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My eyes opened this morning at about 5am to the flashes that were going off outside my window. The rain was so fierce that I couldn’t see the Hotel next door through the mist. It was really tropical and made good watching.

I guess my decision of two nights ago to take the Harbour skyline photo was well made, so I was feeling a little smug with myself. I couldn’t see much happening early this morning so I turned over and went back to sleep. The room is so cool with the air conditioning that you don’t want to leave it to go outside. I met a Japanese businessman in the lift yesterday and I said how humid the weather was. He replied “It is said that Singapore has two sorts of climate, ‘Outdoor’ climate and ‘Indoor’ climate!”. It makes for an interesting conundrum. Why do people want to do business here. Yes, it is lush and green everywhere, but they are living in a greenhouse and it does rain in buckets when it comes, but people avoid going outside if they can. It is also really expensive here too. Hmm?

After I had let my breakfast go down and also booked the first few days of my Australia trip, I headed down to the pool. The humidity of just going from the fourth floor lobby to the poolside was painful, until I had changed and jumped into the water. It really zaps the energy from you and a good excuse to just lie back and relax, which I did. I caught up on the BBC news and a couple of Tweets and also the sad news of Boston. It does make you stop and think about those unfortunate people who have had their lives turned upside down in seconds. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

I managed to get to about 3.30pm before venturing out. The sun starts to drop around that time and the temperature drops to about 35C, but with the same wet, wet, wetness. I got into the Taxi at the Hotel and for the first time in 3 days, the driver spoke very little English and I had to resort to pointing at a map. Irony really as I was going to China Town and he was Chinese. We got there OK, but I was trying to memorise what would be the last 2 roads so I could get my bearings. We were close, but he didn’t know exactly where we were on my map. Across the road there were side streets with lanterns, so I guess that was a clue. China Town gets going around 3pm and then goes to late at night. It is best for food when it is late, but you also then have to put up with everyone trying to sell you something. Camera’s, suits, food, drink, services… I didn’t want that I just wanted to get a small bite to eat and have time to browse. The Hotel had circled a particular main road to try and the day before 2 separate staff specifiied streets to try.

I stopped off at two temples. A Buddhist temple that drew me in through it bright gold that glittered from a prayer hall and the burning incense from the sticks in the courtyard. A Hindu Temple caught my eye simple because of its building and individual statues. Have a look at the picture. I think it highlights the life of Krishna, surrounded by women.

Walking around China Town, the good thing was that it is not a huge area, so going off piste doesn’t take long to correct. It did take me a while to work out that most of the restaurants and stalls were not what I was looking for. I circled right back to where the taxi dropped me and then looked at the map again and 50 yards down there was a Food Court. There are a few big ones in Singapore. This place had 2 alleyways with competing food on both sides, maybe 50 or 60 stalls. I wander down both and then picked up on one shop with some Duck being displayed. Duck and Rice it was, with a Bowl of Dumplings in a vegetable broth. Not bad for 8 Singapore Dollars, but I will give you my final verdict after 24 hours have passed. My confidence was that a Monk in an Orange Robe was eating at the table next to me. I watched him as he finished the meal, which I think was gifted to him. He went to one member of staff and offered her a piece of string, which she first of all looked puzzled by, but then he must have added a story, as she then placed it between her hands and made a blessing gesture. I have heard of this before that they expect to be fed by donations. The odd thing was that he had a Blackberry phone. Times change I guess??

I finish up and head up to Clark Quay which was a real hard slog in the humidity (about half a mile walk). Over a couple of beers I just stared at the river, it was too hard to think too much.

As I looked through the buildings the old quarter of the Quay and China Town are so close and inter-mingled with the modern buildings that are corporate Singapore. The office workers are coming out and heading for a swift drink before heading home, or as I have found in my Hotel, they are here for a week on company business and are making the most of it!

Well a last couple of Gin and Tonics to help me sleep as I have a morning flight to Australia. I am glad that I stopped off here, it has been different again, by weather, by people, by quality, by variety. I couldn’t have done a week, but a few days has given me a little insight to yet another country.

I am now looking forward to my flight with Singapore Airlines and of course the heavenly bodies…

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Early start up to Singapore from Beijing and as the Taxi tears it way up to the airport, Beijing is silent and different. It really does feel like a sunday morning, with the low sun just appearing but perfect blue skies.

Through the Airport to the International departures and as I am passing through security the guy behind me is wearing an old Aston Villa T-shirt. I picked this up from just seeing the ‘on V’ through his jacket, so had to ask him. Made me smile that we are a long way from home and my local team is being represented.

On to the flight and my first experience of Singapore Airlines. Oh…Heavenly Bodies! This is going to be a nice flight. The Stewardesses were so beautiful and their uniforms, colourful sarongs, just raised them up my Airline league table. I had to give them a compliment. They all have gorgeous smiles and have lovely colour skin. I don’t think 6 hours was long enough, but I am flying to Australia with them in 4 days time.

I catch up on my blog and get some Country and a few uplifting songs in my earphones.

Yet again I have a nice positioned seat but the flight isn’t too full. Looking out the window and I think we are passing over Vietnam, I get a another heavenly view of the Clouds below, but set against a background of Green. Well what can I say, this is heaven. I can’t get the word out my head, it’s a noun and an adjective. Everywhere I look blissfully brings me back to the same word. Outside and Inside the plane. Heavenly…

Gin and Tonic in my hand, I am in my comfort zone.

Singapore airport was inviting and efficient. You immediately get a feeling that you are back in the Empire and although there are lots of Chinese people around they are speaking English.

The short ride from the Airport, was like passing through someones back garden and well manicured. In a short while the city comes into sight and you get a sense of this being a world centre of commerce with tall skyscrapers and hotels, some more exceptional than others.

My Hotel lobby is wide and inviting. It was if I had arrived at a relatives home and everyone knew I was coming. The reception assistant checked me in around a low oval table wished me a belated birthday for yesterday and was really interested in what I had to say about where I had come from and the stay that I had chosen at their hotel. He called through to the bar across the wide and modern lobby to arrange for a beer for me and inside 10 minutes I was relaxing and taking in the hotels decor. You will get a feel for the Hotel from the pictures, but I am up on the 27th Floor. I eventually get up to my room which is via an external glass elevator which does feel a bit weird first time, as well as the walk to the room, which is an open walkway in the atrium which is a pyramid type shape. The room has wall to wall windows and similarly a glass walled bathroom, so I will need to take note of closing the blinds.

In the lift I get a view of the outdoor large circular pool on the 4th Floor which looked inviting. This was going to be a nice stay I could tell.

I got my bearings on the first night and as it had been a long day all I wanted was a shower and bed, but it was also Sunday and I had the ‘3 rings’ video call with the boys back home at a sociable time for all of us.

The next day I got up a bit later than expected as I had put down the electronic sunblinds to the room and it was in pitch black darkness, but after a coffee and a pastry I was off to find one of the Hotels that I spied on the route in. The Marina Bay Sands hotel. A hotel that would be at home in Dubai with its Cricket Stumps-shaped building with a massive open pool and complex on its 57th top floor. One thing you notice straightaway is the Heat and the Humidity of Singapore. It hits your lungs immediately as you walk out of the hotel. I don’t think I will be walking a lot in the next 3 days, but the cleanliness of Singapore and its organisation helps you forget it a little.

The top floor viewing deck gives a great view of Singapore, the river, Quays and tall buildings. There is something about these buildings that make them attractive. It’s not in the beauty league as you would the Taj Mahal, but there is a sense of coolness in the buildings contrasting with each other. Like a mini Hong Kong. I clicked away like the typical tourist, but although I could have stayed as long as I liked, the humidity clings to you, so I head back down. The Hotel sits on a large affluent shopping centre with all the big world brands on show, but I need to seek out a small shop for some basic toiletries.

I think about taking a long walk around the Harbour, but make a quick decision that the pool could give me what I need, and it did. Singapore will not be a sight seeing extravaganza, it will be a do what I want to do at a leisurely pace and take in a couple of things along the way, if I want to.

The pool quenched every part of the body and I sat out for about 2 hours under an umbrella and towel, but rehydating every 15 minutes, listening to some music in between.

In the evening I had a cab out to Clark Quay for a small bite to eat. The sticky weather was relentless in the evening and was also holding back my appetite. However, I did have a mission. One of the local delicacies is Chilli Crab, so I scout the area with a couple of beers along the way to find somewhere that could supply the goods. The area is packed with different restaurants of all the cuisines you can think of, from USA steaks and Burgers to Italian Pizzas to a range of Asian foods. I browsed through a number of menus at a number of doorways. I settled on an Indonesia restaurant, but served the Chilli Crab.

I only wanted a small bite so as a guide I was looking at the picture menu and the price. ‘Chilli Crab’ 7 SGD. Hmm low price so could be a sample portion. I called over the waiter who was very helpful. I told him I was after something small and pointed to the Crab, but as I did I also noted that it was ‘per 100g’. He guided me that the smallest he thought he could do would be 700g if that was OK?. I wasn’t sure if that was small or not but agreed and thought that it was in my budget range as well. “OK, I will get it” he said. I sat back and took in the ambiance of the restaurant which was filled with a range of nationalities.

About 15 minutes later the waiter came back, I thought to qualify my order, but then said 900g was the smallest he could get and pushed a plastic bag to me. “Be careful” he said, but encouraged me to open the bag to look at the live green-blue crab that he had pulled out of a tank somewhere which was looking up at me. I don’t know why I did it, but with one hand holding the bottom, I reached inside to touch the crab and yes it did move and so did I. Was I going to count his legs, stroke it or what?, but with that done and seeing that it was very alive, albeit for 10 minutes I nodded and said thank you.

20 minutes later the Crab was prepared and with a constant look this time was on my plate in a pool of sauce staring up at me again. I wasn’t shy with my next question as I wanted to know how I needed to eat it and what I should not eat. I have had lots of dressed crab in the UK, but never a hot dish. I was guided to the Claw Crackers to get into the Claws first and then move to the body. Did I need an apron?, No, I would be OK.

The Crab was a beautiful red-orange colour and the sauce which had been prepared with some of the loose meat from the main body, was rich of tomatoes, chillies and other spices. I had the usual crab delving fork and a spoon for the sauce. Well what can I say, this was amazing. The Crab meat, especially the claws, was juicy and had that nice saltiness to it and the sauce was, well yes, heavenly! A thick bisque consistency and completely delicious. Sorry for repeating myself but this was all the things that I loved. Seafood, Tomatoes and Chillies.

When it came to cracking the claws I looked down at my right thumb which bears the scar of a crabs claw that I was eating in the street when I was courting Sue, back when I was 19. The crab won on that occasion. This time I was gingerly squeezing the pre-cracked shell to find the best and tidiest point to get to the meat. I looked down after 10 minutes and I am covered in sauce. Another laundry request for tomorrow I thought. But well worth it.

I waddled back to the Taxi and was soon back in the Hotel.

As we made the way back I saw the Singapore skyline with its lights on and knew that I should take the opportunity to get a photo just in case we had rain and I ended up with another Hong Kong. I quickly got changed so that I could respectably walk through the lobby and make my walk over to the Marina. Great picture, I hope I caught it how it felt to me. Within 30 minutes I was back in the Hotel and sipping a Gin and Tonic in the bar, chatting through ‘travelling’ with the staff. Nice evening and a dish that I will add to my long list of ‘must do again’.