Singapore

We started good, the train we wanted to take did go on time! On our way to Schiphol. Checking in and then there is time for a cup of coffee with the kids. They all came with us to Schiphol. Saying goodbye for 2 month is not very easy, but I managed to keep my tears in. All the controls at customs take a lot of time. Finally we are through. Boarding the plane is quick but we can see it is very foggy outside so yes, some delay in the end. Over one and a half hour later than planned we are ready for take-off. The captain tells us that there will be some bad weather ahead of us and so it does. We even have to fly around it because it was too bad. By the time we are near Singapore even the cabin personnel has to sit down. The delay is 50 minutes when we arrive on Changi. Through customs, in a taxi and to the hotel. Our big suitcases are brought upstairs by a concierge. He tells a few things about how the light and the lift works and we go for breakfast. Sleep a couple of hours do a lot of good and we go into Singapore. It still smells very strong after curry, cars and heat. After all, it is the cold season and only 28°C.
Our hotel is close to Orchard road, the street with all the shopping malls and expensive brand shops, Raffles centre is the most beautiful and expensive one. The European influence is the strongest in this part of the city. Our hotel is in the centre of Singapore so we walk a lot.
For diner we choose the save way, my stomach tells me to do so. Mc Donalds it is!
The second day we buy bus tickets to a hop on hop off bus, with is a good way to see as much of Singapore as you can in a short time. We have a break after the first ride and go on for the second. Unfortunately we bought our tickets on the wrong bus. Instead of 7 different rides, we have only 2 and they are partial the same. We want to have a late lunch but a tropical rain stops us. A lot of rain in a short time, but is isn’t cold rain and afterwards it dries up very quickly.
Singapore looks like a big building area. They are repairing the streets, making new buildings and metro stations. A lot of noise all day and night long.
The last day we leave our luggage in the hotel and go to the National Museum of Singapore. Very interesting, a mix of modern technology and historical artefacts. The modern part starts upstairs with digital leaves falling down and an hallway that goes round and down. There are plants and animals projected on the wall. The plants wave in the wind and the animals seem to walk with you or hide behind a bush. The historical parts tells the history on Singapore, which was very bloody sometimes. Singapore was British, Malaysian, Japanese and a lot more. They are independent since 1965.
After a cup of caramel macchiato at the Starbucks we walk towards Marina bay. Till a point where we can’t go on because of the big fireworks that night. We return to the hotel to pick up our baggage and go to the airport.
Tax-free shopping sounds like fun, but the only shops we see are the big expansive brands. The kind that needs to sell just one handbag a week to pay the personnel in the shop and still makes a profit. Even the coffee is more expansive here.
After a long flight, we land in Christchurch, 50 minutes ahead on schedule. Hopefully my cousin will be there! Thank God she looked on the internet and knew we would be in early.
We start at her place, she leaves pretty close to the Southern Alps.