‘To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one
of the pleasantest sensations in the world…’ (Freya Stark)
Hello all! Let me start by wishing anyone who is running the London
Marathon tomorrow a massive GOOD LUCK! A few of my closest buds have been
pounding the pavements for a good while now in preparation for the big day and
are raising money for several different charities. It obviously takes such
dedication and motivation to run for that prolonged period of time (I get bored
after twenty minutes) so WELL DONE for getting this far… p.s., they say
adrenaline carries you through the last couple of miles!
So, here are the latest, much-anticipated updates of the Flashpackers’
whereabouts! Our Thai visa was up and rather than do a ‘visa dash’ day run to a
neighbouring border, we thought we’d spend some actual time
in Malaysia and Singapore, of which we’d heard great things. Why the hell not? I'm quite enjoying my rapidly growing stamp collection decorating the pages of
my passport! We flew into Malaysia from Thailand then decided to take the four
hour bus from Malaysia into Singapore. This was one of my first experiences
crossing a country border via land, as opposed to the air. All seemed pretty
standard; getting an ‘exit’ stamp from Malaysia and walking through to get my ‘entrance’
one into Singapore. That is, until a guard pulled us aside and led us down a
darkened corridor. Oh no, where were we going? Has Stevie’s juvenile criminal past
finally caught up with him?! So, we stopped outside a small room housing a
contraption resembling a wind machine in it. We had to hand over our passports
and individually walk through this device. At one point I did start to panic –
did they think we were carrying drugs? I mean, I know I had the equivalent of a
small pharmacy in my medicine bag, but the strongest thing they’d find was some
cold sore cream, after having run out of painkillers after Full Moon! Anyway,
as I passed through, I was sprayed from all angles with some sort of disinfectant.
The guard had obviously spotted our dishevelled appearance and the hefty
backpacks and assumed we were carrying all sorts of germs. Nice. Ah well, this
brings a new meaning to ‘feeling refreshed’ as you touch down in a different
country!
Everyone’s heard of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, right? So, there was no
problem in researching ‘things to do’ there; we even managed to visit Melaka, a
not-so-well known city further south. Singapore was slightly more difficult…did
you know that Singapore has no capital city? Well, I didn't Geography not
being one of my strong points, it took me a while to realise why searching for ‘cities to stay in in Singapore’ was proving
unsuccessful! It’s actually a South-east Asian island city-state (to you and me,
it’s like a cosmopolitan city that also happens to be a country!) To me, there
were a lot of similarities between the two countries; both had really efficient
public transport, countless shopping malls… But if I had to choose, Singapore
has that little extra je ne sais quoi.
The skyline at dusk, paired with the lights reflecting off of the water, was
very picturesque and I felt very relaxed there. Probably something to do with
the fact that Singapore is often projected as ‘the safest city in Asia’. Especially
for women.
Our ten day tour would provide a much needed change of scenery; after a
month of surveying nothing but the sea and sweating our days away on the beach,
walking around fabulous, air-conditioned shopping malls and seeing some sights
was a very welcoming thought! However, we had been told these countries were a
lot more expensive than what we’d been used to. GREAT. Just what we need.
Especially since I’d just discovered that the gem that is my bank (with whom I affectionately
share part of my name) had been charging me the world each time I withdrew
money. I could've chartered a bloody plane to Singapore with the amount they’d
taken! So, with purse strings tightly fastened, we braced ourselves for ten
days of extreme budgeting. Upon reflection, it wasn't as bad as we’d expected.
It’s common sense - you have to be prepared to part with your pennies if you
want to experience some of the major tourist attractions (sightseeing tours in
Kuala Lumpur, animal attractions in Singapore). Being a veteran traveller, though (hello three months living out of a backpack!), you do your
research and realise that, contrary to what some say, the best things
in life (to do) really are free!
Now, I do LOVE to shop. Back in the UK, it’s actually impossible for me to
go shopping and not come back laden with bags… I’ll wear it all at some point,
right? Well, SLIGHTLY different here when everything I buy, I have to carry. It
does not help when it seems ALL of my adored shops from back home seemed to
surround me everywhere we went both in Malaysia and in Singapore. It took
massive amounts of self- control to not have a bit of a ‘Supermarket Sweep’
moment in TopShop and hide the evidence in the bottom of Stevie’s backpack!
Malaysia and Singapore, by the way, are GREAT for shopping; however, the amount
of luxury stores definitely overpowers my high street favourites. In Singapore alone, there are four Louis Vuitton stores. FOUR. It’s not
as if each one has queues out of the door – I’d understand if the crowds
resembled those a la the Next sales back home – but I walked past a few with
not a single customer in! Anyway, my point is, window shopping is a fabulous free
activity and we spent many a day perusing the hundreds of stores in the comfort
of an air conditioned mall. Talking of free activities, there is an amazing
water and light show outside the Marina Bay shopping mall in Singapore
(coincidentally next to a Louis Vuitton) which is well worth seeing, and their Botanical
Gardens are a great place to spend a day wandering aimlessly through the
different sections of plants, trees, flowers… you get the picture! Kuala Lumpur
even has a free bus comprising of two different routes that outlined the major
attractions of the city, which is a godsend. Another way you can get ripped off
is in choosing your method of transport; although it’s easy to just jump in a
cab, there are many cheaper alternatives. The Underground systems in Malaysia
and Singapore are quick and easy to use – a single trip costing less than the
price of a Happy Meal! Yes, there were times we got slightly lost – it did have
to be the time we were carrying ALL our bags – but hey, by doing your research
and seeking out cheaper options, it left us more money to spend on one of our favourite things… FOOD.
After spending a month in Thailand we were used to street food so sought it
out where possible. In all honesty, there wasn't much to offer street-side in
Malaysia and Singapore so we resorted to food courts. Now, this is where you
can go wrong ; if you head to the ‘international’ food courts with all the
familiar chains (Subway, Nando’s, Pizza Hut…) although tempting, you will spend
more pennies than if you eat in a ‘local’ one. They are a fraction of the price
and, if you don’t mind rice and noodles, very tasty at the same time. I must
mention that, as a traveller, you definitely make the most out of the free
things on offer. This includes any amenities of your digs. Examples include a
free breakfast – alright, it may be some toast and a coffee, but it’s better
than nothing, right? In KL we stayed in a great hostel that served mounds of rice
and noodles as well as ‘normal’ breakfast items. Not the most conventional way
to start the day, but hey, if it’s free, I’ll force them down! Every little
helps – free toiletries, complimentary bottles of water… it makes the stay a
little bit more memorable and sets the place apart from its competitors. By the
way, fellow hostel dwellers, if you’re not already on to it, invest in an eye
mask. It’s the perfect solution to avoid being the’ kill joy’ in the dorm who
wants to turn all the lights out. Also comes in handy for napping on
planes/buses/trains… I haven’t had mine off!
This next paragraph is counteracting all previous advice I've given on
seeking out the ‘free’ activities a place has to offer. In Singapore, we took
the plunge and splurged on two activities that we deemed ‘essential’: a visit
to Universal Studios and our very first Night Safari. Now, I could be classed
as a veteran of theme parks, having visited each one in Orlando, Florida near
enough every year since birth. Stevie jumped on the bandwagon a few years ago
on yet another Gibbo outing to the ‘sunshine state’, so together, we decided to
tackle Singapore’s version. It did not disappoint. It was pretty much the same
layout as our Floridian favourite plus a few new additions, including a whole
section devoted to ‘Madagascar’ (both mine and Steph’s most adored film – ‘I like to move it, move it’) and ‘Far Far
Away’, the home of Shrek and Donkey (Jennie P’s favourite!). For the first time
in almost three months, we forgot we were travellers and raced around the place
like kids from ride to ride (well, most rides; I still retain my ‘wimp’ status
as I refused to go on the ‘big’ roller coasters!). It was actually here that I
experienced my first bout of home sickness; wandering round the park trying to
follow the map isn't normally my job, that’s left up to Sue, pointing out all
the available toilets and eateries along the way. There’s normally a herd of
us, so it was very strange telling the ride attendant ‘two’ instead of about ‘a
dozen’. Yes, we spent a small fortune, but it was definitely worth it, even for
the fond memories it evoked of past trips with the family. Speaking of herds,
we also forked out for Singapore’s Night Safari; as we’re not nearing Africa any time soon, we decided on the next best thing! It actually makes perfect
sense – the animals tend to sleep and hide away during the scorching
temperatures of the day, and tend to be more active and alert at night. A tram
safari takes you around several geographical zones of the world, housing many
of the worlds’ nocturnal species. The walking trails allow you to explore these
zones at your own pace and view the animals up close. This is definitely a must
for all animal lovers – what I liked most was the ‘open air’ layout, with not a
cage or barbed wire fence in sight.
So, after ten days of (window) shopping and (free) sightseeing, the tan was
beginning to fade. We waved goodbye to Malaysia and Singapore and boarded a
flight back to our second home, Thailand. This time, though, we had a little
treat in-store, something to DEFINITELY boost our rankings in the ‘Flashpacker
Hall of Fame’. Stay tuned…
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