13. Singapore
The flight from MLE to SIN was uneventful. That said, we slept most of the way, and skipped the meal. We arrived in SIN at 7 in the morning. But really, it's only 4am in MLE. So, what do you do, arriving so early and still tired?
Silver Kris Lounge in Terminal 3.
Open space, quiet, and comfy lounge.
We spent the next 6 hours there catching up on some much needed ZzZzZzs, as it was quiet in the morning, and population is small. We found a quiet corner without having to fight for it, and best of all, the wonderful SQ crew brought out blankets and pillows for us! Hours later, we headed to town for a few hours before we fly again.
On our way to the Singapore Flyer, I noticed how clean the highway is. Not a single plastic bag, or empty bottles. Me being there for the first time, I was impressed, as Mrs. said "I told you so~."
We stopped for some Ya-Kun toast, toast with butter and condensed milk, simple and yummy, and finished with some sling tea. With our hunger taken cared of, it's time to fly, the Singapore Flyer, that is.
The famous food stall.
We boarded the Flyer after only 10 minutes of waiting, not bad! Sadly, weather again went back to "crappy mode", as it was most of the trip. But luckily, it wasn't raining, yet, and we managed to get some decent shots and views in. The "flight" took about 30 minutes, and most of the passengers in our car were pleasant and civil. We had a great time up there, as a few local friendlies helped us get some photos in, vise-and-versa.
Gardens by the Bay.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino and The Art and Science Museum.
Originally, our itineraries in this part of the trip include 2 nights in the Marina Bay Sands, enjoying the famous infinity pool, Singaporean hospitality, and one night in the Intercontinental Bangkok, with a Valentines Day dinner in Hotel Lebua (featured prominently in
The Hangover II). And to top it off, TG A380 from BKK to HKG
.
A few days before the commencement of the trip, we sliced this part of the trip, and decided to take it easy and enjoy a "slower life" in HKG. It turned out to be the right decision. We didn't know how exhausted we were, both physically and mentally, but very very happy and satisfied.
So, we walked parts of the F1 circuit, slowly made our way to the Sands hotel and worked our way to the sky park. But boy, the line was long! And soon after, a heavy monsoon pretty much killed all the moods, and drenched those poor souls at the top
. We decided to head back to the airport, and have some real Singapore cuisine.
Bah Kut Teh (ribs simmered in herbs), Laksa, and Lychee soda.
Along with spicy crabs, it was a meal deserved to be repeated and mentioned. Yum! What a way to close out the trip.
After a shower in the lounge, we headed to the gate, and along the way, it was a plane spotter's dream. Aside from the retired SQ 744, and the Concorde, you pretty much get everything you can, from the A380 to a Gulfstream V.
SQ772, our ride back to HKG.
One day, seat 3C/D will be ours!
QF744. I saw my first ever jumbo jet on Oct 1, 1986. It was a CI 747-200 in TPE. 27 years later, the 747 is still my favorite. So glad they got a new lease of life in 747-8!
Noticed that LH A388?
Although it was only a 2-cabin configuration, with only 4 of us in business class, we might as well called it First Class! You can just imagine how the attentive services we got, and it really came a full circle as Mrs. caught me staring at the SQ girls. IMHO, SQ, CX and EY have some of the prettiest flight attendants in the world! I must apologize to my fellow FTers, I didn't know what hit me, but I DID NOT TAKE ANY photos of them!
Sunset over Malaysia.
Being still partially full from the laksa, Mrs. and I shared a set dinner - grilled cod. It tasted better than the cod we got from UA942, and this time, Mrs. loved it. We finished the dinner with ice cream, cheese plate, and some special New-Year edition fruits.
Nothing out of the ordinary. But I loved the thoughtfulness and the presentation.
If I only raised my lens a few degree higher...(know what I mean?
)
3.5 hours later, we arrived in HKG at 10:40pm, and we were granted a visit to the cockpit. The (co)pilots were very friendly, allowed us to take some pictures. At their requests, I decided to keep those photos private.
As we parked at gate 501, we were whisked away in a bus, and given a fitting sent off by the SQ girls, "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Flyhen, thanks for flying with us and enjoy your stay in Hong Kong." That, really left a great after taste. I am definitely flying SQ again! And there you have it, we were home, safe and sound. HKG!
Next up, HKG and wrap up.