Sunday 7 October – Singapore: sensational structures, statues and super-heroes.

Last Thursday morning (it seems so long ago now, as I write this on Sunday afternoon!) we had our last walk in Istanbul, down the busy road from our hotel, the imposing Conrad Hilton in Beşiktaş, for a walk through the local fish market, where we spied a cat patiently awaiting its dinner.  Then to the airport for the fifteen hour journey to Singapore via Frankfurt, arriving late Friday afternoon.  We booked into our hotel, the Village Hotel Albert Court, where our old friend Josephine, who has served us breakfast and afternoon drinks for the past several years, was on hand to greet us. A quick freshen up, then a walk to the busy Bugis market.

Saturday was an easy day in the stifling heat; a walk through Little India, a rest, a return visit to Bugis market and a walk around the surrounding streets, an evening return to Little India to see the lights and then back for a spa and an early night.

Today (Sunday) we have been a bit more adventurous and a little less jet-lagged.  We set off to see the new Park View centre, an enormous but tasteful art-deco building with statues everywhere, vaulted ceilings in the huge foyer and a private museum – the object of our visit – that we could not see because it is closed on Sundays.  So we jumped on the MRT and alighted at Bayfront to visit the Marina Bay Sands, a huge hotel comprising three separate towers, atop which is a boat-shaped structure that dominates and overhangs all three.  We caught the lift to the 57^th floor for spectacular views. After a delicious lunch we went for a stroll past the many, many shops with names such as Cartier, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Dior, Mont Blanc…. we could go on.  We paused to overlook the underlit kids' play area, passed a tempting cake shop (without stopping) and found the DC Comics Super Heroes Café, which allowed us to pose with our favourite super-heroes.  We then made the long walk back to our hotel, through the parks and shopping centres, past St Andrews Cathedral and, again, through Bugis markets.  Rest, packing, out to the local food hall for dinner, then bed - and that’s it for this time.

This is our last blog; we will be on our way to the airport early tomorrow morning for our flight home.  Thanks to those of you who have shared our journey.  It has been incredible – Moscow and St Petersburg gave us an insight into the friendly Russian people and the opportunity to visit two extraordinarily beautiful cities with proud histories.  The Baltic countries – Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – were enlightening; they have all been occupied and ruled by other, more powerful countries and states at various times during their long histories including, most recently, by Russia, but have retained their own identity, character and cultures. 

And Turkey, a land of beautiful, friendly, easy-going and optimistic people whose eyes light up when they realise we are Australians.  There is so much history of the human race in this region and much of the development of dominant religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – can be traced to here.  Everywhere we went there was real evidence of human occupation in the form of the remains of cities and civilisations dating back many thousands of years.  We travelled almost four thousand kilometres, along the stunning Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines, across the broad plains, past salt lakes, over high mountains and through lush valleys, and through that magical region, Cappadocia.  Everywhere we went we were overawed by the grandeur and beauty of the country, and by the friendliness of the people.

We are very fortunate to have been able to experience it all.