Sunshine in Sentosa

Travelling to Sentosa on the cable car

Conquered our first run,
waiting to go up the chairlift
for another go

Ready to go

Wait for me Beck!

Silso Beach from the fort view 

Looking out to the Singapore Strait

My choice, frozen mango yoghurt,
dipped in dark chocolate and smothered in hazelnuts 

Eating mangos and mangosteen
over the bathroom sink, YUM

Ahhh, we can breathe now....

Beck is in charge of dinner tonight,
a selection of different foods from different stalls,
my favourite is the shaved noodles

Another glorious day in paradise, its 8:30am in the morning and the sun is burning on the way to get Beck’s morning kopi (coffee). Today we are venturing further afield to the adventure island, Sentosa.

Sentosa is the playground of Singapore and fun for kids of all ages, our chosen death-defying activity is the luge. Helmets donned we set off down the first timers lane for our briefing. Forward to stop, back to go FAST, I think I can do that. Let’s go. Brmmm, brrm, picking up speed, sign to the jungle track veer right, its a corner, lean, ok, overtaking a slow-moving Indian lady, now going by a 10-year-old kid, Beck yells go faster, faster, whoosh we made it, that was fun.

Now up in the chairlift in the burning hot sun to have another go, and then another. On the final lap we ask the guy which track is the hardest and he tells us to head for the expedition, we wait for a big gap and we are off, singing ‘everything is awesome, when you are part of a team’, faster and faster we go, the signs say slow down but Beck just keeps yelling go faster and we pick up quite a bit of speed, alas the track ends and we need to put on the brakes and return our helmets. That was fun!

Now onto the beach and then some exploring amongst the palm trees, find a fancy hotel to rest in with some aircon, ice-creams, beers in the street (again), amazing views from Fort Silso and crossing a bridge to a little island to see up close the hundreds of container ships in the Singapore Strait.

The container ships have fascinated us since flying in and seeing them dotted all over the ocean, more than 2000 ships go through the strait each day. The strait is 105 km long and one-quarter of the world's traded goods from oil to Pokemon toys travel through. Some ships will shelter in the straight before they arrive at their destination as ports around Asia are at capacity. Interesting article, What a Singapore Strait traffic jam says about the world economy.

That's enough heat for one day, back to base we go and into the pool. To annoy the other guests with a bomb whilst goproing. That brought the body temperature back to normal.

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!

Everything is Awesome

It's going to rain, plus twister near the building

Start of Scooter tour, before the
 horrendous storm

End of Scooter tour at F1 pit stop

Flower Dome

Cloud Forest

Taking time to smell the orchids, divine!

Great views every way we look

Cloud Forest

Supertrees

Top of Marina Bay Sands
with cocktails to watch the sunset

What a day, so much ground covered, I don't know where to start this story so let's start with a summary. To quote Beck's facebook post (written as she was falling asleep in the bath)

A feast for the senses today. Over 13hrs of almost non-stop moving. Seeing a twister, massive electrical storm, bucketing rain whilst zooming around on an electric scooter, local secrets, Gardens by the Bay, supertrees, marina bay sands, cocktails, amazing food, light shows and 500+ photos not to mention Catherine’s video footage and more. Am shattered so a small selection of pics - more to come when I can keep my eyes open.

The highlights for me:

• twister over the bay
• scootering in a massive storm and loving it
• all the extra places Richard our scooter guide took us to because he could and we were up for it, including Marina Barrage and the F1 racetrack pit stop
• finally getting to Gardens by the Bay after all those years of seeing photos
• having a travel buddy that likes photos as much as I do and says yes to anything
• letting our nose and Beck's senses guide us to the top of Marina Bay Sands for cocktails (mine was a Double Happiness) and dinner as the sun set
• checking out the beautiful and not so beautiful people in the infinity pool
• hanging out with a couple of Japanese girls to trade stories of travel in very broken English
• singing 'Everything is Awesome' (think Lego movie) all day and enjoying it!

I may or may not come back and add in the full day. Let's see what happens.

From 5 to 35

A chilly 5 degrees in Campbelltown

Bec's Birthday Surprise

After many work trips together our first holiday!

She has no idea what she is in for

One of the birthday puzzles, match the
hawker centre food picture with name

Amazing flying over Central Australia
and then the clouds over the ocean

The Jewel at Changi airport that just opened,
the biggest indoor waterfall in the world

Using the Hilton Honours app to enter room

First glimpse of city lights

Its 35 degrees now, Marina Bay Sands
looks like a spaceship from the future

It’s a balmy 5 degrees and time to get on the train that takes me to the plane. I am heading north but first a stopover in Brisbane to pick up my travelling buddy, Beck. It's her birthday and we may have a surprise or two in store for her. 

We are off into the big blue sky and first need to cross Australia, through outback Queensland we go, then across the centre, everything is red, with salt pans and strange rivers its all quite magical. 

But I can't keep looking out the window as there are ‘presents’ to unwrap. What do you give a girl that has everything and you need to keep her occupied for 8 hours? Well, weeks in the planning with help from the rest of the Step Two crew Beck has to roll a dice and unwrap each present challenge:

• Share a story from her 21st birthday
• Watch the movie Crazy Rich Asians (set in Singapore, we actually did not get time to watch it)
• Learn three words in Shinglish
• Match the hawker centre meal with the name

….and on it goes…..

The plane trip has many firsts for Beck including, birthday flight, holiday totally planned by someone else (she could live to regret that), overpacked and more.

By now the Qantas staff are clued into the birthday celebrations and we get lots of attention and gifts including bottles of wine, pj’s, amenities packs. That was a very quick 8 hours and before we know it we land. 

My big first for today is this is the closest I have ever been to the equator. The funny thing is only 10 months ago I was the furthest I have ever been from the equator, at the top of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. And the temperature was the same that day - 35 degrees!

We check in, dump bags and head out to explore, lots of happy relaxed people, shops, shops, shops, magical lights around the bay, boy racers in fancy cars, can't wait to explore more.

Finally, we get back to our blissfully air-conditioned room and find a cake with Happy Birthday, the day that just keeps giving.

Scotland: the wrap-up

We spent 17 days exploring this proud country. From the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to the Highlands and islands. Always green and sunny, a wee adventure full of history, nature and cakes.

Photobook 1: London, Edinburgh, Glasgow

View photobook online

Photobook 2: Road trip - Falkirk, Stirling, Perth, Balmoral, Inverness, Skye, Fort William

View photobook online

And for lovers of seabirds, this video shares highlights from a day trip to the Isle of May and Bass Rock. Puffins galore....!!!! 

Books set in Scotland

Checking out Harry Potter
 written in Scots (an indigenous language)

Writers, poets and literary references are everywhere you turn in Scotland. Even the main train station in the capital, Edinburgh is called Waverly and named after the title of the book by Sir Walter Scott.

I could happily spend the rest of my life reading books set in Scotland. The people are unique, the history long and bloody and the landscape dramatic. All great inspiration for writers.

Sea Room by Adam Nicholson

5 out of 5

Touted as ‘one man, three islands and half a million puffins’ and it delivers. The author, Nicholson inherited a small group of islands called the Shiants off the coast of Lewis on his 21st birthday. Sea Room shares his love for this wild part of Scotland, from the boat trips across the dangerous seas to the island, the natural rhythms of geese leaving as the season's turn and the golden torc discovered by locals and now proudly on display in Edinburgh. The book is full of well told and researched stories. What I liked best was his deep love and understanding of the people and wildlife, especially sea birds that have made this remote place their home for centuries.

When I read this book I had no idea where the Hebrides were let alone, these three tiny islands. But a seed was planted, inspiration grew and this book led me to visit Scotland.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

5 out of 5

This story starts in 1946, Clair, a nurse has made it through the horrors of WW2 and is now in Inverness on holiday with her husband. On a visit to a hilltop with sacred stones, she is accidentally transported in time to 1743, a time of turbulence between Highlanders and the English. Clair uses her wits and skills to survive and thrive, soon meeting Jamie the true love of her life. The adventures for Clair and Jamie continue with a good dose of history, sex and exploring how people rise to the challenge in trying times. What a tale, from the first moment of meeting Clair to the final page I was entranced.

Outlander is the first book in a series of 8 books. Book 2, Dragonfly in Amber and book 3, Voyager are also set in Scotland (and Paris) then the action moves onto America. Now also a popular TV series. This enduring love story has contributed to a significant increase in tourism in Scotland. 

The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee

5 out of 5

A short book first published in 1970. McPhee's ancestors are Scottish, specifically from the island of Colonsay. John uproots from America with wife and four daughters in tow to live and experience traditional life on this island. This is not your typical travelogue with witty anecdotes. McPhee gets under the skin of the locals, their traditions and way of thinking.

What McPhee delivers is an intimate understanding of different points of view on Scottish life, from crofters to the new laird and everything in between including incomers. I especially liked the way he explained everything for someone clueless about Scottish history and culture but not in a dumbed down way, McPhee has the knack of giving the right context and just enough detail. Superb.

Macbeth by Gareth Hinds

5 out of 5

Death, mayhem, power struggles, witches, murder. This classic tale by Shakespeare is brought to life and made accessible to all in this graphic novel. Hinds artfully captures all the action and uses selected text from the play to take us on a quick and enjoyable journey through a 16th-century version of Scottish life in the 10th century.

I am a big fan of Gareth Hinds graphic novels, he make old tales accessible to a modern reader. I particularly liked the section at the end where Hinds explains his thought process for drawing the characters and scenes in a particular style.

A Dark And Distant Shore by Reay Tannahill

4 out of 5

A sweeping historical tale that covers many aspects of the Scottish way of life through the eyes of the central character, Villa. At a young age, her ancestral home, a castle in the Highlands is sold. This sets in motion an obsession through the generations. I particularly enjoyed the highlands landscape and building of the canals.

The second half was not as strong as it felt more like a disjointed effort to cover off major episodes in history like Crimeria war, the British occupation of India and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Later I learned that the author, Tannahill was a historian. Overall I enjoyed the immersion in Scottish history and way of life.

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

4 out of 5

The novel is set in 1751 a time of upheaval between Scotland and England with armies of both persuasions swarming the hillsides. Our narrator David’s parents die and he heads north to Scotland to family, this does not work out and 18-year old David has to fend for himself in all kinds of situations and survive.

On one level a boys adventure story with shipwrecks, evil uncles and getting led astray by his ‘friend’ Alan Breck. On another level, an insiders look at the complexities of Scottish thinking and behaviour. 

Robert Louis Stevenson also loomed large in our Scottish adventure in 2018, with tales everywhere we visited. The one I liked best was that Fidra island off the coast of North Berwick was the inspiration for one of his famous novels, Treasure Island. 

Bothy Tales by John D Burns

5 out of 5

A walking journey through bogs, rain and the untold beauty of the Highlands. A delightful read with short witty chapters describing Burns efforts to get to bothies, small huts used for overnight stays.

I especially liked the descriptions of the people he met and the honesty in his heart. Each chapter took me back to my Scotland memories and made me want to jump on a plane and walk to a few bothies myself.

Burns also has an entertaining blog, sharing insights on walks and wildlife.

Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of ’45 by Maggie Craig

5 out of 5

The ultimate read to understand the real people involved in the uprising of 1745. Craig shares personal stories of men at all levels involved in the conflict, professional soldiers, scholars or straightforward workers. Using real sources in each chapter Maggie builds a picture of what their lives were like before, after and during the conflict. After reading lots about the Jacobites and their cause and getting all mixed up Craig put me straight. The best summary of these turbulent times I have ever read is delivered in the first few pages of the book.

The author wrote an earlier book, focussing on the women of ’45 that I must now read, Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45. 

Waverly by Sir Walter Scott

0 out of 5

A young English soldier is sent north to Scotland, during the '45 Jacobite rising. He stays at a family estate and gets embroiled in both sides, the daughters, his family and then I stopped reading. It wasn't for me, I loved Scott’s way of talking directly to the reader as he decided which way to progress the story. However, after many attempts, I could not get past the first few chapters and gave in.

Such a pity as Sir Walter Scott loomed large in statues and myth and this was the number one book I wanted to read after visiting Scotland. Stephen Pallas explains much more in his article,  A Modern Reader’s Guide to Walter Scott’s ‘Waverley’

Made in Scotland by Billy Connelly

4 out of 5

Billy is comedian and musician that grew up in Glasgow and then took on the world. An entertaining autobiography that shows his progression as a person and entertainer in a matter of fact way. From sharing a story as a child, "I remember having a snake belt that was tartan elastic. That was a bit special." to his determination to develop his own style of the stage. Whilst he does not shy away from his childhood traumas, he does not drag you through miserable detail which I was thankful for. (Refer to his wife, Pamela Stephenson's biography, Billy for the gritty details). All in all an honest story of a man that calls himself 'a work in progress'.
Billy's biography also gave me a much wider appreciation for Glaswegians and their spirit. After visiting in 2018 I witnessed the glory of the tobacco lord days, the pride of being a shipbuilding centre and the inevitable downfall through to the current regentrification but I could not understand the place. This filled in a little bit of the puzzle in my mind about Glasgow.

The Highlands Bookshop, Fort William

A final mention to The Story of Scotland by Richard Brassy and Stewart Ross an illustrated children's book that filled me in on the essentials of Scottish history. Very useful for a tourist trying to figure out which James did what.

My favourite bookshop, without a doubt, was The Highlands Bookshop in Fort William. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great selection of Scottish books right up front for the tourists and tartan carpet. What more could a book obsessed lass ask for?