Day 2 of Singapore...

Ahh... Nothing like Singapore on the second day of one's holiday bonanza. The first day was mostly about the OOOOhhhs and the Aaaaahhhs.... Marvelling at the wonder of the harmonious, polygamous marriage of the cultures which make Singapore a melting pot.

Our second day, in a nutshell is gallavanting till our feet hurt. First stop, according to the SIA Hop-on route we were following was Little India, where Singaporean Maharajas convened to sell colorful Indian rugs and bags, religious statuettes, and alas... pirated bollywood films... When in Asia, do as the Asians do, I guess. Hehe.

I love the colorful buildings. They weren't too tall. They had these nice white boards for windows, and the colors of the walls were eye catching. Different hues for different stores. Pretty cool. This picture below is the merchandise of the last store we visited: Nice ethnic masks.



The next stop was an unplanned one. We were supposed to go straight to Suntec when we saw the majestic Raffles Hotel. Everything classy and high-end in Singapore is always in reference to "Raffles". Mental note to self, find out why "Raffles" is such a Singapore thing.

The hallways, the lobby, the nooks and crannies... Everything about the Raffles hotel was simply amazing and majestic! Including the straight-out-of-a-Francis-Hodgson-Burnett-novel Ram Das-looking-dude who was the Hotel's Indian manservant. This is the exterior of the Raffles hotel, with red poinsettias adorning its exterior.



After basking in sweat, we hopped onto the SIA Hop on once more to visit the Suntec Shopping Plaza, the largest mall in Singapore (and in Asia?). I had known about the Fountain of Wealth previously, but when we were at the foot of the fountain did I realize that this was the exact same place for one of 'em route markers for the Amazing Race, season 3. The Fountain of Wealth is the largest fountain in the world (I guess in Singapore, they have a knack for being the largest at something).



This fountain, like most fountains, is also a wishing fountain. Directions for making a wish were written just beside the smaller fountain within the bigger enclosure. "Stretch out your right arm, fingers touching the water. Make a wish, and go around three times" Might I add to those directions : "While silently chanting your wish".

If you turn around and look up, You'll then see the Singapore skyline, amidst the tall buildings. Singapore thoughts out of this sight: I like it here better than Hong Kong. In HK, it's all about tall buildings and the very busy lifestyle. Singapore is quite a busy place as well, but the buildings were among greens. And the sky is still visible, without having to strain one's neck.



Quick stop at the Esplanade theatre to pick up our Mamma Mia tickets. Got 'em! Despite the slightly irritating super slow couple who were painstakingly picking out seats.

In the spirit of gallavanting, we got on the SIA hop on again and got off the stop adjacent to the Merlion Park. We had to cross this bridge to get to the Merlion Park. Not exactly the busiest of streets. But just how I had described Singapore, flowers and greens are everywhere. I particularly like this picture because it was a prelude to the very enjoyable evening we had that night, the Mamma Mia musical.



'Course, the whole Sing experience ain't the same without paying a visit to his majesty, the Merlion. Definitely a tourist spot. Tourists were everywhere, taking pictures with their digicams and film cameras.



A mandatory rest period was called for after seeing the Merlion. We took a few minutes to rest by the tables outside the Palm Beach resto. We had Haagen Dazs ice cream. I had what resembled a shake more than an ice cream.

After Merlion Park, it was back to the Copthorne Orchid Hotel for us tourists. Quick shower here and there, and we were back on our feet to California Bistro, inside the Esplanade mall, for our dinner. I had a rib eye steak (and no regrets about it!). After filling ourselves, we went to the main theatre for an amazing musical experience! Mamma Mia! The Abba songs were fantastic! I loved the ending (walking into the moonlight), and I just adored the mini concert! Super cool.

To top off this evening at the Esplanade, I spotted this sign just below the elevator. True,true...