23 April 2025
Forts and shopping malls
Fort Canning and Orchard Road
First of all, everything in Singapore takes credit card and it is great. The gates for the subway, the smallest hawker stores in food centres, everything... just like Australia. And on that note, Australians are everywhere, generally hiding from someone in Australia.
Tonight I spotted a hill... not a big hill as there are none, but a hill. So of course I had to walk up it. When I got near the top there were a bunch of barbed wire fences, security cameras and signs warning not to take photos, so I assumed it was an active military base. As it turns out, it was just a covered reservoir, very secure.
The park was nice enough, a lot of people taking wedding photos.
Just over the road, Orchard road starts, the main shopping street of Singapore. I did not realise it was so close to my hotel. I did not get far along before I decided it was dinner time, which was ridiculously cheap.
Yes, we are in Singapore now. Right out the front of my hotel too. Jaywalking is illegal, perhaps someone ignored that?
Here is the tunnel to a staircase that leads to Fort Canning. Those people at the end of the tunnel are waiting their turn to take a photo of someone standing on a stair case with a tree above them. I did not really understand the allure.
The main historic building at Fort Canning. The other side of it is more impressive but the grass area was all closed off for the staging of the Scottish play who's name must never be said.
Now I did not take their photo, but there were a bunch of LARPers playing around in front of this gate doing something Harry Pottery with plastic swords. The victory speech Lord Merciless gave was epic enough for me to hang around until the end listening in just out of site.
The park surrounds are nice and green.
Apparently, an ancient wall... in Singapore?
Here is the National Museum, covered in 3 different kinds of plastic.
Basically everywhere is a shopping mall. At one point I walked into what I assumed was a mall and it was a legal library... with a mall.
I found the drain!
Here is the start of the main bit of Orchard Road, nice sunset.
This is called Cuppage road, and had no customers, and every place had a tout.
Not every shopping mall has shops in it.
I headed to a semi legit food hall... semi legit because it is in a basement rather than above ground, and had air conditioning.
Time for Char Kuay Teow, and it was $6... yes $6. On my way back to my hotel I passed a steak restaurant (think outback steakhouse or hogs breath but it was not called that) and the price for a steak dinner was between $12 and $17 depending on size, I assumed it would start at $50. The flip side of that, in the 7-eleven a pepsi max is $3, which is at least twice the price of Japan.
OK, one more shot of Orchard Road, I almost stayed out until it was properly dark!