Seeing in the New Year, in style!

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After Malaysia, I only had a few more days in Singapore. The holiday was nearly over but there was still so much left to do! For example, a trip to Singapore isn't complete without several trips to Orchard Road. Originally home to nutmeg and pepper plantations, as well as the occasional flooding and tiger mauling, these days Orchard road houses the likes of Tiffany's, Jean-Paul Gautier, Louis Vitton, Prada, Versace, Fendi, Gucci and YSL. It was all a little out of my price range, though I was excited enough to see The Body Shop! I swore not to do any shopping while in Singapore, but the lure of being able to find shoes that fit was too great: I actually bought two pairs of shoes on my first day (Mum, you'd be proud!).

Still stuffed from my weeks of eating myself into a stupor, one morning Aunty Sophia took me for breakfast of prata in the Tekka Centre in Little India. Little India is amazing, full of North and South Indian restaurants, vegetarian restaurants, sweet shops and clothings stalls. We looked at the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore; the stunning Sri Mariammen Temple with its distinctive South Indian Dravidian style gopuram (tower).

Arab Street was equally beautiful, with a plethora of mosques, hostels and shops. I bought some gorgeous material for a dress, presents for my girls, and despite the delicious smells wafting up and down the streets from the many restaurants, I still couldn't face eating anything. In the afternoon I was treated to visit to an amazing spa (thanks Jules!). I was covered in seaweed, wrapped in cling wrap, and bundled into an electric blanket. I nearly drifted off to sleep a few times but the smell of the seaweed was potent enough to snap me back. But it felt so good when I washed it off and the massage that followed was close to heaven.

My final full day in Singapore was spent hitting the city's oldest Kopitiam (Coffee shop) in town, the Killiney Kopitiam. I had the traditional Singapore breakfast of Kopi-C (strong coffee with milk but no sugar) with Kaya toast (toast with coconut jam) and a soft boiled egg. Delicious, and it gave the energy to visit one last Singapore institution, Sentosa Island. In the 1800s it was a military fortress but now it's a holiday resort. Garish, tacky, but it has the most popular beaches in Singapore (complete with imported in white sand).

There are several ways to get to Sentosa Island, and I took the cable car firstly up to Mt Faber to see the bird's eye view of Singapore, then down to the island. On the cable car I met Anne and Lara, a mother and daughter from the Ukraine on their first trip to Asia. Anne was lovely to chat with, interested in the places I had been and where I was from. She also (sometimes a little embarrassedly) translated for her mother, who was particularly fascinated with me, looking at me like she was a little unsure of me. I got the typical "You are alone?(!)" but more than that, Lara wondered if my partner "minded" me going by myself alone. I answered truthfully, that I don't have a partner, but also that I didn't need permission from anyone. She then gave me a look I'd come to recognise very well during my trip as I'd seen it so many times: one part (almost reluctant) admiration, two parts concern for my well-being, with just a hint of "Are you MAD?"

Stepping off the Cable Car, I had my final photo opportunity with Mr Bean, an albino Tree Python. He was awesome, not as heavy as I thought he'd be, and kept trying to get away from me (typical male). I then visited the Butterfly Park with butterflies the size of my palm, and Underwater World with a collection so amazing it would make any aquarist heady with delight. They had giant Japanese crabs the size of dogs! Sentosa Island had hosted a huge New Year's Eve party the night before and the stage was still there that afternoon so the "beach" was rather reduced.

And speaking of my New Year, I saved the best tale for last. On New Years Eve, Aunty Sophia kindly invited me to join her and her friends at the Conrad for dinner. Afterwards, I had decided I would make my way to Raffles Hotel to see in the New Year with a Singapore Sling in it's birthplace. The dinner was lovely (a massive seven courses) and at 11pm I thanked everyone for hosting me and that I was on my way into the city. The husband of one of Aunty Sophia's friends, Uncle Raymond, kindly offered me a lift as he was driving into the city for a work party. Brilliant, I thought, as I knew it would be hard getting a taxi and that traffic would be mad. And this way, I thought, I have time to really enjoy the one Singapore Sling I would have (as I knew drinks prices would be hugely over-inflated).

So, thanks to Mio's fantastic fashion sense I was dressed to the nines and as we waited for the valet to get Uncle Raymond's car, I admired all the other schmick outfits and fancy cars of the hotel's patrons. The valet handed Raymond his keys, and he hopped into the car ready to go.

I, on the other hand, had stopped dead when I realised I was going to be driven to the Raffles Hotel on New Year's Eve in nothing less than (no joke) a brand new sleek grey Porsche Cayman.

Well, I certainly arrived in style! And I've never even touched a Porsche before! The doorman leapt to action when we pulled up, and I know that I'm no one really but I felt like a bit of celeb stepping out of that car (well, hauling myself out of the car, it's very low to the ground and I was wearing heels. But I hauled myself out quite elegantly I think). Thanking Uncle Raymond profusely for the lift, I made my way upstairs to the Long Bar, ordered my Singapore Sling, joined in the party, and it truly was a New Year's to remember.

Malaysia - truly paradise

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After Christmas, Julia went to Japan for a much-deserved holiday so I took the opportunity to go to Malaysia. I had planned a trip to the beach but the gorgeous Clairo had told me about Bako National Park in Sarawak where she'd been to and loved. Since the two of us are like one mind in two bodies, I didn't hesitate to book my flights to Kuching, the capital of Sarawak and gateway to Bako NP.

At the last second, I also decided that I would take the bus to Kuala Lumpur before flying to Kuching. I had to cross the Singapore-Malaysia border to Jahor Bahru (JB) that night anyway to catch the stupid-early flight to Kuching so I thought at the very least it would be lovely scenery and I would be able to have a quick look at KL. Well, the bus left at 9:00am and arrived at KL an hour late at 4:00pm (via scenery made-up entirely of Palm Trees and Freddy Kruger slashing people in a very wet and noisy way on the bus TV) so I actually didn't have the chance to see much before I had to leave again on the last bus at 11pm.

First thing I did of course was to find some food! So I found a great Indian joint that gave me far too much food (so they could overcharge me) but it was delicious. There was just far too much of it and so to ease my pain, I walked around the city which had enough colonial architecture and interesting sites to entertain me. I also called an old HK friend from primary school who was in KL visiting her parents so we'd agreed to meet for dinner. Instructions in hand, I found a cab who said some indecipherable things but smiled lots so I (foolishly) nodded and got in. Stupid, stupid girl.

After a few minutes I noticed he hadn't turned the meter on and I asked him about it. "But we've agreed on a price," he told me this time completely decipherable. I looked at him blankly. "Twenty ringgit," he said. "TWENTY ringgit?!" I said. He nodded sagely. Grimly, I sat back. I was stuck, and he knew it. I had nodded before I got in, but I hadn't heard anything that sounded like 'twenty ringit'. We arrived and I repeated my instructions to him because as far as I could tell he'd gone the opposite way to where I wanted to go. He said, yes, this is the place and even more grimly I gave him his money and went in.

I found the restaurant but couldn't see Dan or her parents so messaged Daniella. Long story short, the taxi driver had taken me to the wrong mall (which happened to have the same restaurant). Well, if I was angry before I was FURIOUS now. He had indeed just done a big loop and dropped me off close to where I'd gotten in. The man at the information desk was wonderful, helping me figure out where I was and where I wanted to go, tutting at the behaviour of the taxi driver. '

Thoughts of how to hunt the cab man down and hex him with a hernia broiled in my head as I jumped in another cab, making sure the meter was on this time. Late and flustered, I finally arrived at the right destination but when I looked at the meter it was even more expensive, close to thirty ringgit! In disbelief I asked how on earth that could be, and he pointed to a small sign on the dashboard: "Premium Taxi". I was speechless. Needless to say, KL had not impressed me thus far.

Dinner with Daniella and her parents was lovely though, and I felt terrible that I made them wait for so long and then they had to listen to me vent about the whole situation. Afterwards, I had to go straight to the bus station and had to, of course, take a taxi. Being in an upmarket area didn't help my situation I think because when I would insist on the meter, they would all shake their head and tell me twenty ringgit. Cab after cab I tried, and poor Natalie, she was so worried I would miss my bus but I refused to pay the twenty ringgit. I mean, it is the equivalent of maybe AUS$7 but it was the principle of the thing!

I lost my rag a little at one guy who had the audacity to tell me that it was cheaper than the meter. "If it was cheaper than the meter then you'd let me use the meter," I told him through gritted teeth. He had no answer to that. "You know that doesn't make any sense, don't you? You are extorting me, and you think I'm stupid enough to believe you?!"

He paused. "Twenty ringgit," he said again.

I slammed the door shut a little harder than I should have.

Anyway, I found a guy who agreed to ten ringgit and arrived in just enough time, deciding on a new rule: if the total travel time exceeds the duration at the destination, DON'T BOTHER. I know some of you are going "Well, duh" but I guess I had to figure that one out the hard way. I arrived in JB at 3am, got to the airport at 4am, got on the plane at 7am and arrive in Kuching, exhausted, at 8am.
But from there, I had the most wondrous few days and have fallen head over heals in love with Sarawak.

I can't do justice to the kindness and warmth of the Sarawak people, the stunning beauty of Bako National Park, or the feeling of being home when I was in Kuching but the photos are a small step of the way. Kuching (literally "City of Cats") is a beautiful city, with the wonderful mix of cultures that I love so much about Malaysia. I walked around the city for hours, learned about the cultural and natural history in the Sarawak Museum, tasted the local fare along the riverside Waterfront Promenade, checked out the plethora of cat statues, walked the back streets, saw the awesome panorama of Kuching and surrounds from the heights of the Civic Centre, had special Sarawak Laksa and an ABC Special at the Open Air Market, shopped India Street, and ate Bee Mee Hoon at the best-known restaurant in Kuching. I even used my very basic mandarin to buy local sweets in China Street to the well-veiled shock of the shop keeper.

And I didn't even get to do so many other things I wanted to do! Outside Kuching is a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where you can see Orang Utans, a Cultural Village showing the traditional ways of life of some of the local minorities, and a Cat Museum! All the more reason to go back at the end of the year since I'll be in S'pore anyway for Jules' wedding!

But the highlight of my trip was Bako National Park. From the moment I stepped off the boat and waded up the beach, to watching the early morning mist wrap around the headland as I was ferried away 40 hours later, I had a clarity and peace of mind that only such untouched wild beauty can foster. I mean, in that first afternoon I took a short hike through pristine rainforest, saw a family of Proboscis Monkeys playing in the trees high above, watched the sunset over the ocean, and listened to frogs sing as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I was on the trail by 07:30 and I blissfully hiked for nine hours along one of the park's longest trails. I saw birds, lizards, hermit crabs, fish, pitcher plants, army ants, stick insects, mouse deer tracks, macaques and (most excitingly) Bornean Bearded Pigs! They must have caught my scent because before I could get too close, they crashed away through the undergrowth, but I did see them and it was awesome! I don't know why I was so fascinated with them, but it really made my day to see them. The going was rough in some spots where the rains had flooded the track and knocked down some trees, so after seven hours I was a little exhausted. I did make it to the waterfall though and stopped there was a rest and a swim. I lay next to the waterfall in the sun, reading David Attenborough's fantastic autobiography "Life on Air". He is my hero, and while lying there I read about one of his trips to Borneo and it all just felt so right.

As the sun left my relaxation spot, I felt like I should move on before I stiffened up too much so I took my happy aching muscles back to camp. I saw the family of Proboscis monkeys again, this time up close and personal on the mudflats (and boy, that nose looks so much stranger at close range!) I can't think of a way I'd rather spend a day, it was total bliss. And that night I learnt NEVER to leave my camera behind no matter what because at dinner an enormous male bearded pig wandered into camp, and I had stupidly left my camera in my room. You should have seen the size of him! I don't think I've ever been so close to a wild mammal that large. It was the perfect end to one of the best days of my life.

First thing the next morning, I caught the boat back to Kuching (then travelling back to Singapore) and it was really really hard to leave. I had seen and spoken to virtually no one in my 36 hours at Bako and I felt so at peace that I didn't want to join the population at large again. I watched the beach disappear from view as we rounded the headland and knew that not only would I return to this wondrous place one day, but that I would carry it with me in my heart.

Singapore - good for what ails you!

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Happy New Year!

Well, I'm back from my holidays and my trip to Singapore and Malaysia was exactly what I needed as it turned out. I didn't mention in my last update that I was ill before I went away but I basically had a very bad reaction to something I ate (no, it wasn't food poisoning) and was re-living the dish over and over again for a good 6 hours before the dehydration and fever made me think I should probably actually go the hospital. I stayed overnight on IV meds and fluids and it was a few days before I felt better. Knowing I was going away I actually went back to have a check up to see if I was ok to travel, and boy am I really getting value for money from my medical insurance. Another RMB768 (just over AUS$110) for the doctor to tell me "Eat Carbs. Buy Jam. Wear sunscreen". Good advice.

But, against the odds (literally because in my daze I nearly left my passport on the Shuttle Bus but luckily the guy behind me saw it) I made it to Singapore via a stop in Xiamen which I wasn't told about by my travel agent. I looked out my window when I felt us descend and thought to myself "Funny, that doesn't look like Singapore. Looks like China..."

I did make it eventually and I had no idea I would be so happy to be out of China. As soon as I got to Changi Airport I was suddenly hit by it all: there were Christmas decorations everywhere, everyone was smiling, there were people from lots of different cultures, everyone spoke to me in English and there was even a pool in the airport! And the crown jewel was that the airport bathroom was not only clean but sweet smelling, painted with bright happy colours, complete with a decorated kids sink. I freaked out a little at that point.

To better explain, I don't touch anything in China if I can help it, not doors, not hand rails, and NOTHING in a public bathroom. You'll be amazed how dexterous one can become in using feet to open, close and lock doors. But in the airport I reached out, opened the toilet door gingerly and was rewarded not by an unspeakable sight and smell, but by toilet paper. If I hadn't flipped out before then I definitely flipped out at that point. It was actually a bit of a problem throughout my holiday: in China if you are somewhere with a decent bathroom then you go, whether you really need to or not because you don't know what you'll find later. So I spent the whole two weeks resisting the instinct to go to every bathroom I saw simply because it was clean.

Anyway, now that the toilet humour is out of the way, I can tell you that Singapore is much more than source of hygienic water closets (though "sanitised" is an excellent word for the place :) It was a joy to be warm, and to be able to breath fresh air. In the car from the airport to Aunty Sophia's flat, my body realised I was out of Beijing and choked me with a coughing fit in a desperate attempt to rid me of the crud in my lungs. Nasty. And I was sweating brown residue out of my pores for three days. Charming. But I revelled in the simple joys of being able to open a window, sleep in a singlet and wear a skirt. Every morning of my first week I would take myself down to the pool for an hour to lounge by the pool and get a tan, bliss!

Singapore really is the polar opposite of Beijing; clean, civilised and with a wonderful mix of people, cultures, and food. After my previous week in Beijing where I was struggling to walk for 10 minutes or to find food I could keep down, I was good as new in 24 hours. I know it was in my head as much as in my body, but I don't care. I felt 100% better and had two of the best weeks of my life.

I did as much as I could fit in during my first week. For such a small place, Singapore has amazing variety of activities, especially for lovers of the natural world such as myself. And Singaporeans don't do things by halves, I've never seen so many of the "World's largest/first..." attractions in my life. My first stop was the incredible "Jurong Bird Park" that has over 9000 birds, 600 species and the world's first captive breeding programme of 12-wired Birds of Paradise. They had many species I'd never seen before, and an amazing collection of Toucans and Hornbills. Attractions included the colossal "Waterfall Aviary", the world's largest walk-in aviary. It's the world's only aviary with a monorail running through it, and houses the world's tallest man-made waterfall. It was so big I really did forget I was in an aviary. There was also the "Lorri Loft" the world's largest Lorrikeet aviary standing 9 stories tall and covering 3000 square metres, and the "World of Darkness" Asia's first nocturnal bird house which I particularly loved because it is a rare chance to see owls, one of my favourite kinds of birds.

I also went to the world-famous Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. The zoo spans 28 hectares, has 4000 animals across 410 species, and have successfully bred in captivity many endangered species like the Orang Utan, Rhino Iguana, Pygmy Hippo and even Manatees! They had some of my favourite animals like Maned Wolves, Elands, Sun Bears, Manatees, Tapirs and Babirusas. The Night Safari sits right next door and as the sun sets you can wander over for an overpriced meal before getting on a tram and being taken around the world's first night view wildlife park. In it's 40 hectares there are over 900 animals across 130 species, including more of my favourites like Capybaras, Indian Wolves, Sloth Bears, Giant Anteaters, and Tarsiers. After the tram ride you can walk the trails through the park for a closer look and it was pretty amazing being alone in the semi-dark with an Indian Wolf, watching you impassively with liquid brown eyes.

There was also the gorgeous 52 hectares of Singapore's Botanical Gardens, and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve where I took myself on Christmas Day while Julia had a family engagement for a picnic and a hot sweaty hike. The 164 hectare reserve is the only primary rainforest left on Singapore, surrounds Singapore's highest hill (at a whopping 163.63m. Next stop: Everest), and has one of the world's richest and most diverse ecosystems. Noted naturalist Dr David Bellamy once pointed out that one hectare of the reserve has more tree species than the whole of North America! One thing they certainly had in abundance were cheeky Long-tail Macaques (monkeys) who had obviously heard of my Mum's famous (and "World's Best") Christmas pudding and made a bee line for it. They didn't know they'd met their match though; no gets between me and my lunch...

I explored Singapore on foot as much as I could, going to all the markets, food stalls, and historical and architectural sites I read about in my guide. In the first week I wandered (and ate) in Chinatown, had a drink (and food) in the Clarke Quay bar area, window shopped (and snacked) in the famous Orchard Road shopping paradise, and of course dined in the famous Lau Po Sat open air food market. I took a walk past all the old Colonial architecture and some of Singapore's most famous sites like the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore Cricket Ground, Merlion, Esplanade, the fantastic Asian Civilisations Museum, and of course the World Famous Raffles Hotel! I was enchanted by it, and wandered the courtyard and shops for ages, buying Christmas presents for mum and dad, and having lunch in the swish Seah Street Deli. I left swearing I would return and have a Singapore Sling in it's birthplace, the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel.

I would often walk home from where ever I ended up in the evening, my furthest in that first week probably being from Lau Po Sat Food market back to the West end of River Valley Grove (for those who don't know, that's a a pretty big walk, trust me). I ripped my feet to shreds from walking so far in thongs cause they had been encased in a double layer of socks and woolly Ug boots for the proceeding 2 months, but I wore different shoes each day to at least avoid having wounds in the same place :)

But it was worth it, because I wanted to see and try everything. Being such a kaleidoscopes of cultures, the variety and quality of the Singaporean, Malaysian, Indian, Middle Eastern and Indonesian food was mind-blowing. The general rule was that if I saw something I'd never seen before (and I probably didn't know what it was) I tried it. I was never disappointed. I also had all the blueberries, guavas and grapes I could get my hands on. I love that nearly every restaurant serves freshly squeezed juice, and discovered "World's Most Refreshing Juice" (according to me): dragonfruit and guava. Heaven. Also had the "World's Best" brunch: spiced banana bread with caramelised banana, berry compote and marscapone cheese. The sheer size of it was the only thing that stopped me also gorging on the "World's Best" dessert: Ultimate Fudgey Brownie, 2 inches of rich chocolate brownie topped with giant marshmallows set in chocolate fudge. The photo doesn't do it justice but they wouldn't let us take the lid off (probably because they were worried about Julia and I drooling on it). And I won't even start on the selection of roti, curry, dahl, biryani, kopi, kaya toast, satay, nasi lemak, mee goreng and sweets of every description you could imagine. Considering the boost I gave to the f&b industry while I was there, I think it's a very good thing that I don't live there...