Day 94 21/12/2014

We met up with Ollie today, Simon's friend from home.  Ollie and Simon were both Explorer Scout Leaders back in Edinburgh.  Ollie recently finished his studies and returned home to Singapore, starting his new job in the new year.  We headed over the road from our hotel to Killiney Kopitiam so we could grab some breakfast before getting the MRT to Chinatown.  After wandering through the various shop stalls we visited Sri Mariamman Temple, Chinatown's most recognised icon.  It's very colourful and is the oldest Hindu house of worship in Singapore.  From here we went to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, a huge five storey Chinese style Buddhist temple.  The main attraction is what is believed to be a sacred tooth of Buddha.  The roof terrace includes a pray wheel and the fourth floor museum includes an array of related artifacts from around south east asia.  It was interesting to see that a lot of the places referenced are where we've visited in SE Asia over the last 3 months.  We had planned to go to the Singapore Museum which includes a model of the island but unfortunately it's closed on Sunday's.  We headed to Maxwell's food market for a great lunch all selected by Ollie including 100 day old eggs (Simon tried but Diane couldn't bring herself to eat them).  This time washed down with cane juice and soya bean curd for desert which was all another great eating experience.  On the way back to the MRT we stopped off in a shopping arcade and all had a foot massage.  Diane thoroughly enjoyed it but Simon wasn't too sure, finding it a bit painful and wasn't keen on all the "faff" of somebody touching his feet!  We then headed to Little India and wandered along the main shopping area which sprawls onto the pavement with everything from spices to cloth to trinkets on sale.  Back on the MRT we headed north to one of the more suburban areas that's a community housing area.  Ollie was keen to show us what living in Singapore was like for a significant proportion of the population.  The housing is only available to married couples or single people if they are over 35, with the districts including shops, schools, doctors etc.  What struck is most was how quiet it was.  The Singapore Scouts HQ is also based in the area and Simon and Ollie had their photo taken outside.  The sky had started to darken by now and it was just starting to rain so we jumped in a taxi and headed to Ollie's family home where we met his Mum (who very kindly gave us a lift back into the city), Dad and younger brother.   We walked along Orchard Road back to our hotel. In the evening we went to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel to sink a Singapore Sling, apparently a compulsory (and costly @ $68.25 ie £35) cliche.  But I suppose "When in Rome!"  From here we walked down to the Marina area and had a bite to eat along the dockside before heading back to the hotel.  Another great day and we certainly felt that we'd learnt a little bit of what it's like to live in Singapore and see some things off the usual tourist track. Many thanks again to Ollie.

Our hotel - with "festive" spray snow in the window!

  

Chinatown

Sri Mariamman Temple 

Diane & Ollie

Lunch at Maxwell's 

Diane enjoying her foot massage 

Simon's foot being pummelled 

Little India 

Simon & Ollie outside the Singapore Scouts Association HQ

With Ollie and his Mum 

Raffles Hotel 

Singapore Sling