has been on my bucket list since I was 18 years old; to drink a Singapore Sling (cocktail) in the Raffles Hotel. It was a moment. Also, they provide you with a little sack of monkey nuts to enjoy with your drink (I should think so at the prices they charge),

however, you just drop the shells of the nuts on the floor. Something I did not find easy being a typical Virgo. Two cocktails later and a pile of monkey nut shells I had lived the dream. It really was worth it and I am so pleased that I have finally done it. If you ever get to visit Singapore I would highly recommend the experience you can find at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel.

Singapore is clean. I mean, really clean. No little and I do not think even the birds poo as there is no bird poop anywhere to be seen. You are not allowed to chew gum here (I knew this before I arrived) and they have strict rules that still impose the death penalty. Something I shrugged with before I come here is how homosexuality is prohibited. This makes me angry and smile as how can you prohibit something that is not a choice. It is like saying because you have blue eyes you are punishable by law, and if you cannot understand

that, take cast your mind back to the Nazi regime and their views on difference! The alternative is to fly via the Middle East, which basically is no better (if not worse because at least Singapore is welcoming). Singapore is a mishmash of cultures: Malay, Indian, Arab and goodness knows what else. We are staying in the Little India section of Singapore ....but more about that later.

We made our way down the road the the sea and there, in front of us, was what we have called (up until now) The Boat aka the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This

was on the list. However, the boat, to me soon turned into either a flat cock or the bottom half of a chocolate eclair. Once that thought was in my mind, that was it, that is all I could think of. We paid our entrance fee $26 (roughly £13) and the lift took us up to the 56th floor. The views over Singapore were spectacular and I mean spectacular. It was amazing. You could see so much. We saw what we thought was a Go Kart track which turns out to be part of the Singapore Grand Prix circuit. However, it was the boats that amazed me. Out to see there were so many container ships, I am assuming waiting to come into port. There were so many. It really was breathtaking and reminded me how small we all are on this huge planet of ours.

That done, I was getting a bit tired by then. My average step count (with back issues) has been around 10k steps a day; yesterday I achieved 26K!! No wonder I was getting tired. We waked around the bayside taking in the view then

caught the tube up to somewhere to get something to eat. That was a challenge. We arrived at Dhoby Ghaut and yet another shopping mall; they do like a shopping mall. As you know, I did Vegan January and have carried it on but promised myself that I would not be obsessed with it on holiday as it can create challenges. However, we found a lovely Thai restaurant and Anita the typically Thai woman (takes no prisoners) to us to our table and served us.

I could not believe it, on the table as a cloth was a glass covering of Bangkok's metro lines; I told you before I was missing Thailand and this just fed into my feelings. The food was wonderful (of course it was) and vegan, well for me. Andy is from the North so will eat anything.

Fed and watered we made our way, via the tube then bus to Singapore Zoo for the Night Safari. We had been told by several people to do this activity and they were wrong. The zoo was very well organised and clean, just like everything else in Singapore. I had to laugh as by now I was using my stick to help me walk and they saw this and put as to the front of queue. I told Andy, who Anita (the Thai restaurant woman thought was my son ....... sigh!) he would have to act as my carer now! The tram took you trough parts of the Zoo to see the nocturnal animals. It was so good, but what made it better was the fact that there was a baby crying at the back of our tram which alerted all the animals! The lions were very interested in the noise, followed by the hyenas, the crying baby added to the experience to see how animals in the wild would react!

After the tram tour we walked three trails to see other animals (avoiding the tank with the stingray in it ...... vile). We saw huge fruit bats just hanging around, snow leopards, tapers which were so sweet, elephants, hippos, deer the lot. It was a wonderful experience and very much recommended. It was quite an immersed experience being surrounded by their world. Also, like the day, it was very quiet. I am not sure if it is because tourists are not visiting because of the coronavirus, but it has been very quiet. We caught the bus and tube back to our hotel and were shattered. It had been a full on day but we had seen so much and experienced some amazing things.

Before I go I must mention Stacy and her friends. Who is she I hear you cry?

On the tube there is a campaign that is #StandUpStacy. Stacy looks like me, especially as I have a stick. It should be #SitDownKaren or as I have been referred to lately #BitchWithStick. The messages are all over the tube and I have shared them with you below ...... enjoy.