#gluttonsbay

Breakfast for our final morning on the train was slightly different again - muesli, to go with the other standards. As we ate we came to the second and final border point for Malaysia exit/Singapore entry to be completed. As the train began to move again we were told it would be only 5 minutes before we were crossing into Singapore so people quickly headed for the observation car - and for some, with the entire length of the train to walk, they didn't make it! The vista was hazy, but as we crossed the bridge, we saw the buildings of Malaysia behind us, the skyscrapers of Singapore ahead of us, traffic to our right side, and three massive pipes that carry some of Singapore's water supply on our left. We then pulled into Woodlands station, to disembark and say thanks and farewell to the beautiful train and to our steward and the train staff who had been so attentive, friendly, and wonderful. 

A taxi took us to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Raffles Avenue. 50+ floors rose above us and a door was held open for us to enter a buttery marble atrium to see high on the walls some of the amazing glass sculpture of Dale Chihuly, which also graces the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Having tried everywhere we'd been so far to try the "We're on honeymoon" attempt at getting upgrades and getting nothing except a blocked-out seat beside us on the Emirates flight so far, this time it actually worked, and we were upgraded from a standard room overlooking the city to one overlooking Marina Bay - the view that everyone wants to see.  And my god what a room it was! On the 19th floor, it was a room so big and gadgety that we had to be shown how to use it, with an enormous picture window that gave us full views of the bay, the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel complex, the floating arena below us, and the skyscrapers of the business district. The bathroom was almost as big as our sitting room with a rainfall shower and a good-sized bath alongside another window with the same view of the bay. Sadly we never did get time to take a bath overlooking that vista. We had been warned that there were rehearsals taking place on the floating arena for National Singapore Day on August 9th  (they start rehearsals really early) and from the time that we arrived until 10.30 pm each night there was PA, music, lighting and video and rehearsals of people and vehicles taking place, but with our bird's eye view it felt like we were being treated to it, as it was an awesome display of technology and organisation, particularly on the last day when the military, including tanks and rocket-launchers and speedboats out in the bay, were involved. 

After settling in we headed out to the nearby Esplanade centre, home of a theatre and various shops and eateries. We settled for the Thai Express for our lunch, and very nice it was too.  After this, we walked around the bay towards the business district to find the nearest tour bus stop. We rode halfway round its loop to the Botanic Gardens.  

Edinburgh Botanic Gardens are good, but Singapore's are incredible! We started with a walk round the rainforest trail, shaded by tall trees, butterflies fluttering past, and glimpses of squirrels. At one point we paused so I could try and get a couple of photos, and as we stood things started falling around us, that looked like bits of fruit. Francis looked up, and detected rustling branches far above.  Apparently there were squirrels digging into to whatever goodies were up there, and as they did so the bits they dropped, or didn't want, were falling on us!

Once out of the trail we headed for the Orchid Garden which had been recommended to us. Only S$5 to get in, it was a place of wonder. Orchids had been ever-present since our arrival in East Asia, gracing our fruit plates and bed every day at the Hua Hin resort, and in flower displays everywhere, and the orchid garden was teeming with hundreds of varieties that would make my plant-loving mother weep. There was an area given over to hybrids, which were pioneered in Singapore, and another section of some named after celebrities. There was a 'mist' zone as well, where there were several photographers, some of whom were cunningly spraying the flowers with water to make them even more picturesque.  I got a good number of photos myself. 

With time running short to catch the bus home, we walked back across the Botanic Gardens, passing people playing with children, and people jogging in the hot, humid Singapore evening, and a lake covered with lily pads and populated with terrapins. We got back on the bus for the rest of the loop that took us down the street of the most expensive real estate in Singapore, and along shopping streets - everywhere in Singapore city is a shopping street! - before we hopped off by Suntec, a tech-based tower and (you-guessed it) shopping mall, with a wall that apparently is the Guinness World Record biggest HD video wall, created by LG.