Final banquet: a hawker feast

Our last day: we had kopitiam breakfast, a walk around emerald hill historically preserved neighborhood, then packed up and left hotel to move on to brians apt. Too hot to go anywhere, we watched a movie this afternoon (Drive) and rested! Tonite it was on to  Tiong Bahru  market, a hawker centre for final pre-flight dinner: pineapple rice, mango salad, chicken rice, fish curry, vegetable curry, iced ginger milk, tea,  and aloe sea coconut peach and tapioca pearls for dessert! All spicy, fragrant, and yum delicious as usual. 

Now we await van to airport, bringing Brian's bike home.

--
Susan

From the 50th floor of Pinnacle@Duxton

Wednesday, in Singapore...Michael and I navigated our new neighborhood, Orchard, a maze of super malls like you have never seen anywhere (Singapore has 3rd highest per capita income in world, this is where they shop), to locate Food Republic and feast on fish porridge and chicken-rice for breakfast.  

Then rendezvoused w/ boys at the Gardens by the Bay biodomes for spectacular indoor (cool!) meandering thru lush continent-themed plantings...took many photos!  Walked, MRT train, and taxied later to the The Pinnacle@Duxton  "iconic housing project in Singapore's public housing history" to the 50th floor for views of Singapore shipping (Singapore is one of the 5 busiest ports in the world.)  Plus panaromic views of the entire city...wow!  We had the place to ourselves, except for photographers getting ready for sunset, who took our picture!

Our last night with Josh, the boys took us to BigMama for fab Korean feast and cold beer.  Going home, Michael and I got lost again on Orchard Road exiting train via mall maze.  Josh went back to Brian's to pack up and take train to airport, Tokyo, NY... 

--
Susan

Tree roots at Ta Prohm

Hello!
Most of my pictures are on my camera...more convenient to post this one of tree roots from some I took on my phone over the heads of a group of chinese tourists. (Michael Josh and Brian have thousands more. )

We spent four full days climbing around 8-12th century temple ruins, including Ta Prohm shown here, an example of one left in the unrestored state so you can see what the French saw when they were discovered in (the early 20th century?) it was hot and humid in Cambodia so my brain for one shut down! The temples have to be seen. Pictures do not do justice. Something for everyone: architecture history science religion technology art...
Lots of riding around in tuktuks, shopping, a few tummy issues for M and B but all well now.
Back in Singapore at a new hotel in Orchard district for 4 more days
M and I off to find some breakfast !!

Dawn at Angkor Wat (try again)

Our second morning in Cambodia we took a 5 am "tuktuk" ride to the temples for sunrise. Back to hotel at 9 for the abundant eastern-western breakfast buffet and swimming.

Yesterday (Friday ) we took the chronological approach (and Lois and Barry's advice) and started with temple Banteay Shri, a guide and driver who took us 20km or so from town through small villages and countryside to the oldest site with the very best preserved bas reliefs (9th century) Whereas Angkor Wat, ( today in pic) is about 1000 years old and the largest! It was fun to locate the Sea of Churning Milk on the southeast corner.

Last night we had a taste of town market and Khmer food washed down with Angkor on draft. Even Susan.
I needed it after my hotel manicure pedicure, which is a little different from what I am used to. Here they ask you to lie down and then wrap your head in a towel and cover you with another towel while at least two people start working on you (they said they steamed the instruments) so I tried to relax and not worry about hepatitis as I lay there essentially blindfolded while they chattered in another language. Also included leg arm massage and some refloxology. Did everyone see zero dark 30? But no waterboarding and they give tea and cookies at end, a nice touch!

It is hot hot hot and humid but not buggy. We have figured out that spending midday at our lovely hotel pool is best, where I am now relaxing under the frangipani trees.





Sent from my iPhone

On way to Changi Airport

Thursday: we are en route to Changi Airport Singapore, for our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Michael likes to get there early 😉

Little India

Banana leaf wrap for breakfast

Inside was coconut rice, dried fish with head and special sauce...

Tuesday breakfast: Fish porridge w/ kopi c kosong

Fish porridge has chunks of fish, shreds of ginger, yum.

Monday: Josh arrives, "Kopi C kosong"

Joshua arrived arrived after a couple of days in Tokyo. We took him to breakfast at a hawker center, the abundant street food centers, where we have been doing a lot of eating. The typical breakfast of kaya toast (coconut jam and butter) with runny eggs plus Kopi C kosong (to order the thick coffee with milk no sugar). You can see an iced version of Kopi C here. I think Josh is eating calimari here. Also, yong tau foo, stalls where you pick your own veggie/tofu/pig ears combo, then served with consommé, rice, noodles. This has been my way to avoid eating fried food 3x a day!

Sunday: Botanic Gardens Did you know there are 24,000 varieties of orchids? I think we saw most of them, as well as the Ginger garden, evolution garden, and healing garden...all spectacular, in between a few light rainstorms.

Saturday, Sentosa and the Oceanarium

We took the MRT to Sentosa Island, a largely fabricated mall and tourist attraction, Brian calls a "sh*tshow" but they have the world's largest oceanarium and it was well worth standing in line. (My fish pictures are all on my phone, unfortunately I can't transfer data at the moment, so this is a photo of us in the MRT; notice that you can safely walk between cars when it's moving!)

Cheongsam

From an exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore, the cheongsam dress style is more suitable, comfortable and flattering for Asian women's body types. This was a shot from a video tale of a Chinese tailor who came to Singapore.

Fort Canning Centre and National Museum

On Friday we had Fort Canning Park all to ourselves. Lush, quiet spice gardens, ancient trees, and monuments, old gravestones. And the former underground command center of the British, where they made decision to surrender to the Japanese in February 1942. Here Michael entering a tunnel, part of an underground complex, ultimately taken over by the Japanese.

We followed up by spending hours in the nearby National Museum of Singapore going thru the historical exhibits ( even though my plan was to go back to hotel for nap) we couldn't tear ourselves away. Later Friday we took MRT to Brian's for happy hour and sunset over Indonesia, see below.

Mango, yellow watermelon, and red dragonfruit

Splotched

We found evidence of gum chewing in Canning Park.... Or was it Caning Park?

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

Sunset from Brian's apartment

Astronomy lesson

Why does the sun set and rise so fast at the equator?

Splotch on the sidewalk

A victory for lovers of freedom.... A Splotch on the ground in Canning Park in colonial district of Singapore....Brian suggested we rename it Caning Park....

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

Marina bay sands from the esplanade

They are saying its Thursday ... Rendezvoused at our hotel Carlton with B for walk thru colonial district to parks war memorials and esplanade. That is marina bay sands complex in background. (Something like the worlds largest suspension of a ship on 2 towers.) Do I have that right Brian? Followed by great Asian meal at Din Tai Fun and then shopping for SIM cards at 7-11so Brian could set up our phones. Followed by a sleepless "night" for Susan. Michael got 40 winks at least.

At leisure in Frankfurt

Cool uniform

Thanks for checking in...we are still packing!