Big City Singa
Torsdag d. 16. marts 2017 - søndag d. 19. marts 2017 (Update 29. april 2017)
Tre dages pause i Singapore
Da vi sad på flyveren på vej til Singapore, kunne vi se tilbage på en dejlig tid i Australien, hvor vi havde oplevet meget mere end vi havde håbet på. Nu var vi på vej til nye spændende himmelstrøg og en fugtig varme vi ikke så så meget frem til. Flyverturen til Singapore tog 6 timer og 40 minutter og undervejs hyggede vi os med at se et par film og nyde udsigten ned over de forskellige landskabder, vi fløj hen over imens vi stadig fløj hen over Australien.
VI havde sendt 15 kilo bagage til Jysk Rejsebureau Servicekontor i Bangkok. I de 15 kilo var der vores telt, soveposer, noget af vores varme tøj, vores kogeblus og lidt andre ting.
Vi vidste at når vi kom til Malaysia og videre op igennem Asien, ville overnatning være utrolig billigt og for os var det utænkeligt at sove i telt, når luftfigtugheden ville ligge mellem 60 - 70 % og temperaturen mellem 26 - 38 grader.
Da vi var godt ankommet og kommet igennem imigrationen. Skulle vi have fat i en Taxa, som kunne have alt vores bagage. Det var super let, vi skulle bare stille os i Taxa køen og så blev vi tildelt en taxa.
Vi fik den sødeste taxa chauffør, som fortalte om alle de ting vi burde se i Singapore og hvad vi skulle smage på, hvor dyre lejligheder er i Singapore og da vi var fremme hvor Amy og Wim boede, lånte han os sin telefon, så vi kunne ringe til Amy og sige at vi var ankommet.
Vi havde fået kontakt til Amy og Wim via Warmshowers. De havde selv cyklet fra Belgien til Singapore tilbage i 2008 og nu var de lige flyttet hertil.
Wim arbejdede for Google og de havde tilbudt ham et job i Singapore. I den første måneds tid var det kun Wim der havde været her og sidenhen kom Amy og deres søde hund Mogli.
Desværre kom vi kun til at tilbringe eftermiddagen og aftenen sammen med dem. Wim skulle til Bangkok og holde et seminar for Google hen over weekenden og Amy ville tage med, så de kunne se lidt på Bangkok. De var så søde, at lade os låne lejligheden. Vi ville egentlig have cyklet videre om søndagen, men det blev først om mandagen. Wim og Amy sagde vi kunne blive så længe vi havde lyst til.
Atter en gæstfrihed udover alle grænser, som vi er så taknemmelige for.
Næste dag sagde vi farvel til Amy og Wim. Det var en lidt skæg følelse at hjælpe dem ned til deres taxa og så gå tilbage til lejliheden, som vi så havde for os selv.
Vi fik samlet cyklerne og fandt ud af at hver af cyklerne havde et fladt dæk, så senere på dagen fandt vi frem til en cykelbutik, hvor vi fik købt nogle flere slanger. Vi brugte tiden i Singapore på at se Gardens on the Bay. Det er et stort område med to kæmpe store drivhuse, som huser blomster og planter fra hele verden og undenom er der lavet et kæmpe park anlæg med søer, skulpture og grønne områder. Altsammen meget smagfuldt og utroligt flot.
Vi gik rundt og kiggede på byen, hvor alt bare er stort. Kæmpe højhuse og bygninger bygget i forskellige farver. Her var rent og pænt. Om aftenen gik vi hen til Peoples Park i China Town og spiste billigt og godt. Her er 100 vis af små gadekøkkner, hvor man kan få alt fra det asiatiske køkken til næsten ingen penge.
Vi gik på opdagelse i et supermarked og hold da nu op hvor var ting dyre. Vi så importeret jordbær fra Japan, omkring 400 g til 60 SGD som er det samme som 300,- dkr. Det er nok ikke her de lige hygger sig med en gang jordbær med mælk og fløde. For ikke at snakke om mælk. 1,5 l kostede 5-6 SGD som svare til 25-26,- dkr.
VI ville havde købt müsli, men det havde en ret så exsotisk pris, så det gjore vi ikke. Istedetfor købte vi havregryn og forskellige nødder og rosiner til at putte i, da det blev billigere.
Men nogen har pengene. En aften så vi 6 maseratier holde parkeret i garagen hvor vi boede. Der var en fotograf som tog billeder af bilerne og passede på dem, alt imens at ejerne var ude at spise.
Fotografen kunne fortælle os at en bil kostede mellem 800.000 - 900.000 SGD som svare til 4 - 4,5 milioner kroner, men ikke nok med det så var der udstyr i bilerne for 60.000 SGD godt 300.000,- dkr.
Vildt absurd at tænke på.
En af dagene var vi i et kæmpe shopping mall. Det er her at luksushotellet Marina Bay Sands ligger. Øverst oppe ligerne toppen et skib. I bunden af shopping centeret var det muligt at tage en gondol sejltur, altsammen stort og prangende.
Ellers slappede vi af på tarassen og nød udsigten ud over Singapore og et par ture i swimingpoolen blev det også til.
Vi var så heldige at mødes med Jill fra Cambridge i New Zealand. Det var hende der havde inviteret os til at bo ved hende og Brian, da vi cyklede i New Zealand. Hun var på et seminar i Singapore. Så lørdag aften mødtes vi til lidt hyggesnak over aftensmaden. Utroligt at vores veje mødtes igen. Det havde vi aldrig troet da vi cyklede afsted fra dem dengang i Cambridge. Men rigtig dejligt at se hende igen.
Nu var 3 dejlige dage slut og vi skulle på cyklerne igen. Spændte på hvad Malaysia havde at byde på.
English (Update 29th april 2017)
Thursday, March 16, 2017 - Sunday, March 19, 2017
Three days break in Singapore
When we sat on the plane on our way to Singapore, we could look back at a wonderful time in Australia, where we had experienced a lot more than we had hoped for. Now we were on our way to new exciting countries and a humid heat we did not like so much. The flight to Singapore took 6 hours and 40 minutes and on our way we enjoyed watching a couple of movies and enjoying the view over the various landscapes we flew over while still flying over Australia.
We had sent 15 kilo luggage to Jysk Travel Agency Service Office in Bangkok. In The 15 kilo there was our tent, sleeping bags, some of our hot clothes, our cooking equipment and some other things.
We knew that when we came to Malaysia and further through Asia, overnight stays would be incredibly cheap and it was unthinkable for us to sleep in the tent when the humidity would be between 60-70% and the temperature between 26-38 degrees.
When we were well arrived and came through the imigration. We looked for a taxi that could have all our luggage. It was super easy, we just had to stand in the taxi queue and then we were assigned a taxi.
We got the cutest taxi driver who told us about all the things we should see in Singapore and what we were going to taste at how expensive apartments are in Singapore and when we were where Amy and Wim lived, he lent us his phone so we Could call Amy and say we had arrived.
We got contact with Amy and Wim via Warmshowers. They had even cycled from Belgium to Singapore back in 2008 and now they had just moved here.
Wim worked for Google and they offered him a job in Singapore. In the first month, only Wim had been here and since then Amy and their sweet dog Mogli came.
Unfortunately, we only spent the afternoon and evening together with them. Wim was going to Bangkok and attending a seminar for Google over the weekend and Amy would come along to see Bangkok. They were so sweet to let us borrow the apartment. We would have cycled on Sunday, but it was not until Monday before we left. Wim and Amy said we could stay as long as we wanted.
Again, hospitality beyond all limits, for which we are so grateful.
The next day, we said goodbye to Amy and Wim. It was a little wierd feeling to help them down to their taxi and then go back to the apartment, as we had it for ourselves now.
We collected the bikes and found out that each of the bikes had a flat tire, so later in the day we found a bike shop where we bought some more tubes. We spent time in Singapore watching Gardens on the Bay. It is a large area with two huge greenhouses, which houses flowers and plants from all over the world, and beyond, a huge park with lakes, sculpture and greenery has been created. All very tasteful and incredibly nice.
We walked around and looked at the town where everything is just big. Huge high rise buildings and buildings built in different colors. Here was clean and tidy. In the evening we went to Peoples Park in China Town and ate cheaply. Here are 100 kinds of small street stalls, where you can get everything from the Asian cuisine for almost no money.
We went on a discovery in a supermarket and found out how expensive things were. We saw imported strawberries from Japan, about 400 g to 60 SGD, which is the same as 300, - dkr. It is probably not here they are just enjoying strawberries with milk and cream. Not to mention milk. 1.5 l cost 5-6 SGD corresponding to 25-26, - dkr.
We would have bought muesli but it had a fair price, so we did not. Instead, we bought oatmeal and various nuts and raisins to put in as it became cheaper.
But someone has the money. One evening we saw 6 maseraties parked in the garage where we lived. There was a photographer who took pictures of the cars and looked after them, while the owners were out to eat.
The photographer could tell us that a car cost between 800,000 - 900,000 SGD, which corresponds to 4 - 4.5 million danish kroner, but that was not all, there were equipment in the cars for 60,000 SGD well 300,000 danish kroner.
Totally absurd to think about.
One of the days we were in a huge shopping mall. It is here that the luxury Marina Bay Sands hotel is located. Top of the hotel looks like a ship. At the bottom of the shopping center it was possible to take a gondola boat trip, all along great and flashy.
Otherwise we relaxed on the balcony and enjoyed the view beyond Singapore and there were also a couple of dips in the swiming pool.
We were lucky enough to meet Jill from Cambridge in New Zealand. It was her who had invited us to stay at her and Brians house when we rode in New Zealand. She was at a seminar in Singapore. So on Saturday night we met for a little bit of chet chat over the evening meal. Incredible that our roads met again. We had never thought that when we rode away from them at Cambridge. But really nice to see her again.
Now 3 lovely days were over and we were going ride our bikes again. Excited about what Malaysia had to offer.