Orchard Road

Today we took the super efficient MRT (Metropolitan Rapid Transport) to Orchard Road. We started at the ION shopping centre which is luxury plus, especially the toilets, and then went across to CK Tangs, which is a department store that we remember when we lived here. Great to have some familiarity so we did some Christmas shopping. We bought a small speaker, with tremendous sound, for my computer and Ipod. It also has a wifi dongle so that I can use the speaker without connecting it to the computer. This is my Christmas present and I am really pleased with it, even though I could have bought it from Amazon in the UK for £20 less than I paid for it here. CK Tangs always was an expensive shop!
Orchard Road and the shops are full of Christmas decorations and unusual Christmas trees. After NZ's Christmas understatement (there were few decorations and very little Christmas muzac) Singapore's has gone completely overboard. No doubt it is good for business and we saw plenty of buying happening today.

I do appreciate the lovely wide footpaths in Orchard Road as I can remember the narrow and uneven footpaths along the road and the very wide open monsoon drains. I also remember the excitement of the Hilton being built, with its swimming pool on the top floor. It was the tallest building then. Plus the new shopping centre which I hated taking Aaron to, because I was sure he would fall through the gaps in the railings on each floor. Health and safety was not a great concern to the government in the 1970's.

I have not mentioned that Orchard Road, plus the other upmarket shopping centres, have all the designer label shops, at top prices. It is quite overwhelming. There must be people around who have lots of money!

We are now off to find a new curry restaurant and then off to the airport tomorrow for the last leg of our trip. So it will be back to the UK and a night in the Premier Inn at Heathrow.