The Singapore Sting!

this should impress the kids!

Last night we ate at a restaurant housed within the Rendezvous Hotel, but leased independently. An enjoyable meal until it came time for payment. Added was a 10% service charge and VAT of 7%. Not a significant amount of money, but it was the deception that irked. The only fine print disclosing the additions was at the foot of the bill. Buyer beware, the Singapore Sting!

We found the harbour! We took a cable car to Sentosa, an island that has been developed for tourists & fun seekers alike. Sentosa is very commercialised, not unlike our Gold Coast Dreamworld, but on a much smaller scale.

Mt Faber, a hill at just 105 metres, is the highest geographical feature in Singapore. The highrise buildings stand much taller.

We returned to Esplanade Station, a station not a beach, to look at the historic & iconic Raffles Hotel. It looked impressive! It looked expensive! The Raffles Resort at Mudgeeraba has far greater appeal. We check-in on Wednesday, but first we must check-out of Singapore. That's happening at 9:10 p.m. tomorrow evening. The hotel has conceded a late check-out of 3:00 p.m. & it has also agreed to the use of the hotel facilities beyond that time. I expect we shall leave for Changi Airport at approximately 6:00 p.m.

tuk-tuked out!

I am looking forward to a reunion with our family at the weekend. Kate is joining us from Melbourne, Cameron from NZ. Jane, Michael & Reece, Richard & Kellie will also be home to celebrate Phil's 60th birthday. I am also looking forward to catching up with our Brisbane & Coast friends as soon as possible & when Telstra has reinstated our phone service I shall phone family & friends who live interstate.

Night Safari

The Singapore Night Safari began as a day zoo in 1973. With a commitment to wildlife conservation, the safari was introduced in 1994. It exhibits more than one thousand animals in 40 hectares of secondary forest. One hundred & twenty species from Asia, Africa, America & Australia range in discreetly hidden enclosures of natural habitat.

Our safari was oversubscribed, resulting in extremely long queues. Our objections were considered & our tour guide managed to fabricate a story convincing organisers to advance us in the queue for the tram ride through the park. A consideration we accepted & were grateful for.

Then it rained on the event organiser's parade. Torrential rain that washed out the evening for most. Shows were cancelled & walks were closed, however, we had an hour+ to wait for our return bus, during which time the weather cleared. This allowed us to complete the shortest of the walks, The Wallaby Trail, which took us to the 'Naracoorte Cave',  a recreation of a cave we are both familiar with.

We lived in Naracoorte, South Australia for eighteen months from mid 1974. Phil worked for the South Australian Highways Department. I taught at Naracoorte South Primary School. This evening allowed time to reminisce about my then class of Preps, Years One & Two & the transformation of our classroom into a cave & the term devoted to an integrated program about limestone cave formations. I recall the unit of work commenced with a visit to the real deal. Thirty-seven years on I wonder about 'my kids' & what they are now doing. I wonder if they ever recall their caving experience?

With a number of tourists to be returned to their respective hotels throughout the city, our bus trip back to the Rendezvous Hotel became a complimentary city night tour!

This morning we travelled by train to Marina Bay expecting to step from the underground to the sight of a bay & a marina. Instead, we found ourselves in the middle of a construction site surrounded by highrise buildings. A concrete jungle! A Day Safari! If there was a bay & a marina it was well hidden. We retraced our journey just two stations to Bayfront, a shopping mall of massive proportions! The terms Marina & Bay are indiscriminately applied it seems.

This afternoon we spent time with the crowd that besieged the Bugis Street Market. It was the largest market I have ever seen. Three floors, stall after stall, aisle after aisle. The hot, cramped & noisy market place soon lost its appeal.

Singapore Botanical Gardens

This morning we attempted to restore normality to our daily routine. An early breakfast was a good start. However, by mid afternoon we were battling fatigue, but refused to give in to sleep.

Today we familiarized ourselves with the MRT system, an efficient & cost effective way to move around under Singapore. The first thing I noticed about Singapore was its cleanliness. The second was the absence of graffiti. Perhaps there is something to be said for law enforcement & tough penalties for those who transgress the regulations.

This morning's destination was The Botanical Gardens, a beautiful oasis covering 52 hectares in the heart of Singapore. While much of the gardens were well established, evidence of new plantings suggested it continues to be a work in progress. The highlight was The National Orchid Garden. It was a knockout! I walked into an unsighted low steel beam when entering a hidden garden! Blooms of every colour made bold statements amid the greenery & served as a distraction while I nursed a sore head.


Unlike yesterday, the conditions were hot, humid & very uncomfortable. Energy sapping stuff! Agreement to return to the sanctuary of the hotel for a late lunch, a swim & a read was unanimous.

We have booked to join the Night Safari at 6:30 p.m.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Vijay. I hope you are again feeling well & that your birthday is an enjoyable one.

Where did the morning go?

Housekeeping woke us at 12:53 p.m. We had slept for 14 hours. It is Friday afternoon. Hopefully now that we have jetted & lagged, our body clocks have made the necessary seven hour time adjustment.

A few hours poolside, reading & a swim followed by a walk & a meal, our first in 36 hours, we feel rested. Today's temperature reached 32*C. We have been surprised with the low humidity.

The Rendezvous Hotel at 9 Bras Basah Road came recommended. A good choice Jen! Thank you. We are looking forward to exploring Singapore tomorrow.

Where did the morning go?

3:45 p.m. Wednesday -1 + 7 = 6:00 p.m. Thursday! Where did Thursday morning go?

Full marks for all who facilitated our departure from Paris. The shuttle bus delivered us to Orly Airport in just 35 minutes. Our British Airways check-in & security clearance was fast. A window seat enabled me to have one last look at Paris. I'm certain that as we circled Paris the right wing dipped just a little in a farewell salute.

Our arrival at London Heathrow was on time. We cleared border control, collected our luggage, cleared customs & had completed our transit from T5 to T3 in just 40 minutes. I have even higher praise than that given last week for the efficiency, helpfulness & friendliness of the staff. I expect those using the facility tomorrow may have a different story to tell. I understand border control staff are scheduled to strike on Thursday. I have also read that train drivers are threatening similar action.

My commendations for Singapore Airlines bag drop processing aren't as high. Passengers who had checked-in online were assigned to just one operator. With five staff handling airport check-ins, one doesn't have to be Einstein to calculate the processing ratio & time difference to complete the procedure.

Our flight from London to Singapore was just twelve hours. Again high praise for the hard working staff who made our trip a comfortable one. My neighbour, sitting in 48E, was hyper-hyperactive. He & his neighbour, two Gen-Yers, competed for more than hour. All seated in the vicinity heard their respective life stories. Then the testosterone testimonials began! Education, employment, promotions, wages, parents' occupations, sporting prowess, golfing handicaps, holidays, Singapore accommodation etc. There's an expression for this type of behaviour! It doesn't escape me, but I'd best not commit it to print! Silence! iPad on/off; computer on/off; magazine open/shut; pillow adjustment; rug on/off; shoes off/sox on; headphones on/off; light on/off; overhead locker open/shut & on it went. Sleep! Then he snored his way to Singapore! That, at least, I could mask with the aid of headphones & music.

Changi Airport was extremely quiet. I expect the majority of passengers on flight SQ321 were transitting to other destinations. Passenger processing through border control was executed with military precision. Customs was random scanning of luggage. We were random! That & a taxi to the city in an hour impressed.

The journey from the airport along the causeway was beautiful. Manicured parks, palms, hedges of bougainvillea in full bloom, all against a backdrop of beaches, the sea & the harbour. A lovely welcome to Singapore.

Paris to Singapore

Today we begin our return journey to Australia. British Airways will deliver us from Orly Airport, Paris to London Heathrow, where we connect with a Singapore Airline's flight to Changi Airport, Singapore. We are looking forward to the five days of R&R that awaits us there.

Happy Birthday!

Dear Wayne
I found the T-shirt in Liverpool. It reminded me of long ago & our childhood that was filled with The Beatles' music. Given that you're now 56, I figured you will be needing some help soon! I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Love, Irene xx

Last Tango in Paris

Phil has been working out between eggs & bacon for breakfast & cream pastries for morning tea. What a physique! What a tower of strength!

If you are planning a trip to Paris & you wish to visit le Louvre, please note, il a ferme le mardi, that is, it is closed on Tuesday! With Plan A in tatters, we found ourselves at Musee du quai Branly, a cultural institution showcasing anthropology of non-Western cultures. My reaction to the facility & the exhibits within showed I am a humanitarian, not an anthropologist. The space would house many of the destitute we have seen on the streets of Paris.

We ventured across town to the 5th Arrondissement, known as the Latin Quarter, in search of streets & sites where the instigators of the French Revolution lived & planned their revolt. This was Phil's search. I was happy just to photograph streetscapes that appealed.

We trained it back to Boulevard Haussmann. Negotiating the numerous stairs & crossings of hidden tracks in Stations Invalides & Chatelet was a challenge. Even armed with a map! Gallery Lafayette's rooftop terrace provided some panoramic views of Paris. A few clicks & we were gone. In hot conditions, the 1.3 kilometre walk to Place St Augustin was a shade-hugging test of endurance.




Paris has a lot to offer. I've enjoyed my second visit. When researching accommodation options, relying on advertising pictorials & testimonials comes with risk, but Hotel Malesherbes has delivered excellent value. Staying in & getting to know a different area of the city was a good choice. The Place St Augustin, in the 8th Arrondissement, was an excellent location. A €19 door to door shuttle service from Charles De Gaulle & Orly Airports & situated just 100 metres to bus & 200 metres to either Stations Mirominsel or St Augustin, it offered very good transport connections. I'm disappointed we didn't make it to the Louvre. An assumption that an attraction of its calibre would be open seven days a week was our undoing. Perhaps reason to return just one more time.

Pictures of Paris

We haven't long returned from a day on the buses. Our aim was to recapture the essence of that which is Paris & only alighted to have lunch or a change of bus route.

Lunch, Parisien style, at the Cafe Odeon on Boulevard St Germain was enjoyable. Getting to a connecting bus took us past the haute couture end of town. I fell in love with a cotton top & short-sleeve pullover. When Madame announced it was just €1840, I picked Monsieur up off the floor, thanked Madame for her trouble & left!

We were surprised to learn the mercury reached 32*C today. Certainly the dry heat is much more bearable than the humid conditions we have at home.

Given that we have had our main meal for day, we raided the supermarket fridge for a couple of salads, which we'll take to the local park for a pique-nique style Paris.

Le Tour de France

Another glorious day with a temperature of 24*C! We arrived at the Champs-Élysées at 11:40 a.m. With an obstruction approximately every four metres, either a tree, a pole or a rotating advertising board it was difficult to find a perfect position. So, with a position not so perfect, Aussie flag fenced, Phil sporting his canary-yellow Tour de France T-shirt, supporters displaying flags from their respective countries, commentary & music added to the carnival atmosphere that consumed Paris. Today it was all about Le Tour.

A cry of 'Aussie!' & a fist punched overhead from a woman riding with the Discovery Tour Group, a sprinkling of Aussie flags & a Crows supporter made us feel very much part of the event.

My patience was tested when a late arrival, a Frenchman, attempted to push his way into the space I had occupied for hours. 'Non, Monsieur, ne pas pousser, s'il vous plait!' I'm not sure if it was my French he understood or the English bit that followed. Nonetheless, he obliged. Not so the French photographer! Immediately following the race the crowds dispersed & regrouped later for the lap of honour. A photographer who wasn't satisfied with the space he had claimed insisted he click his way through the passing cyclists, which brought his camera & arm into my frame. My pleas fell on deaf ears. He was rude, arrogant, intoxicated & French! It seems the tree to his left was a problem for him, but it was OK for him to become my problem!

The arrival of the gendarmes indicated competitors were not far away. But first an hour long parade of tour sponsors, event organisers & support staff was a grand event. The race call was broadcast, but because it was en francais, it was difficult to understand. Only competitors' names were distinguishable.
The photographs are for the children in my life & the child in me.

Following the official presentation to the race victors, teams pedalled one last lap of honour. And an honourable ride it was. Eighteen days in the saddle covering 3200 kilometres is a feat worth celebrating. By 7:05 p.m. we had ridden our race. Our return to Le St-Augustin Cafe for a meal was une fin parfaite à une journée parfaite.

J'adore Paris!

It is summer. A forecast 21*C was delivered. Conditions were parfait.

A late petit dejeuner before we reacquainted ourselves with the metro. Two years on we noted the cost of travel has risen from €1.10 to €1.70 for a single fare. We caught the train to Miromesil Station. A change of line at Place de Clichy was necessary, as was negotiating the many stairs, to reach the required platform. The effort delivered us to Anvers.

We climbed the 290 steps to the forecourt of Sacre Coeur. Having previously visited the Cathedral we made our way to Montmatre where we meandered through the markets admiring the art exhibits. We returned to Boulevard de Rochechouart & strolled along the arboured walkway towards Moulin Rouge. We passed more street talent while passing through this seedy part of the city! We continued on towards Place de Clichy, Rue de Petersburgh, Rue Vienne to Place de Augustin, a distance of approximately 4 kilometres.

A visit to neighbouring St Augustin Cathedral was timely because preparations for an afternoon wedding were underway. Organ rehearsal, lights & lighted candles transformed the interior of what was otherwise a very dark space.

We returned to the hotel to watch the 52 kilometre, Bonneval to Chartres, Stage 19 of Le Tour de France. Only a Steven Bradbury moment will enable Cadel Evans to cross the line in first place. We are looking forward to being part of the crowd to welcome the competitors to Paris.



When in Britain we noted how incredibly courteous drivers were. Not so in France! Traffic congestion brings out the worst in drivers. The language we struggle with, but the horn blaring & body language we understand. Traffic control is meaningless. One takes one's chances on a pedestrian crossing. We walked on a green light, but it didn't deter drivers from speeding through the crossing. Herself did some arm waving of her own!

We returned to Le St-Augustin Cafe for our evening meal. Phil finished his meal with a coffee. €6.50! That equates to $7.80. Immediate indigestion! Pass the Milanta please!

Nous sommes arrives a Paris

A warm 23*C awaited us in Paris. It was with pleasure that I upended my suitcase & assigned all cool climate clothing to the bottom of my case. Hmmm! The jeans were a bit tight!

Our flight from Manchester to London was a comfortable 35 minutes in the air. Boarding not so. Early boarders had filled the overhead storage with carry-on luggage. A plea for assistance from the staff fell on deaf ears, as did the earlier announcement of, 'one bag in the overhead locker, one under the seat,' it seems. Phil took to returning smaller bags to passengers to satisfy part two of the instruction, thus freeing up space for our backpack & bag. Those boarding after us had to go towards the rear of the plane in search of storage space.

Our transition through Heathrow Airport defied all the negative reports we had been hearing. This morning was an impressively smooth operation. I have high praise for the efficiency we have experienced while passing through this airport. I love siting in terminals just watching the passing parade. Wondering where the travellers have come from & where they are going. Watching the children, most were occupied & well behaved, some sleeping, some testing their parents' patience. It was comforting knowing the latter wasn't my problem & that if it became so I could simply move away. The adults too were interesting. While not able to hear their conversations, most were animated & their expressions happy. Some were reading, some were using phones, some were engaging their children while others were dealing with those not so well behaved, some, like me, we're observing. Perhaps observing the observer! Phil read 'The Great British Summer' by A.M. Hopeful. It began, 'Once upon time . . . . . !'

For our Channel hop we managed to secure exit row seats & having been briefed in emergency procedures, Phil 'practised' that which had been demonstrated. The woman assigned the window seat misunderstood the arm waving & decided she should follow instruction! My 'No!' was clearly understood. This begged the question, why would British Airlines allocate an exit row seat to someone with limited English or an arm waver?

With 216 miles behind us and a watch adjustment of +1 hour, we arrived in Paris. Our transition through immigration was swift, our luggage turned up, the arrival of our pre-booked shuttle bus was prompt & we had checked into our hotel in just sixty-five minutes.

Our accommodation is on Boulevard Malesherbes in the 8th Arrondissement. While having a three star rating, the standard of the hotel is excellent. We have a corner room on the fourth floor that is larger than most we have stayed in during our holiday. It's clean, it's light, it's air conditioned. It has a Juliet balcony that overlooks the St Augustin Cathedral. This is high praise for Paris accommodation.

Two years ago I fell in love with this charmant ville & still she enchants.