After a quick flight across the sea we landed in Singapore with enough time to dump our bags at the Bencoolen Hotel before jumping on the MRT down to Orchard Central mall.
For the first time we decided to buy the daily tourist pass, unlimited travel on state trains and buses for 1, 2 or 3 days. It was $30 per person for 3 days, including a $10 cash refund for the card at the end of the time period. Which proved to be pretty worthwhile as it also included the train to and from the airport.
At Orchard Central Mall we were super lucky to be able to catch up with one of our best friends, Marie who was in Singapore for the day, originally from Columbia but having travelled and lived in countless cities around the world Marie is not only one of the smartest people I know,but also one of the kookiest. It was Sushi Tei for lunch with Marie and a few of her friends, where amazingly the prices are the opposite to Jakarta with the main dishes being cheaper than buying a few plates of sushi.
Marie being her kooky self and Me trying to catch my breath.
After this it was a quick walk down Orchard Street and around the corner to Far East Mall where the girls got their nails done and Jami and I walked around checking out a few piercing places and tattoo parlors. Shoe stores and korean fashion is also in abundance here for avid bargain hunters.
After we sent Marie on her way to catch her flight out we jumped on a train back to Bras Basah to go to the Rendezvous Hotel to meet the fam!
Walking into the Rendezvous was definitely a far cry from when we threw our bags into the Bencoolen with a large white lobby, complete with tour desk and bell boys.
It was easy to find the blonde teenager in the mix of asians and it definitely tugs on your heart strings when you only see them once or twice a year. I was so happy to be able to talk and laugh and hold them again.
My little sister is now officially taller than me! I think she’s chasing my oldest brother who has hit 6 foot. She’s not going to be far behind, even now she’s 170+ and she’s still 16, or almost 17 as she likes to say.
My sister and I in the hotel room.
After putting the bags upstairs we walked around the corner to a small food market where we were not starved for choices, everything from Hainan Chicken to Roast Pork and Fried fish was on the menu and all for under $7.
My choice was the Hainan Chicken and rice, Jami had the pig organ soup and Hannah stayed safe with fried rice. After being peer pressured she finally agreed to try a small sliver of chili but it didn’t last 3 seconds in her mouth before being spat across the table. We should have seen this coming from the girl who thinks even onion is spicy.
After catching up with Dad, Jane and Hannah and all their recent antics we called it a night, dropped them off at their hotel and packed it in.
Lani Leyli 