Foodie Heaven (and more beers than I have ever drunk in my life)

Early morning hair styling

Hawker Centre food, I liked the black carrot cake the best,
 Beck liked the fried oyster omelette 

Lots of things you are NOT allowed to do in Singapore,
 like chewing gum, but you can drink beer in the street,
I had more beers in one day than
I have drunk in my entire life :)

Durian

First taste of Durian

Finale - shaved ice wonders

Street mural plus silly tourist

Raffles Hotel

Singapore Sling and Teetotaler

Can we stop taking photos and drink? Never!

The sun is rising and I am eating Marks and Spencer muesli with Aussie milk, another multi-cultural Singapore experience?

We have a new friend to make today, Gerry a local Singaporean with a passion for food and local culture. Born in the 70’s as Singapore started to build itself into the powerhouse it is today Gerry has grown up as his country has evolved.

We arrive in Chinatown and head straight down a dingy lane, past food shops and into a hawker centre. The centres grew out of traditional food stalls on a street and serve local foods to locals. Gerry finds us a seat and then goes off to get food, what will he come back with? The first to arrive is fried oyster omelette and carrot cake (not like out carrot cake, its made with daikon), then off for beers and more beers, and roast pork (from Michelin rated stall) and on it goes, I am trying it all. But NOT the chilli, Beck is tucking into every flavour and is in foodie heaven. We attract a bit of attention being the only tourists here, everyone comes by to see what we are eating.

Eventually, it is time to move on to the people place, lots more crazy food stalls to tantalise the senses, an MRT station in the middle of the street and now what I have wanted to try forever, Durian. It is a large fruit covered in spikes and has covered fruit that has a repulsive smell, people are banned from taking on public transport. We have to put on plastic gloves so the smell does not sink into our hands. Cameras ready, bite, ok, not dying, hmm, what is it like? Well weird texture, not sure, ok, maybe like a custard apple.

People are pouring into the shop to get their durian, it's a very popular fruit. One family get a whole  Durian and it costs $140. Gerry explains that there are different grades of flavour and intensity, thankfully we had a mild version. Next, we cleanse the palate with mango and then as we did not know what Mangosteen was we get to try it. Gerry expects us to open them ourselves, we have to turn upside down, squeeze and then pop, purple juice and white flesh are revealed. This is delicious and refreshing a perfect Singapore treat.

More exploring, loving these murals, shops, more Asians wanting photos with us and then one more place Gerry is leading us to have a shaved ice. I wonder what that is? We are whisked in by the “aunties” ladies who run the shops to a seat and the grand finale arrives, Chendol Snow Ice covered in Gula Melaka (brown sugar type sauce). Divine!

After hours of conversation on everything from the fake news bill just passed in parliament to how to use chopsticks with communal food, it is finally time to say goodbye to Gerry.

Our next stop is the Buddha Tooth Relic museum, beautiful, traditional looking however this is the first shrine I have ever visited with lifts, air-conditions and two levels of underground parking. I am so hot now I could burst, lets hop in a taxi and move on.

Ta-da, ta-da we are here, Raffles, is nearly finished refurbishment however the Long Bar is open and doing a roaring trade, Singapore Sling anyone? Peanut throwing anyone? Yes, please!