Off-loaded in Singapore (by kerouac2)
Feb 17, 2009 11:46:40 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2009 11:46:40 GMT
My first trip to Singapore happened by accident. I wasn't going there at all but to Noumea, New Caledonia. I knew the flight was full, but airline employees are sometimes overly optimistic, so I figured I would try my chances anyway.
So off I went from Paris on UTA with a stop in Bahrain and then Singapore where I had to leave the plane to try to check in again, but it was not my lucky night, so the flight went on to Sydney and Noumea without me. It wasn't at all a daily flight, so there wasn't any project of stopping just one night and trying the next day. Without any preparation, my vacation had changed from relatively well documented plans in New Caledonia to a surprise holiday with absolutely no preparation in Singapore.
Oh, and it was midnight. Anybody who has ever been to Singapore knows that there is nothing scary about it -- the airport is nice, the roads are nice, the city is nice (even 'back then' it was all impressively nice). But I had no idea where to go so I just took the airport bus into the city. "Airport buses always go to the dead center of the city and you can figure out everything there." Well, Singapore was different. The airport bus took me to Newton Circus, which was a sort of municipal bus depot in a residential area. It most definitely was not the center of town, because I had seen the glittering towers in the distance and they sure as hell were not here! It was just trees and houses and about 1 a.m.
A taxi driver finally asked me if I needed a place to stay, and there was certainly no point in lying. I asked if he knew a reasonably priced hotel. Of course he did, and off we went.
But we did not head downtown. Instead, he stopped at what appeared to be an apartment block on a quiet street. "Wait here," he said and went off into the building. A few minutes later, he came back and I was taken to a room. There was most definitely no hotel sign to be seen anywhere, but the rooms had numbers on the doors, which reassured me for some reason. I think I paid something like US$20 and the room was mine.
It was rustic without being sleazy and was not air conditioned, so the tropical air came in through the window along with insect sounds and maybe a bird having an erotic dream. There was just a sheet over the mattress with no top sheet, not that one was needed, but it was the first time I had ever seen that. (I've seen it plenty of times throughout Southeast Asia since then, but it was a minor shock that first time.) I was all psyched up from the adventure -- not planning to be in Singapore and not having the slightest idea where I might be in Singapore! -- so it was pretty hard to get to sleep, but I finally did so.
I woke up at dawn because all of the tropical birds were having breakfast conversations. Nothing was stirring in the building at all, so I just got my bag and walked out, never seeing a soul. I just followed my nose and walked for many kilometers, but the day was young, I was full of energy and I had full confidence in my ability to find the city.
I had a great time in Singapore and have been back there about 20 times. I have still never been to New Caledonia.
So off I went from Paris on UTA with a stop in Bahrain and then Singapore where I had to leave the plane to try to check in again, but it was not my lucky night, so the flight went on to Sydney and Noumea without me. It wasn't at all a daily flight, so there wasn't any project of stopping just one night and trying the next day. Without any preparation, my vacation had changed from relatively well documented plans in New Caledonia to a surprise holiday with absolutely no preparation in Singapore.
Oh, and it was midnight. Anybody who has ever been to Singapore knows that there is nothing scary about it -- the airport is nice, the roads are nice, the city is nice (even 'back then' it was all impressively nice). But I had no idea where to go so I just took the airport bus into the city. "Airport buses always go to the dead center of the city and you can figure out everything there." Well, Singapore was different. The airport bus took me to Newton Circus, which was a sort of municipal bus depot in a residential area. It most definitely was not the center of town, because I had seen the glittering towers in the distance and they sure as hell were not here! It was just trees and houses and about 1 a.m.
A taxi driver finally asked me if I needed a place to stay, and there was certainly no point in lying. I asked if he knew a reasonably priced hotel. Of course he did, and off we went.
But we did not head downtown. Instead, he stopped at what appeared to be an apartment block on a quiet street. "Wait here," he said and went off into the building. A few minutes later, he came back and I was taken to a room. There was most definitely no hotel sign to be seen anywhere, but the rooms had numbers on the doors, which reassured me for some reason. I think I paid something like US$20 and the room was mine.
It was rustic without being sleazy and was not air conditioned, so the tropical air came in through the window along with insect sounds and maybe a bird having an erotic dream. There was just a sheet over the mattress with no top sheet, not that one was needed, but it was the first time I had ever seen that. (I've seen it plenty of times throughout Southeast Asia since then, but it was a minor shock that first time.) I was all psyched up from the adventure -- not planning to be in Singapore and not having the slightest idea where I might be in Singapore! -- so it was pretty hard to get to sleep, but I finally did so.
I woke up at dawn because all of the tropical birds were having breakfast conversations. Nothing was stirring in the building at all, so I just got my bag and walked out, never seeing a soul. I just followed my nose and walked for many kilometers, but the day was young, I was full of energy and I had full confidence in my ability to find the city.
I had a great time in Singapore and have been back there about 20 times. I have still never been to New Caledonia.
