It was time to leave KL. I was ready to go. Bags were packed, I'd said goodbye to people (those that had gone to bed only 2 hours before I couldn't wake, not naming names Shaun or Alex) and I walked to the bus station. On the way I heard a guy call out 'Singapore?' and within 20 seconds I'd paid my 30 ringit for a nice big seat on an 'executive luxury bus'. And it was pretty comfy, as this was a full size coach with only 3 seats to a row, affording each seat more space both width- and length-ways.
After maybe 4-5 hours we got to the border, defined by this sprawling modern, sterile, grey building. It was actually very efficient, both on the Malay exit and Singapore entry (though I did feel a tad silly declaring a packet of cigs with only four left in it) and the highlight was definitely the music, which was a string version of Guns 'n Roses' 'Sweet Child of Mine'. I did learn after we'd got through the Singapore side however that the box of cigarettes I had was technically illegal, that they were imported into Malaysia without paying tax. No wonder the people I'd bought them from had kept them under the counter...
I got dropped off a good 30 minute walk away from the Prince of Wales Guest House where I'd booked my bed, however set off in good heart after asking the way to Little India. About 40 minutes later and I'd just about found Little India, but with no map (Matt had the guidebook) was finding it increasingly frustrating that I couldn't locate the right road. A quick nip into a net cafe to consult a map and I was sorted, arriving at the hostel to see Matt having a beer outside with a couple of people. I dumped my stuff in the dorm and joined them.
Laws not to break in Singapore:
After maybe 4-5 hours we got to the border, defined by this sprawling modern, sterile, grey building. It was actually very efficient, both on the Malay exit and Singapore entry (though I did feel a tad silly declaring a packet of cigs with only four left in it) and the highlight was definitely the music, which was a string version of Guns 'n Roses' 'Sweet Child of Mine'. I did learn after we'd got through the Singapore side however that the box of cigarettes I had was technically illegal, that they were imported into Malaysia without paying tax. No wonder the people I'd bought them from had kept them under the counter...
I got dropped off a good 30 minute walk away from the Prince of Wales Guest House where I'd booked my bed, however set off in good heart after asking the way to Little India. About 40 minutes later and I'd just about found Little India, but with no map (Matt had the guidebook) was finding it increasingly frustrating that I couldn't locate the right road. A quick nip into a net cafe to consult a map and I was sorted, arriving at the hostel to see Matt having a beer outside with a couple of people. I dumped my stuff in the dorm and joined them.
Laws not to break in Singapore:
- Don't smoke outside the yellow box, or rather ONLY smoke in a designated yellow box (the space in between double yellow lines on the roadside doesn't count apparently)
- Don't spit in the streets
- Don't jay walk
- Don't eat, drink, smoke or spit on the MRT (Singapore Tube) otherwise $500 fine
- Don't read Malaysian National Newspapers
Apart from the second and fourth ones, we managed to break all these within the first day.
I'm afraid that otherwise we did jack-all in Singapore. The night I arrived I fell asleep at 10pm (somewhat amazingly seeing as I'm an extremely light sleeper and below us the bar was raging with a funk/jazz band). Getting up the next day around noon, Matt and I took a walk around Little India, managing to find the big computer/electronics centre for him to try and fix something with his camera, and after that, we sat in the bar listening to a live celtic band. Actually not that bad, complete with electric fiddle and a pint-sized 8 string electric guitar. That evening, Ivan came to meet us. This is a guy we'd met while doing our tour of Halong Bay/Catba Island in Vietnam nearly 2 months ago, and he just happened to live in Singapore too. He took us for Shisha at the aptly named Arab Street, and we had a good catch up in an Egyptian establishment, ('Are you Egyptian?' I asked the comically Indian looking waiter. 'Yes' he said) complemented by ordering some Foul Medemes. Good times.
Rose from KL turned up at some stupidly early hour the next morning, which afforded us evil looks from the girl who opens up the bar and guest house. A pretty blonde, mornings definitely don't agree with her (the bar girl that is, not Rose, but she's no early bird either really). Rose left around 9am to sort out stuff with the Indian embassy and find her friend who was staying in Singapore, and I went back to bed. Well, I went to bed, but not before finding out that the flight to Melbourne we had in our heads as being the next day was actually later the same day at 10.30pm. Nearly the biggest fail of the whole damn trip, I was convinced my calendar was wrong and that my flight was Tuesday 14th Jul rather than Monday 13th Jul. A quick check on the Emirates website confirmed I was well and truly incorrect. Shame I'd already paid for that extra night in the dorm...
We met up with Rose again that afternoon (this time accompanied by her old school friend Em) had some lunch, said our goodbyes, and made our way across the Indian Ocean to Australia...
I'm afraid that otherwise we did jack-all in Singapore. The night I arrived I fell asleep at 10pm (somewhat amazingly seeing as I'm an extremely light sleeper and below us the bar was raging with a funk/jazz band). Getting up the next day around noon, Matt and I took a walk around Little India, managing to find the big computer/electronics centre for him to try and fix something with his camera, and after that, we sat in the bar listening to a live celtic band. Actually not that bad, complete with electric fiddle and a pint-sized 8 string electric guitar. That evening, Ivan came to meet us. This is a guy we'd met while doing our tour of Halong Bay/Catba Island in Vietnam nearly 2 months ago, and he just happened to live in Singapore too. He took us for Shisha at the aptly named Arab Street, and we had a good catch up in an Egyptian establishment, ('Are you Egyptian?' I asked the comically Indian looking waiter. 'Yes' he said) complemented by ordering some Foul Medemes. Good times.
Rose from KL turned up at some stupidly early hour the next morning, which afforded us evil looks from the girl who opens up the bar and guest house. A pretty blonde, mornings definitely don't agree with her (the bar girl that is, not Rose, but she's no early bird either really). Rose left around 9am to sort out stuff with the Indian embassy and find her friend who was staying in Singapore, and I went back to bed. Well, I went to bed, but not before finding out that the flight to Melbourne we had in our heads as being the next day was actually later the same day at 10.30pm. Nearly the biggest fail of the whole damn trip, I was convinced my calendar was wrong and that my flight was Tuesday 14th Jul rather than Monday 13th Jul. A quick check on the Emirates website confirmed I was well and truly incorrect. Shame I'd already paid for that extra night in the dorm...
We met up with Rose again that afternoon (this time accompanied by her old school friend Em) had some lunch, said our goodbyes, and made our way across the Indian Ocean to Australia...
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment