Day 12 - Return to Oz!

As is usual with a holiday, our final day consisted of travelling, shopping, and eating airline food. With me still taking antibiotics, there was of course no alcohol, but I was determined to enjoy our day at Changi Airport. 

Checkout from the Furama Riverfront was at midday, but with Changi Airport being probably the best airport in the World, and our flight not leaving until 7pm, we decided to leave earlier.  Changi has many facilities and experiences to enjoy, so because we had so much time to kill, we made the most of our opportunity. This is an airport that Singaporeans use all the time, even when not taking a flight. Every weekend the place fills with locals, just wanting to relax, shop and enjoy everything this amazing place has to offer.

The Furama was the ideal hotel for our stay and explore Singapore. It was centrally located and only a two-minute walk from the MRT station. This hotel was pretty dated in places, and the room certainly wasn't up to the high standards of the Aira Hotel in Bangkok, but it was superior in many respects. The bed was the best we had slept in; neither of us suffered with back problems here, unlike the two previous places. The room had a bath and shower and more importantly, the water was piping hot. Also, out of all the hotels we stayed in, The Furama served the best breakfast, with a huge choice of local and western cuisine on the buffet menu. 

Unfortunately, the lifts were terrible, and I did find myself going up and down in them for ten or fifteen minutes at a time, as our electronic key card failed to register our floor. There were also a lot of children about, as it was school holidays, which didn't make for the most relaxing experience ever. Nevertheless, the pros outweighed the cons, and yes, I would stay at The Furama again for sure.

It took half an hour to get to the airport, at a cost of S$30.00. On arrival, we checked in and dropped off our bags within twenty minutes. It was a dream navigating the modern, vast, terminal 3, and without our luggage we were free to roam as much as we pleased. The Singapore Airlines representative who helped us with our check in, directed us towards the famous Jewel, within this vast complex, and after a quick coffee at Starbucks we made our way there.

The Jewel consists of a large waterfall with vortex at the bottom, along with what I can only describe as an indoor rainforest, surrounded by a ginormous shopping centre and restaurants. Unless you actually go there yourself, you just have no idea how spectacular this venue is. The scenery is breathtaking and the waterfall awesome. I just stood there dumbfounded at how this place was even constructed — it was a site to behold.

We spent a good hour at The Jewel, before navigating our way towards departures for a long five-hour wait for the flight. This wasn't too much of a problem for me, since there was so much to do. After a Burger King lunch, (not my idea, Darrell wanted something western before the long flight) we took the monorail to terminal 1 and 2, to take a look at the shops. There are of course a lot of stores, and surprisingly, most of them are competitively priced, unless of course, you are looking for designer bands.

I am definitely not a label person, and would rather waste my money on souvenirs, not expensive clothes and jewellery. If you want that experience, however, there are plenty of designer shops to choose from. Airports always promote rampant consumerism, so even I bought some Jean Paul Gaultier aftershave from the duty-free shop. That was it, mind you. After shopping for ten days in Asia, I was all shopped out. Darrell, however, was spending more money than ever, looking for various Asian toys and memorabilia to take home with him.

To be honest, I think we both love the Asian way of life. Part of the charm of holidaying in this part of the World, is the enjoyment of cultural experiences. Heritage and history aside, there are plenty of plastic toys, and kitsch retro memorabilia to enjoy as well. Society, customs, and traditions in this part of the World are so different to the west, that both of us are enthralled and captivated by its gentle, often juvenile nature. Even at 55 years old (nearly) I love Hello Kitty, manga and the almost strange vending machine culture that exists in abundance.

​Changi Airport is full to bursting with the most colourful, gaudy and childlike items and is a joy to walk around. Both of us did buy some of the tackiest items we could find, to add to our collection, but why wouldn't you. We are only in Asia once or twice a year, so bringing choice objects home is just part of the course.

By the time 7 pm came, we were both particularly tired and ready for the four and a half hour flight home. We flew on an Airbus, unlike the Boeing that took us to Singapore twelve days before, and you could immediately tell the difference. There was noticeably less legroom and the whole experience felt cramped and stressful, compared to the first flight we arrived on. 

With Darrell watching the inflight entertainment, I sat happily chatting with an Australian gentleman, living in Indonesia. His name was Cathcart and like me was very politically aware. We chatted contentedly for the duration of the flight, covering every topic, from politics, religion, travel and gay rights. Cathcart wasn't gay, but as a left wing, Green party activist, he was aware of the difficulties both Darrell and I had gone through over the years. He was knowledgeable, full of advice and made the flight a hell of a lot easier to deal with.

The flight itself was a little turbulent at times, and I did feel rather ill on occasion, as the plane jostled from side to side. Cathcart was also physically sick. This was unusual for him, since he was used to flying regularly, unlike me, but this is how bad the return journey home was. This was one of the worst flights I had ever been on, and I am thankful we arrived in once piece. Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed flying with Singapore Airlines, it was an almost perfect experience.

Our 30th Anniversary trip was exhausting. Once again, we saw things we could have only dreamt of before now. We visited new places in Bangkok, which is always a wonderful experience. Bangkok, of course, always remains my city destination of choice. It isn't as polished as Singapore, but it is far more down to earth, a bit gritty and always an enjoyable place to stay. 

Thai people also remain the most welcoming in the World. Darrell and I have always enjoyed the hospitality in Thailand and just can't fault anything about the city or people who live there. If I had my way, I would move there at the drop of a hat, it gives me a warm feeling inside, and is perfect in every respect.

Singapore was a very different adventure. The cleanliness, organisation and polished exterior was a joy, and I did feel safe staying there. However, the city is full of designer shops and appears at times to only cater for the richest people in society. After staying there for four days, I had, had enough of the glitz and glamour and was ready to go home.

We did nevertheless fall in love with China Town. This historic quarter gave us a more authentic Asian experience. The people who live and work here were far more honest and approachable. Situated in the older part of the city, it was more characterful and attractive to look at, and thankfully there wasn't a designer shop in sight. This was the real part of Asia I wanted to see. You can keep the tall glass buildings, imposing skyscrapers and pristine streets.

I would of course return to Bangkok tomorrow, but I'm not too sure about Singapore. I would like to stay there again, for its sheer ease of stay. It is quick and easy to get to and only a short distance from the airport. The underground is uncrowded and very simple to use, and it makes for a very convenient location to stay. As a stopover it is perfect, staying beyond four days would, however, be pushing it a little, but as a short break, I would go back.

This was a holiday about reliving old experiences and remembering our 30 years together. Bangkok is my favourite city — Singapore Darrell's — this was the best of both worlds for us. It was an exhausting trip and as we look forward to our next holiday, our advancing years, dictate a more relaxed break, with far less travelling. No matter what we do in the future, we are grateful for the memories we made, the people we met and of course the quality time we had together. After our 30 years together, in our favourite part of the World, we couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable time!

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