35. & 36. Day / 4th winter trip

The 35th day was completely unspectacular. After breakfast (where I bit on a metal screw which was hidden in my egg-dish) to the pool, played UNO, tried to get refreshment in the warm pool, then to the gym and back to the pool. Due to a sandfly attack fled to the room, went on the balcony and had to flee again inside the room, played UNO again. In the evening down for dinner. Since we weren't very hungry, we wanted to go to the 'Café' for something light - but, unfortunately, it was closed on Mondays. So we opted for room service, quite good Nasi Goreng.


Day 36, our departure from Malaysia.

Breakfast at the 'Oceano'. Slowly we were not spending attention on the food anymore, were just wildly look around for sandflies - we didn't want any more bites - anyway there wasn't much more space for them to bite left.

Bill settled, packed suitcase and quickly to the business center for a self-service print-out of the boarding passes for our flight.

Since the hotel charges for the airport transfer in a Toyota US $ 60 I got us an UBER, paid US $ 8. Who nowadays is so stupid to pay 7-fold for a hotel car?


The UBER APP had shown a waiting time of 20 minutes for a car to arrive at the hotel. So I ordered while still in the room, before we went to the lobby. Already when we went down I saw that the vehicle was not moving. And it came as it had to come: after 7 minutes wait the driver canceled the ride.

This is a point I do not understand at UBER. If I order a ride and cancel it after a while, I have to pay a fine. When a driver cancels the trip, he does not have to compensate me for my waiting.

So again requested a car, received a confirmation and saw that the vehicle was really moving. At 11:45 the driver arrived, wearing a black UBER polo, we loaded our luggage into the car and drove off.

The driver knew very well the location of all traffic jams, so we arrived at BKI airport at 12:45.


Into the terminal to AirAsia, whose counters were, of course, at the very end. Luggage scanned and went to Priority-counter, where it was immediately our turn. This time I was clever enough to pre-pay 2x 30 kg of checked luggage.

The lady at check-in was very friendly and efficient. Although one piece of luggage weighing more than 30 kg and one weighing less than 30 kg, she did not ask us to level, so that each piece would be max. 30 kg. She also did not have to check the visa regime for Ukrainians for Singapore, knew immediately that Ukrainians could stay in Singapore for 96 hours - if they were able to prove their flight to a third country.

Through safety- and passport control, in less than 5 minutes to departure area.


But seats were rare there. We walked around, I was still looking for cigarettes. At the far end, around the corner, I found a duty-free-shop, which offered ultra-light cigarettes. I handed my boarding pass and got the information that I could not buy a cigarettes flying to Singapore. I knew that I couldn't take duty-free-cigarettes legally into Singapore - but that they even wouldn't see I didn't know. So I told something in combination with the word 'Transit', waved a boarding pass to the next destination (in a few days) and succeeded, got a carton - my blood pressure fell to normal immediately.

Early pre-boarding at Gate B4 was called. Again through a security check down to the waiting room, where again passport and boarding pass were checked (I asked myself: 'am I in India?'). After a short waiting time, boarding started, again in groups, as usual, controlled by the staff.

We had reserved seats, the usual 1A and 1C combination. Unfortunately, again, this flight was fully booked, so we changed to 1A and 1B.

On time we were in the air, turned around over Gaya Island and then flew westward along the coastline of Borneo.

Unfortunately, AirAsia had loaded the wrong food for us, especially stupid when you are hungry. So we spent just 2 hours flying with growling stomachs.

Landing in Singapore, quickly docked, left the aircraft an headed in direction of passport control.


Although a lot of people were waiting the process went quite quickly, we arrived at the luggage claim just when our suitcases were delivered.

Quickly through the customs control, as you can imagine a bit nervous, to the next info counter. To be able to use Wi-Fi at Changi Airport,you can get an access code via your mobile phone or, in case you don't have roaming, need to show your passport an info counter, to get the code manually.

Why was internet access so important on arrival? Because of the taxi. While an airport taxi to the city costs S $ 55, UBER requires only S $ 21 - and this is usually with newer cars and more friendly drivers. When ordering (still in the terminal - in the pick-up area Wi-Fi does not work) one enters the desired pick-up door and then walks to corresponding door, waits for the car to arrive.

After a short wait, the driver appeared in a sparkling new Honda HR-V. Luggage stowed and driven to our hotel within 30 minutes.


This time I wanted something else, selected the 'The Scarlet' (SLH) right in Chinatown, a boutique hotel, which is housed in several connected shop-houses.


Entered the lobby


to check-in.

As I had read in TA that the standard rooms (executive) are very small, I booked a deluxe room (with included mini bar) via Agoda.




And here we were wondering: the room was very spacious and smelled very good - but it had no real window, only one little light spot near the ceiling. So I went back to the lobby and got the explanation that most of the bigger rooms (except the suites for S $ 150 / night surcharge) are located on the ground floor and therefore have no window. Okay, we'll not be disturbed by the raising morning sun.

We were hungry, but still had no cash SIN-dollars. So first off further into Chinatown,




to get some local cash. Afterwards, the problem with the growling stomachs had to be solved, very practical that 'Maxwell Food Court' was located directly opposite our hotel.

I had read of a stall which offers excellent duck- and pork on rice. This stall was quite easy to find, simply looking for the longest queue.


While V. was blocking a table, I waited 30 minutes for my turn,


ordered BBQ Honey Duck and Mixed-Pork, at together S $ 8.


Wow, that was delicious, especially when one is really hungry.

Back again to the hotel, unpacked and called an UBER (again a brand-new Honda HR-V) to the 'Garden by the Bay'. Because, although we've been to Singapore already some times, we've never made it to see the 'Supertrees', lit up at night.

As the last show started at 20:45 we arrived on time, went to the 'Supertree-Grove'


and were waiting together with a few hundreds of other tourists for the spectacle, the theme was 'Around Asia'.

What can I say? The show was über-disappointing, especially if you have attended the night-time fireworks at Disney World. Cacophonous Chinese classic music in combination with a few blinking lamps, well.

So, after 5 minutes, while the show was going on, we decided to walk to Marina Sands, then to take the subway back to Chinatown.

And exactly the way back was the highlight of the 'Garden by the Bay', very impressive at night,


with a much better overview of the illuminated 'Supertrees'. And exactly the overview made the thing impressive, not standing between the 'Supertrees'.






Over a bridge inside the Marina Sands


down to the subway, where we had to wait for 15 minutes to buy a ticket.

The subway (MTR) arrived,


we drove 3 stations back to Chinatown, then found our hotel, thanks to offline Google maps.


But we had no time to rest, at 22:30 the highlight, our reason to travel to Singapore, was on the bucket-list: we had a reservation for a table at 'Jumbo-Seafood', this time near the Riverwalk.

Once again ordered an UBER and for the 3rd time received a Honda HR-V, surprise, brand-new. So we asked the driver, 'why so many UBERs are Honda HR-V?'. He explained that the HR-V is a cheap, but relatively spacious car for Singapore, it would cost only approx. US $ 70'000 (including the 10-years-usage-license) .

The driver brought us near the entrance of the restaurant, as near as possible, explained where we could have a drink after dinner,

I was curious, because 'Jumbo-Seafood' at the Riverwalk is the very last JUMBO I had not visited yet.


We got a nice outdoor table,


ordered the famous Chili-Crab (from Sri Lanka) and Sambal-Morning Glory.

After a 20 minute wait we were given the one of the best treats you can get,


a 1.1 kg crab, plus the best Morning Glory.


The next 45 minutes at our table you could hear a feather falling, there was total silence, not a world spoken - we were busy.

After we had completed absolutely everything, the fingers licked, we knew we were so right: THIS is the real highlight of the city.

The food at all JUMBO-outlets is nearly identical - but for the atmosphere I would clearly recommend 'Jumbo Seafood East Coast', on the road between city center and airport.

Paid the bill (approx. US $ 80) and walked the 1.2 kilometer to the hotel. This had been the right decision, the architecture along the way was impressive, Art Deco at its best.

Arrived at the hotel we were dead of traveling, walking and especially eating , fell into the bed and slept before we could close our eyes.