Not-so-ghostly Singapore

Saturday 31st October
Arrived in Singapore on Saturday evening to the ominous rumbling of thunder and heavy rain – a sound I remembered well from my only previous visit 20 years ago. And, as it turned out, one of the few things I was to recognise over the next three days.

I guess it’s no surprise that the skyline had changed over two decades – the same could be said of almost any major city - but Singaporean’s are true neophytes and nothing stays the same for long. From prime real estate undergoing major construction programmes, to the shops and restaurants that are regularly refitted and rebranded – confusing even seasoned visitors to the area, including Robin who flew in from Kuala Lumpur to join me.

Needless to say we stayed in a new hotel. However, its location on the Singapore River opposite Clark Quay meant we were close to the original trading port promoted by Sir Stanford Raffles – though I only realised this after a visit to the excellent Museum of Asian Culture.

Today Clark Quay is a sort of river-front Covent Garden, where the warehouses facing the old dock have been converted into restaurants, bars and clubs, and is a popular place for locals and tourists alike. So ignoring the rain, and forgetting the date, we dumped our bags and headed there, and found ourselves distinctly under-dressed. Witches, devils plus the odd ghoul and pumpkin, mingled with angels, snow whites, little red riding hoods and even a rubik’s cube. Welcome to Halloween Singapore style!

Aside from the fancy dress parade, Clark Quay itself it is a touch surreal and neatly sums up my first impression of Singapore . The old warehouses have been painted in a variety of pastel colours and covered with a futuristic glazed roof. Under the pink and blue lighting, the facades could have been built for a Disney film set – maybe it was jet lag, but I got the feeling there was nothing substantial behind them. That said, it’s a great place to hang out, and the home of Robin’s favourite blues bar, where we ended the evening.


Sunday 1st November
Most Singaporeans live in apartment buildings, so recreational space is well used. East Coast Park, is one of the most popular. This stretch of coastline may not have much of a view – unless you count row upon row of oil tankers and container ships – but it extends for 10Km almost from the city centre to the airport. We joined the locals and rented bikes to cycle the length of the park, weaving through other cyclists, roller bladers, skate-boarders, joggers and walkers. The park also plays host to a crowded pier where hopeful fishermen bring along BBQs in case a passing fish end up on their line. But despite temperatures of 34oC the only people raising their heart rates were on skis – water skis - being towed around a lake by a series of ropes and pulleys resembling a snow-ski drag lift. Novel – but then it would be in Singapore.

One thing that doesn’t change is the food. We finished the day with a delicious black pepper crab at one of the shop-house restaurants on Boat Quay. The auspicious curved shape of the Quay – like a fat belly – gives good feng shui for money-making ventures, and the quaint shop houses dwarfed by the towers of the financial district that now drive Singapore’s success.