Bunny

Slept pretty well, apart from being wide awake from about 2-4am, but I felt rested when we finally woke at 8.30. Headed down to breakfast with B&C and enjoyed exploring the buffet. We ate outside in the shade and under the fans….so warm! Chatted about where to go today and they explained they’d arranged a treat for us this afternoon so we decided to go for a wander and a river cruise this morning. Bit of a false start at the first boat ticket office which was closed, so we nipped in a taxi up to Emerald Hill Rd to see some of the original shop houses with their beautiful flower filled fronts (extra). Walked down the road looking at all the different painted fronts and decorations. Surprisingly quiet everywhere but I guess it’s midweek and we were not in the main tourist area. Much sunnier than yesterday and high humidity (hair rapidly frizzing up!) so we were pleased to pop into the tourist info centre that we found with its air conditioning! Had a chat to the lady there and decided to go back to Clarke Quay to get the next boat and we soon got sorted and relaxed by the riverside with a lovely cold fresh lime soda watching the world go by a bit before the boat departed. Nice to get a different view of the river bank buildings and bay area. The commentary told us a bit of the history of the city and the key sights like the Merlion (extra).
Once we disembarked we walked back to the hotel and arrived -dripping! - in need of a shower and change before our treat which turned out to be afternoon tea at Raffles! Oh my what an amazing set up they have there…obviously a very well practiced performance of classic elegance. The sandwiches, scones and cakes were delicious and, unlike some people on other tables, we polished off the lot! We were amused by the young women in the courtyard behind us doing pose after pose for their friends’ photos…all trying to perfect an air of being caught unawares wafting through their luxurious environment! (We mocked up some of the same poses later although fell about laughing rather than maintaining the studies cool!
We wandered through the courtyard to the Long Bar and celebrated some more with a Singapore Sling each, and the obligatory monkey nuts with shells scattered on the floor. Lovely room with old rattan fans swishing back and forwards on the ceiling and a cocktail shaking wind up machine.
Afterwards we wandered down passed all the high end (and empty!) shops to the gift shop. On the way I thought I’d found it and turned to go into the shop only to walk slam bang into a (highly polished!) full size window. Ouch! The assistant inside merely glanced up and didn’t even come over to check I was ok!
We walked back to the hotel, once again getting very hot and sticky, and continued the day’s activity of taking photos of V’s granddaughter’s bunny in various locations around the city…he seemed at home on this lion!
B&C were heading back to Australia this evening so we made our farewells and left them to get changed and packed up whilst we went off to the zoo’s night safari. Exciting to be exploring in the dark through the huge trees and walkways and coming upon so many different animals which were all more active than you often see them in the daytime. It was a rehearsal for our time in the jungle! We saw so many things up close (civet and some sort of alligator/crocodile in extras) and the moment we were alone with a group of Asiatic lions roaring to others across the hill was spinechillingly exciting. We rounded off the evening with the tram ride around the far reaches of the zoo and then home after midnight with a very chatty taxi driver talking about travel, climate, driving tests, police actions and crime in UK and Singapore.
We did some clothes washing when we got in and then late to bed after a great day!