Today was not only my last day in Singapore, but the last day of my travels in South East Asia! How quickly time had passed!
This morning, I went to see the National Museum of Singapore. It was fascinating to read about how Singapore has come to its place in the world today. There was an exhibition that charted Singapore through the 50s until the present day, and it explained the changes and development that the country saw. I also learnt about the different heritage backgrounds that make up today's Singaporeans.
After the museum, I met Urvi for lunch. We walked around the Arab district, admiring the mosques and lovely aromas from cafés. We settled at an Egyptian place and enjoyed falafel and Arabic salad. Sophie met us also, it was good to spend some time with them both before I set off.
Later in the afternoon, I walked around the central business district, looking up at the tall buildings in awe. Nearby was the Marina Bay, which was beautiful. I also walked around the Bugis shopping area, enjoying the refreshing rain. There were shops selling absolutely everything here! I was all shopped out though.
I made my way to the airport and reminisced about the last few weeks before boarding my flight home.
Friday, 25 April 2014
Out and about in Singapore - Wednesday 23rd April
I slept well and was ready to see as much as possible today. I only had two whole days in Singapore, so it was essential to fit in as much as I could manage. I started the day by walking around the Orchard shopping area. This is where the big names had pristine shops and boutiques. On the other side were smaller tourist souvenir shops and food outlets. I came across a food court and having heard so much about them, I went in to see what I could find for breakfast. I had a traditional Singaporean breakfast of milky sweet tea, small cheese toasties and runny eggs. It was an interesting experience!
Next, I went to visit the famous Botanical Gardens. They were huge! The atmosphere was ultra calming and it was so peaceful with only natural sounds. I was surrounded by many wonderful plants and trees and I could just feel the greenery doing me some good! I saw healing plants, a ginger garden, an orchid garden, a fragrance garden and more. I really enjoyed the gardens and learning about the different plants.
Later in the afternoon, I went to see the Little India district. It reminded me so much of Wembley! There were Indian food shops, clothes shops, restaurants, beauty parlours and more. It's nice that Singapore has such a wide mix of heritages. There was also a Chinatown and an Arab district, which I would go and see tomorrow.
Later in the day, I went to visit my aunt's sister, who had lived in Singapore for many years. It was great to visit them, having not seen them for some years. After that, I met Sophie and Mehul and Urvi for dinner. We went to an organic vegetarian restaurant. How wonderful to be able to choose absolutely anything I wanted from the menu! Suffice to say, it took us rather a long time to decide on our order! We enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation. After dinner, they took me to a bar by the river. This place had beautiful views of the impressive buildings and of the river. The more I see, the more I love Singapore!
Next, I went to visit the famous Botanical Gardens. They were huge! The atmosphere was ultra calming and it was so peaceful with only natural sounds. I was surrounded by many wonderful plants and trees and I could just feel the greenery doing me some good! I saw healing plants, a ginger garden, an orchid garden, a fragrance garden and more. I really enjoyed the gardens and learning about the different plants.
Later in the afternoon, I went to see the Little India district. It reminded me so much of Wembley! There were Indian food shops, clothes shops, restaurants, beauty parlours and more. It's nice that Singapore has such a wide mix of heritages. There was also a Chinatown and an Arab district, which I would go and see tomorrow.
Later in the day, I went to visit my aunt's sister, who had lived in Singapore for many years. It was great to visit them, having not seen them for some years. After that, I met Sophie and Mehul and Urvi for dinner. We went to an organic vegetarian restaurant. How wonderful to be able to choose absolutely anything I wanted from the menu! Suffice to say, it took us rather a long time to decide on our order! We enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation. After dinner, they took me to a bar by the river. This place had beautiful views of the impressive buildings and of the river. The more I see, the more I love Singapore!
Absorbing last day in Nha Trang - Monday 21st April and Tuesday 22 April
Shirley was leaving for Da Lat this morning, so it was goodbye to the last member of my G Adventures family. For the rest of the day, I wanted to soak up as much of the relaxed atmosphere in Nha Trang as possible, as it was my last day in Vietnam.
I enjoyed a stroll around the little town and people watching in a cafe. A last bit of sea breeze and pampering and it was evening before I knew it! I had a night sleeper train to take me back to Ho Chi Minh City, ready to fly to Singapore.
The sleeper train was fine and I shared my cabin with a sweet little toddler and her mother. I managed to get some sleep so that was helpful as I would now be spending a lot of time waiting at the airport! The train got into Ho Chi Minh City at around 4am, but my flight to Singapore wasn't until 1.30pm so I had a long time to kill. Chatting to family and friends back home and reading a good book thankfully got me through the 9 hours of waiting rather easily .
I was all checked in and ready to explore the final country of my trip. Singapore impressed me right from the start. Sweets at the immigration counters with sweet wrapper pots also, what tidiness! The airport was pristine and it was lovely to be greeted by Sophie.
There were beautiful buildings all around, as well as greenery. Sophie settled me into her place and I rested for a couple of hours before we went out for dinner. We met up with my family friends, Mehul and Urvi at a famous dumpling chain. It was great to all catch up together. We all share the love of scuba diving so exchanged stories of our scuba dives and talked a lot of travel in general.
I enjoyed a stroll around the little town and people watching in a cafe. A last bit of sea breeze and pampering and it was evening before I knew it! I had a night sleeper train to take me back to Ho Chi Minh City, ready to fly to Singapore.
The sleeper train was fine and I shared my cabin with a sweet little toddler and her mother. I managed to get some sleep so that was helpful as I would now be spending a lot of time waiting at the airport! The train got into Ho Chi Minh City at around 4am, but my flight to Singapore wasn't until 1.30pm so I had a long time to kill. Chatting to family and friends back home and reading a good book thankfully got me through the 9 hours of waiting rather easily .
I was all checked in and ready to explore the final country of my trip. Singapore impressed me right from the start. Sweets at the immigration counters with sweet wrapper pots also, what tidiness! The airport was pristine and it was lovely to be greeted by Sophie.
There were beautiful buildings all around, as well as greenery. Sophie settled me into her place and I rested for a couple of hours before we went out for dinner. We met up with my family friends, Mehul and Urvi at a famous dumpling chain. It was great to all catch up together. We all share the love of scuba diving so exchanged stories of our scuba dives and talked a lot of travel in general.
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Scuba diving in Nha Trang - Sunday 20th April
Dive day was here! I was very excited and went to the dive centre to meet the other divers and set off for the sea. There were quite a few of us and we all had experience in diving at different places. We were taken to the sea and then got onto our boats. The views were stunning and the breeze was wonderful. While on the boat, we were told our dive teams and met with our dive masters. I was diving with a Chinese couple and a German guy. Our dive master had done over a thousand dives! He briefed us on the dive site and we got equipped and changed into our wetsuits.
We jumped off the boats and descended below the sea. It was very cold to begin with but then we had warm water. The water was very different to any I had dived in before - turning from hot to cold very quicly. We saw a very cool jellyfish and made sure to stay at distance length from it. We also saw many snake fish and different types of shell fish. However, the best part of the first dive was swimming through a very narrow cave. There were fish everywhere that we swam through and it was increduble to see deep into sea cave! What an adrenaline rush! After the first dive, we rehydrated and fuelled up while excitedly comparing notes on what we saw. There was some fruit and cakes laid out for us and it was good to get some rest before the next dive.
For the second dive, the boat took us further to sea and again, our divemasters briefed us on the dive site. BCGs, flippers and masks on, we jumped off boat and descended once again. I thought that there were extremes in temperature of sea on the last dive, but these currents were even more hot and cold! We saw some beautiful bright coloured fish and more unusual snake and shell fish. The visibility was not as clear as the first dive but it was good neevrtheless. We were all flowing through the water with more ease, having warmed up a bit from the first dive. Before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed and it was the end of the dive. Again, we excitedly swapped notes and then relaxed on the sun deck at the top of the boat whilst exchanging travel stories.
I'd had a fabulous day so far with my two dives and now it was time to rest off. Diving was exhausting and I wanted to have enough energy for the evening. Shirely and I went for our last meal together and then walked around. We found a cute little night market and although I was all shopped out, I still managed to buy something for my dear mother! Just behind the market, we came across some traditional dancing and role play that was being performed. Perhaps it was for Easter Sunday? There were many children sat there watching and we stood and admired the traditional costumes. What a wonderful day.
We jumped off the boats and descended below the sea. It was very cold to begin with but then we had warm water. The water was very different to any I had dived in before - turning from hot to cold very quicly. We saw a very cool jellyfish and made sure to stay at distance length from it. We also saw many snake fish and different types of shell fish. However, the best part of the first dive was swimming through a very narrow cave. There were fish everywhere that we swam through and it was increduble to see deep into sea cave! What an adrenaline rush! After the first dive, we rehydrated and fuelled up while excitedly comparing notes on what we saw. There was some fruit and cakes laid out for us and it was good to get some rest before the next dive.
For the second dive, the boat took us further to sea and again, our divemasters briefed us on the dive site. BCGs, flippers and masks on, we jumped off boat and descended once again. I thought that there were extremes in temperature of sea on the last dive, but these currents were even more hot and cold! We saw some beautiful bright coloured fish and more unusual snake and shell fish. The visibility was not as clear as the first dive but it was good neevrtheless. We were all flowing through the water with more ease, having warmed up a bit from the first dive. Before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed and it was the end of the dive. Again, we excitedly swapped notes and then relaxed on the sun deck at the top of the boat whilst exchanging travel stories.
I'd had a fabulous day so far with my two dives and now it was time to rest off. Diving was exhausting and I wanted to have enough energy for the evening. Shirely and I went for our last meal together and then walked around. We found a cute little night market and although I was all shopped out, I still managed to buy something for my dear mother! Just behind the market, we came across some traditional dancing and role play that was being performed. Perhaps it was for Easter Sunday? There were many children sat there watching and we stood and admired the traditional costumes. What a wonderful day.
Nha Trang - what a beautiful place! Saturday 19th April
We had reached Nha Trang very early in the morning at 5am. The hotel let us leave our bags safe until we could check into our rooms later at 8am. When the sun rose, Shirley and I headed to the beach. We walked along the shore and we saw so many local families swimming in the sea and playing with their children. It was 6am! It would seem that the Vietnamese prefer to head to the beach early morning when the sun rays are not so strong. They do not like to tan either so are well covered when the sun is out. We then got a couple of sun loungers and napped in the shade until we could go back to the hotel.
After checking in and refreshing ourselves, we set off in search for some breakfast and wander around the lovely little town. When we went back to the beach around noon, all the locals had gone and the beach was full of tourists. Many Russians come to Nha Trang for their holidays as Russia has a special relationship with Vietnam since the war. Russians need not buy any visa and are able to fly direct from Moscow to Nha Trang, meaning they can avoid their harsh Russian winters. There were many restaurants and shops catering just for Russians and most even had separate Russian menus.
Late afternoon, I went to find my dive centre. It was good to meet with the dive masters ahead of tomorrow morning's dives. I was very much looking forward to getting back into the sea with full dive gear! After a brief run alongside the beach, Shirley and I enjoyed a lovely meal together and a walk around before an early night ready for early start again.
After checking in and refreshing ourselves, we set off in search for some breakfast and wander around the lovely little town. When we went back to the beach around noon, all the locals had gone and the beach was full of tourists. Many Russians come to Nha Trang for their holidays as Russia has a special relationship with Vietnam since the war. Russians need not buy any visa and are able to fly direct from Moscow to Nha Trang, meaning they can avoid their harsh Russian winters. There were many restaurants and shops catering just for Russians and most even had separate Russian menus.
Late afternoon, I went to find my dive centre. It was good to meet with the dive masters ahead of tomorrow morning's dives. I was very much looking forward to getting back into the sea with full dive gear! After a brief run alongside the beach, Shirley and I enjoyed a lovely meal together and a walk around before an early night ready for early start again.
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Exploring Ho Chi Minh City and final goodbye to the tour family
Friday 18th April
I felt much better today after a good rest and my appetite back. Officially, the tour had ended for me, so I had a free day to do whatever I wanted before leaving Ho Chi Min City this evening. I wanted to catch up and see what I had missed due to sickness yesterday so I gave myself a rough plan for the day.
For the morning, I walked around the river side and to the Opera building and admired the beautiful designer brand boutique area. It was pristine clean with wide roads and well dressed people walking around. I really stuck out like a sore thumb with my bum bag and camera around my neck, not to mention traveller clothes! It was nice stroll and I went back to stay in hotel for hottest part of the day.
Later that afternoon, I went to see the cathedral and sat inside. It was beautiful and I felt lucky to be able to appreciate it on Good Friday. Although I'm not a Catholic, I feel like I can go inside most places of worship for a few quiet moments. Next I passed the square and went into the Independence Palace. It was huge! The rooms were impressively decorated and well kept. For the last part of the afternoon, I went to the War Remnants Museum. I learnt many facts about the Vietnam war and also saw some disturbing pictures. It was full of information and I was impressed.
Shirley and I were getting a night train to Nha Trang this evening. I had to pack my things and say goodbye to all the friends I'd made on the tour. We'd been a family for three weeks, exploring everything together and country hopping on buses, trains, boats and planes! How would I cope without them! It was emotional goodbyes to both Shirley and I.
Once at the station, Shirley and I had something to eat and boarded our sleeper trains. They were two bunk beds per cabin, like the last one we took earlier on the trip. We had a good journey with a lovely young Vietnamese woman in our cabin.
I felt much better today after a good rest and my appetite back. Officially, the tour had ended for me, so I had a free day to do whatever I wanted before leaving Ho Chi Min City this evening. I wanted to catch up and see what I had missed due to sickness yesterday so I gave myself a rough plan for the day.
For the morning, I walked around the river side and to the Opera building and admired the beautiful designer brand boutique area. It was pristine clean with wide roads and well dressed people walking around. I really stuck out like a sore thumb with my bum bag and camera around my neck, not to mention traveller clothes! It was nice stroll and I went back to stay in hotel for hottest part of the day.
Later that afternoon, I went to see the cathedral and sat inside. It was beautiful and I felt lucky to be able to appreciate it on Good Friday. Although I'm not a Catholic, I feel like I can go inside most places of worship for a few quiet moments. Next I passed the square and went into the Independence Palace. It was huge! The rooms were impressively decorated and well kept. For the last part of the afternoon, I went to the War Remnants Museum. I learnt many facts about the Vietnam war and also saw some disturbing pictures. It was full of information and I was impressed.
Shirley and I were getting a night train to Nha Trang this evening. I had to pack my things and say goodbye to all the friends I'd made on the tour. We'd been a family for three weeks, exploring everything together and country hopping on buses, trains, boats and planes! How would I cope without them! It was emotional goodbyes to both Shirley and I.
Once at the station, Shirley and I had something to eat and boarded our sleeper trains. They were two bunk beds per cabin, like the last one we took earlier on the trip. We had a good journey with a lovely young Vietnamese woman in our cabin.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Cu Chi Tunnels - Thursday 17th April
After a good night's sleep, this morning we set off to see the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. It was an hour or so drive away, so we gazed out of the bus window observing different things along the way.
The tunnels were so interesting! There were all sorts of different kinds of traps that the Vietnamese had set up during the war. The tunnels themselves were also very smartly covered up with camouflage.
After the tunnels, the others went for lunch and then a walking tour. I was unwell, so had to give that a miss and stayed in the hotel for the rest of the day.
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