Singapore Again

Today we got up early as the the Melatonin did not work and our body clocks told us we were still in NZ. We then decided to visit the Marina Bay Sands Hotel complex, which meant going up to the observation deck. This was against my better judgement but it turned out to be ok.

It is Singapore’s largest hotel, with over 2,500 rooms, housed in the three towers which soar 55 levels above the bay. The observation deck is 200 metres above the ground. The lift up did not whoosh up, leaving our stomachs on the ground. In fact it was very smooth – a good start. It took me a while to go near the edge which had a clear perspex wall but I managed after a while and was rewarded with an impressive view. Walter was very brave!

There is a very long swimming pool up there, a garden, plus restaurants and bars but only guests can access most of them. Interestingly there were wedding photos being taken beside the pool, or at least we think the couple were bride and groom as they could have been models for an advertisement. They looked a little out of place amongst the swimmers!

The lobby downstairs is enormous and there appeared to be staff everywhere. The front doors were opened by girls and there was a quartet playing music. All very over the top but we loved it.
Attached to the hotel is a shopping complex, a casino, theatres and a museum. Everything is very pricey of course. The hotel opened in June 2010 and there is still work in progress around the hotel and shopping centre. Of course it is all built on reclaimed land. When we lived here there was only open sea.

We had lunch beside this pool of water, which was part of a canel where you took take very short boat rides.

Tonight we went back to a curry restaurant that we found two months ago only to find it, and all the shops in the building as well as the shops in the next building empty. Demolition is obviously about to take place. Typical!