Getting our Bearings

Wednesday, January 12, 2011.

Our circadian rhythms were still out of whack today, waking up in the wee hours of the night. We begin our morning slowly with a refreshing dip in the pool. We then ventured down Pansir Panang Hill to catch the bus at the bottom. The high humidity continues to make us groggy. We head to Habourfront where the big cruise ships come in to catch the MRT (mass rapid transit). We first head into Habourfront Center and enjoy the cool air con of the mall. Bella's eyes pop wide when she sees a box with Barbie and a wardrobe bigger than ours put together. We take a picture instead of making a purchase. Looking out into the harbour we see the cable cars making their way to Sentosa Island. It's the home of Universal Studios and resorts. We buy a 3 day Singapore Explorer pass and hop on the MRT. I notice the nice murals on the walls, Bella notices the escalators and Mark notes the safety of the closing doors. All in all, it's the neatest and most efficient transit system we've seen. People line up orderly on the arrows and tap their transit cards upon entry and exit to record kilometers travelled. It's also a very good price, enticing citizens to use transit. From Dolby Ghaut, we transfer lines to Orchard Road, shopping mecca and home to high end wares. Everyone looks very fashionable. I notice that even the buildings are this city are very chic with their curves and angles. The architectural skyline is a beauty to behold in itself. I feel a little out of place with my travel wallet and Keens as Bella and I pose as fashion models with the colourful sculptures in front of PRADA. The store fronts are all polished and speak of money. We have neither so we head into the air conditioned food court to get a soymilk and Subway. We were planning to visit the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon but that exhausting blanket of heat and humidity did us in. We head back to Mel and Will's for a siesta.