On the tail end of the visit from the Burnette brothers, I took advantage of dropping them off at the airport by scheduling my flight to Singapore to leave around the same time they did. The boys and I had a pretty yummy breakfast at the airport before saying our final goodbyes. It was sad for them to go, but 3 weeks is a long visit, and I know they were ready to be home! I had a few hours to wait before my flight but I headed over to the international terminal anyway. When I walked in though, everything was closed! All the ticket windows were dark and the rope lines were closed up. I was rather confused. I managed to get out of a passing employee that the lines would open 1 hour prior to the first departing flight, which was mine. I decided I would just have a seat and wait it out in the mean time. As I sat down there was a rather worried looking American fellow sitting on the opposite end of the bench from me. I thought I’d see if he was worried about the same thing as me. “Do you speak English?” (always the safest first question). “Oh, yes, hi”, he replied. “Are you waiting for the desks to open too?” After a bit more chit-chat I found out he was on the same flight as the boys were on, headed for Chicago. However, in this airport, he had to go to the domestic terminal, because he was flying to Tokyo first for the connection/customs!! Luckily, I explained to him how to get there (10 min shuttle to the other terminal), and let him know to say hi to the boys for me ;) I don’t know if he made it to his flight on time, but I sure hope he did!
I decided to play around on my computer for the rest of my waiting time, which seemed to pique the interest of a 7-ish year old Japanese boy. Who seemed to be trying out his new camera (he was “secretly” taking pictures of me from behind his suitcase. His mother, who spoke some English, explained that he was learning English in school and was excited to see an American. I invited him to sit next to me and we played a little kids computer game together while we waited for our lines to open up. Once the lines opened, the little boy got scolded for taking pictures of the security officers. Haha! He was only trying to document his travels…! After a short waiting period I got my bag checked and had a smooth, and quite uneventful trip over to Singapore. I had a little stop in Hong Kong, which was nice for stretching my legs mid-travels, and gave me a much needed chance to purchase some chap-stick. It was a little crazy to purchase chap-stick that cost HK$20, but then I found out that it was really only about US$3, which I was super happy about! I also took the opportunity to get a little bit of Singapore cash so I could hop a cab to the hotel when I got there. It was after midnight by the time I landed, and since Casey had an early start for his conference the next day (and no car), we decided it would be best to have me just cab it to the hotel.
Even at midnight, the Singapore Airport Burger King was packed and the line to get a cab wrapped around the hall at least twice, with the aid of lots of rope-lines. Thankfully, the Singaporeans obviously had this down to a science, and I was in a cab in less than 10 minutes, despite being behind a family with at least 30 bags and several small children (that they thankfully kept waiting outside the line, instead of trying to wind them around, which would have definitely happened in America). Once in the cab I was pleasantly surprised by my super-friendly and very knowledgeable English-speaking cab driver. He was enthusiastic about pointing out the surrounding sites and landmarks, so the next day I would be able to do some exploring. He was obviously very proud of being Singaporean, which I came to find out is a theme among Singaporeans. They feel they are quite superior to most other Asian countries, which I think is interesting, since they are only a City-State. The driver told me all about how safe it is in Singapore and how he speaks many languages, because the leaders there keep changing the national language (currently English and Chinese). After this quite helpful introduction to Singapore, we arrived at the hotel just shy of 0100 (1 AM for you non-military American folks :) ). Casey had done the necessary leg work to let the hotel know that I would be arriving very late and that they could give me a key when I got in. Unfortunately for us it seems that the earlier staff had neglected to inform the incoming staff for the night of this detail, so after intense examination of my passport and hotel reservation, they decided they would have to call Casey themselves, seeing as I might be a hooker/murder coming to kill him, even though I knew his room number, hotel confirmation, and matching last name. Good thing Casey woke up to the phone ringing just long enough to confirm that he was, in fact, expecting a “night guest” as they called me. I got one welcome kiss between snores and fell right to sleep, then before I knew it Casey left before I even got up the next day!
I decided to head into the main shopping/dining district to get a feel for the city right off the bat. It was really impressive. The cab driver (again, extremely well spoken English, and informative about all the best places to go) dropped me off in the middle of the haute shopping district. I immediately felt like I was in an Asian hybrid of Paris and the Mediterranean coast. It was so warm (about 80 degrees), and everywhere I looked was Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, you name it, the brand was here. I wandered a little bit, just enjoying the incredible mix of European and ultra-modern buildings, with a distinct Asian flavor. It seemed like everything was a sculpture, and to top it all off, everything was decorated for the holidays in bright purples, golds, sparkles and lights! Very visually exciting! After quite a long while roaming around and endless walking, I treated myself to some Mexican food! Even though it was less-than-authentic, it was an enchilada with rice and beans and a margarita and I was all about it. Do you know how much I miss that food here? Even when you can find it, it’s spendy, and usually not that great. But I was pleasantly surprised that even Asian-y-Mexican food is still good! After a particularly filling lunch I felt like all the walking called for a pedicure. Again, a luxury that is difficult to find and/or expensive in Sasebo.
With freshly massaged toes, I managed to find my way to the subway next, with some helpful advice from some locals, I made my way to Little India. What a treat! So many bright colors and fruit vendors and the wafting aroma of curry and incense everywhere you went. There was a huge market area, and I decided I needed a new pashmina for myself, so I set out looking for one at a nice price. After the first few stalls I was feeling discouraged that the Singapore prices were too high, but one particularly aggressive salesman was able to convince me otherwise. “This material - very good quality, see you can feel, very good. Usually $70, but for you, so pretty, I make good deal, $45”. Oh really, I’m so pretty? I thought I would try out my haggling skills that Casey had taught me:
“Oh, no, thank you, but I think $45 is too much for me. Thank you” [begins to walk away]
“Maybe we can make better price for you, I also have less quality available for better price”
“Ok let me see what else you have, I like this silver one”
“That is high quality, for you $45, very good price”
“Well, I really can’t pay that much, I only have $20 with me”
“$45 is good price, very reasonable, I take cards”
“No, no, thank you, have a good day”
“Tell me what you think is good price for silver one”
“I would give you $12 for it”
“What? So low price? You can make better for me.”
“I could go to $15, but no more, I have to pay for the subway home”
“Ok, because you so beautiful! But you have friends who say, ‘so beautiful scarf, how much you pay’ you tell them you pay $45, and this very good price from me”
“Sounds like a deal!”
**Don't tell him I told you the real price!
I am the proud owner of a $15 pashmina, which started at $70. I think I did ok. Husband even approved! :)
After heading back, I finally got to see Casey! He was home from his conference for the day, and some of the conference friends were planning to meet in our hotel lobby and go out for dinner and drinks. We went to an tasty Brazilian steakhouse and enjoyed some belly-dancing during our meal, which the Australians promptly joined in on. We were in the Clarke-Quay district, and were surrounded by an ever growing crowd of tourists and locals heading out for dinner and drinks. We tried out a strange bar after dinner called “Clinic”, and the chairs were all wheelchairs, and the benches were gurneys, you could also order drinks that come in IV bags. It was very strange. But we did end up meeting up with some funny Swedish girls who were traveling through Asia for a few months. After Clinic, one of the conference guys (from Sasebo) insisted he knew this great bar that we HAD to go to, and it was only a "short walk" away. We headed out and got to see some people being catapulted into the air on a bungee-like apparatus, except they were all on benches, like an amusement ride, it was crazy! Unfortunately, my Crocs that I bought in Fukuoka, just before coming to Singapore, where rubbing my feet and were starting to give me little blisters, I tried to be a good sport on the walk, but when the ‘short walk’ turned into more than an HOUR of walking, during which time everyone stopped at a convenience store for beers because it was taking so long, I had to go shoeless. The Swedish girls were also suffering in their heels, and we were all getting cranky!! We finally convinced the group leader that we needed to take cabs to find this place, and we finally made it to the next bar, almost an hour and a half later - NOT COOL. We’re not really sure what the name of this place was, because it was housed in an old church, and there were several bars and clubs that made up the complex. It wasn’t a super great bar, but we all decided that since the group leader led us astray for so long that he owed us at least a round of drinks, so that made up for it a little. When we convinced him he owed us all a second round, it definitely got better. One of our group members was a South Korean Officer, who was very concerned that Casey and I have been married for over a year and we don’t have any kids yet. After the other guys shared so many baby pictures of their kids, we began doing toast to “babies!”. It turned into quite an enjoyable night!
The next day I decided to explore the area closer to the hotel. I started off sweating out some of the previous night’s beverages by laying out in the sun by the pool. It was definitely the first time I’ve listened to “White Christmas”, while in a swimsuit! I found much more than I expected just outside the hotel too. Just behind us, and through and underground tunnel you could access a very large shopping mall and restaurant area. I wandered around there for a little while, and then decided to check out the beach, which was just a short cab ride away. The day had turned a little grayer than before, so being outside was not so hot and humid. I found the beach to be quite nice! It reminded me a little bit of the Ocean City, Maryland area, with a board walk and restaurants and bikes for rent. It definitely is not a “white sand tropical beach”, at least not in the area I was in, but it was still really neat, because you had an excellent view of literally thousands of ships coming through the Singapore Straits. As far as you could see in either direction there was everything from massive oilers and container ships, to small canoe-like fishing vessels, clearly undeterred by the larger vessels looming, very close by. That was probably the most interesting part of the beach area, otherwise it was really nothing super-special, just a beach, like you’d find anywhere! Casey got done with his conference early this day, so after a few pictures at the beach, I headed back for the hotel.
We were joining up with the “Doc” from the conference, who was an American stationed in Yokosuka (closer to Tokyo). He had heard about an artificial wave machine at Sentosa (kind of like an family friendly amusement park/beach front resort/park/casino island that belongs to Singapore), and was eager to try it out. We had heard that Sentosa was a really neat area, so we were happy to join. I didn’t really know what to expect, but boy was I impressed. This little island area hosted Universal Studios Singapore, a luxury resort and Casino, numerous western-style restaurants, and the list goes on. It was definitely an playground for all ages. We decided to go in search of the famed wave-machine, but on our way a sporadic thunder and lightening storm hit, and much of the park cleared out, which turned out to be great, because the storm passed quickly and we had most of the beach front and resort areas to ourselves. While walking around we ran into one of the Aussies from the conference, who was also looking for the wave machine, and we all enjoyed some pizzas and coffees while we waited for the last trickles of rain to pass, before our companions headed to the surf simulator. It was pretty amusing to watch, lots of wipe out and crashes, all while Casey and I enjoyed beverages from the comfort of the beach front pavilion nearby. The night passed so quickly, and before we knew it we were eating a 2230 dinner at an American-style pub serving Budweisers, and were totally pooped from the adventures of the day.
Casey had to fly out early the next day, and my flight was much later in the evening (he was on military scheduled flights, which were too expensive for a normal person to book, so I found cheaper flights). Casey did some packing that morning and was off before my eyes were really opened all the way. I barely got all of our stuff into the suitcases, since Casey did not take back with him as much as he came with (thanks, Hubs)! But I stored my baggage and headed out for my last adventure in Singapore: Chinatown. This was definitely one of my most favorite parts of the trip. There was so many great things to buy and admire, from beautiful silks to little trinkets and goodies. I wandered for a while and at the end of the main drag, I found a really neat Hindu temple that was having some kind of ceremony, I watched a little from the outer doors, but the inside was packed with tourists and worshipers. It was neat to see, very colorful! I headed back into China town to the smaller side-streets, and found a great lunch place with fried rice and this lemon-y tea drink that I had seen on many menus. Very tasty and cheap! After purchasing lots of fun goodies and gifts, I realized that my already over-packed suitcase would certainly not hold another thing, let alone a few shopping bags full, so I stopped at one of the vendors on the way out and bought an extra little duffle bag. This turns out to be a blessing and a curse later!
I decided to head to the airport a little early and get checked in. I inquired if there was an earlier flight I could get on, but that proved impossible. I was glad to at least drop off my bags and travel a little lighter (now that I was an extra bag heavier). I decided to head back into the city for some dinner and a little extra wandering around before it was time to go, but before I knew it I was rushing to my gate just in time for boarding! Getting through the airport flustered me just a little, because I managed to forget which passport (civilian or military) I had stored my immigration documents in, so I was that idiot traveler who held up the line while I emptied out my purse, and carry on suitcase looking for the correct papers. By the time I was through immigration I was blocked in by a group of gawkers who were taking pictures of a group of singing ladies who were dressed in the WWII ‘bugle boy’ style, but with a Christmas flare. It was obnoxious, because these ladies were not gifted singers, which never seems a requirement in Asia. All they had going for them were the short-sparkly outfits they were wearing and the fact that they were not at all Asian. Not really sure why they were singing in the Singapore airport. Ridiculous. Anyway, I made it to my gate in plenty of time, but the weird thing about the Singapore airport is that they have each individual gate glass-walled off, and it has its own security screening check point. But luckily I arrived right before the hoard, because by the time I sat down there was a line of about 50 queued up outside the gate. Dodged a close one there. Now all I had to do was fly home! Oh wait, my life is never that easy! Silly me.
I knew I would have an overnight layover in Hong Kong, but that really wasn’t a worry for me; I would just camp out in the terminal, like so many other travelers. Except that the woman who checked in my bags in Singapore apparently thought that my overnight flight meant I was staying in Hong Kong, and did not check my bags all the way through to my final destination. It wouldn’t have been that horrible except that I landed at midnight and most of the airport was closed. I tried asking several people what I needed to do, and most of them responded that I was out of luck and couldn’t really be helped until tomorrow. Thankfully, each person gave me just enough information that I was able to piece together that I now had to immigrate into Hong Kong, go through customs, and get my bags re-scanned and re-checked in for my flight to Fukuoka then immigrate back out again and do all that fun stuff. Sigh. This could have been a lot worse than it really was, mostly because the airline I was on happened to be the only airline with an agent on duty at this time, so I was able to quickly part with my bags (only after creepily wandering around the totally closed down shopping area, which was bigger than an average American mall, have you ever been in a closed down mall alone?). After getting my bags taken care of I yet again went through customs and all that jazz (so much extra paperwork! I had the right documents this time though!), and went back into the main airport terminal. I had read that there was a traveler’s hotel in the airport and you could get a private sleeping room for a few hours, so I set out looking for this place. Hong Kong airport is so HUGE! I was a little overwhelmed/delirious, so it took me a while to stumble up on it, but I paid for 3 glorious hours of sleep and a refreshing, much welcome shower to freshen up! The rooms were really clean and comfortable for the size. Well worth it! They also had complimentary coffee and breakfast, so I was feeling really energized after I came out. Thankfully, my flight out was on time and they had free internet in the airport, so between naps on the benches and perusing facebook, I was boarding my plane to Fukuoka in no time. By the time I landed, I was super tired from my HK stay, but still eager to get back home, so I was trying really hard to get to the train station to get home. Sadly, I was about 3 minutes too late for the train to Sasebo, so I got to watch it pull away while I had a ticket on the next train. It’s really not so bad now that I look back on it, but when you’re that sleepy, and traveling alone with a copious amount of bags, it feels like major defeat. Alls well that ends well though, and I made it to home-sweet-Sasebo without a hitch, and back to my wonderful husband, for a much needed sleep at our own house! As usual, a whirlwind adventure, but totally worth it! Good thing I didn’t miss out on all these memories for 20 hours of work at a part time job, don’t you think??? :)
Coming up: Christmas in Tokyo!
Pictures from Singapore (they pretty much chronicle the above, if you want to follow along ;)
