Island Tour!

Sunday, August 23, 2009
Singapore, Singapore
We decided to have a bit of a look around the rest of the island today and caught the MRT train and did a loop to the north of the city and around in a westerly direction back to City Hall. The Mass Rapid Transit is typically Singaporean. That is, totally efficient, spotlessly clean and very well used! The system has 3 main lines running east-west, north-south and north-east, with an city circle line about to open also. There are about 118 kilometres of line existing, with 77 stations, well spaced along each line. The cheapest fare is 90 cents and the dearest $1.90, with trains running every 2-3 minutes 24/7! We rode for about 4 hours and it cost less than $5 each, so it is great value. Food, drink and smoking are banned in all stations and all trains, so the system is clean, tidy and a pleasure to use! There are video cameras everywhere and we have seen no sign of any graffiti - sure makes Perth look like a slum - and you feel safe at all times.
Once out of the city itself the train comes out of the underground and rides on a concrete bridge about 15 metres above the ground (like a monorail) and uses a side of track contact for the power so there are no overhead wires . Plans are well advanced for the addition of another 3 lines and 40+ stations in the next decade as well as the introduction of driverless, automated trains on the Circle Line by 2010!
The trip took us very close to Malaysia and we saw the causeway linking the two countries as well as the more industrial side of the place with timber mills, some steel works and some big pre-cast concreters.
There were also hundreds of the multi storey apartments we saw over at Tampines - with over 4 million people in such a small area, I guess highrise is the only way to house them, but the units look awfully small
We got off at a stop near Jurong East and walked to a beautiful Chinese Garden which full of families enjoying the beautiful buildings, lakes and gardens. There was a fantastic Bonsai Garden set in the middle. By this time it was brewing up for rain again (we had a huge thunderstorm during the night) so we hurried back to the station and traveled on to Harbourfront which is where the cruises leave from and also the Cable Car to Sentosa Island . The MRT station is underneath another monstrous shopping precinct - this one is Vivo City - and the place was packed with people. Most Singaporeans only get one day off a week and Sundays must the big day out because everywhere we went the shops and malls were full - no sign of the recession here!
We saw the Virgo at the dock, ready to take another cruise out into the Straits and there were many other ferries etc. coming and going. We sussed out the Cable Car to Sentosa which we will catch tomorrow and then headed back to City Hall station and then back to the hotel.
Later on we headed up to Orchard Road to pick up some jewelery that Sue ordered - still lots of people about - and then we headed home stopping for dinner on the way!
 

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