In the morning I went to the Indian High Commission, we are trying to add on a few days in India.
The location of the Indian High Commission in Singapore is:
High Commission Of India
31 Grange Road
T: +65 6238 2537
Singapore
You get a ticket from the machine on the way in
Luckily the wait was not that bad, as a lot of people had taken tickets but could not be bothered waiting.
Once your number shows up on the terminal, it will also tell you which interview room you are in. I walked in, said hello and asked if we could get a visa. As we do not work and reside in Singapore there is no way we can get an Indian visa here….we will have to try getting the visa from another country…….
From previous experience, we have found the best way to see a city is by walking.
So, after breakfast we visited the park
Afterwards we walked through the CBD (central business district)
The poles sticking out, are clothes pole – space is a premium!
Ship on the skyscrapers??!!
The city-state of Singapore has over 4,300 completed high-rises, the majority of which are located in the Downtown Core. In the city, there are 59 skyscrapers that rise higher than 140 metres (459 ft). Three buildings share the title of tallest building in Singapore: United Overseas Bank Plaza One, Republic Plaza and Overseas Union Bank Centre. The three towers, which share the title of 106th-tallest building in the world, are each 280 m (919 ft) tall. There is a height restriction of 280 metres (919 ft) for structures in the central business district (only Raffles Place, Marina Bay Sands, Kallang River, Kallang and Mountbatten) of Singapore because of the proximity of Paya Lebar Airbase.
Singapore’s history of skyscrapers began with the 1939 completion of the 17-storey Cathay Building. The 70-metre (230 ft) structure was, at the time of its completion, the tallest building in Southeast Asia; it was superseded by the 87-metre (285 ft) Asia Insurance Building in 1954, which remained the tallest in Singapore until the 100 m (328 ft) Shaw Centre was completed in 1958. Singapore went through a major building boom in the 1970s and 1980s that resulted from the city’s rapid industrialisation. During this time, the Overseas Union Bank Centre became the tallest building in the city-state; the 280 m (919 ft) structure was also the tallest building in the world outside of North America from its 1986 completion until 1989, when the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong was completed. The skyscraper-building boom continued during the 1990s and 2000s, with 30 skyscrapers at least 140 m (459 ft) tall, many of them residential towers, constructed from 1990 through 2008.
Since 2000, there has been a sharp increase in the number of skyscrapers under construction in the city area, particularly in the Marina Bay district. One project under construction in Marina Centre is the Marina Bay Financial Centre, which includes 3 office towers offering 3 million sq ft of prime Grade A office space, 2 residential developments offering 649 luxurious apartments and a 176,000 sq ft retail mall, named Marina Bay Link Mall. First phase of MBFC was completed in 2010. The second phase which includes MBFC Tower 3 will be ready by 1Q 2012. Marina Bay Suites which is part of Phase 2 will attain TOP in 2013. There are also several new developments in the city’s shopping hub, Orchard Road. The Orchard Residences is an under construction 245 m (804 ft), 43-floor tower being built in conjunction with ION Orchard, a planned shopping mall. In addition, the 218 m (715 ft) Ocean Financial Centre, a planned 43-floor skyscraper, has begun construction in Raffles Place.
We had lunch at
VeganBurg
50 Market Street
Golden Shoe Carpark
#01-28 D
Singapore 048940
T: 6844 6868
W: www.veganburg.com
As the name suggests everything is vegan, people with the coeliac condition please be very careful as some patties DO contain gluten but the owners are not sure. I cannot recommend this place as we both felt a bit worse after eating! The patties seemed to be processed.
We carried on walking through the CBD.
26 degrees C (cooler today) 60% humidity. Still cannot get over it is nearly Christmas!
The rains cool the weather by a couple of degrees
In the evening we went to Katong Gurdwara:
Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sang Sabha Katong Gurdwara
17 Wilkinson Road
Singapore 436673
T: +65 6348 5125
W: www.katonggurdwara.com/
The sangat here are all either working in good professions or have their own successful businesses. Also they are very much into the Sikh way of life which is great to see. I had to go home as the lunch had taken it’s toll on me. Sangeet stayed on at the Gurdwara. Singapore is a very safe country, a lady traveling alone whatever time of day or night is very safe.
As I was feeling slightly better I went back to the Gurdwara. There I met Harminderpal Singh and Estha. Harminderpal invited us to Vietnam for the weekend. If we can get visas we will be going!
I would like to thank Maggie for working hard at securing our accommodation for last Saturday night. It really does pay to have an American Express platinum charge card…..just waiting for my Amex Centurion!!!!
For Amex Charge card users, Maggie’s contact details are as follows:
Lisa Malan (Maggie )
Centurion Travel Senior Executive and Concierge Executive
MTS Centurion Travel
American Express Co. | 1st Floor, 154 Edward Street, Brighton, BN88 1AH
+44 (0)808 100 50 50 | international: 44-1273-525077
After a very lazy morning we checked out of the hotel. The rate for tonight would have been SGD$400!
Sangeet looked up the programmes at the Gurdwara, there was a Sukhmani Sahib Paath starting at 2pm. Sukhmani Sahib is the name given to the set of hymns divided into 24 sections which appear in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scriptures on ang 262. Each section, which is called an Ashtpadi(asht means 8), consists of 8 hymns per Ashtpadi. The word Sukhmani literally means Peace in your mind. This set of Hymns or Bani is very popular among the Sikhs, who frequently recite it in their places of worship called Gurdwaras and at home. The full recital takes about 90 minutes and is normally undertaken by everyone in the congregation.
Central Sikh Temple
2 Towner Road
Singapore 327804.
T+ 65 6299 3855
F + 65 6296 1921
Email: [email protected]
In 1912, with the assistance of a Sindhi merchant named Wassiamull, a group of Sikhs bought a bungalow with a large compound at 175 Queen Street and turned it into a gurdwara. The gurdwara became known as the Central Sikh Temple when other temples were established. It was also known as the Wadda Gurdwara (‘The Big Temple’).
The temple was reconstructed in 1921. The congregation hall was on the first floor and the kitchen and other facilities on the ground floor. It is the custom for Sikh temples to provide food and lodging to travellers.
In 1937, the government decided to set up a corporate board of trustees for the temple. In 1940, the Queen Street Gurdwara Ordinance was enacted. It provided for a board of trustees named the Queen Street Gurdwara Board of Trustees (Incorporated) made up of equal numbers of nominees from the Majha, Malwa and Doabha factions of the congregation.
In 1925, rivalry for leadership amongst the factions led them to form their own gurdwaras. Today, these gurdwaras are registered as societies and only two Sikh temples are recognised as public temples. The Central Sikh Temple remains the main temple for all Sikhs. The Silat Road temple which is also managed by the Central Sikh Temple is the other recognised public temple.
In 1959, plans for a new temple and the move away from Queen Street to a new site in Newton were formed. There were factions in the congregation that preferred to remain in Queen Street. An adjoining plot of land with nine houses on it was purchased for $100,000. The plans for the new temple here were approved by the Government in 1963. However, it was never built due to internal disagreement.
In 1976, the land adjoining the temple site was acquired by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. A year later, the land on which the temple stood was acquired. In December 1979, the temple was vacated and was temporarily housed in the former Bukit Ho Swee Community Centre at Seng Poh Road.
Plans for a new temple in Towner Road were conceived in 1983. Its construction began in 1984 and was completed in April 1986. The Central Sikh Temple at Towner Road was officially opened in November that year.
We decided to take the taxi, which are fairly cheap in Singapore, plus we were having a lazy day!
The Gurdwara is very beautiful and the Paath was recited with love.
Afterwards we took the MRT back from Boon Keng MRT to Orchard.
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system forming the major component of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh, opened in 1987, making it the second-oldest metro system in Southeast Asia, after Manila’s LRT System. The network has since grown rapidly in accordance with Singapore’s aim of developing a comprehensive rail network as the backbone of the public transport system in Singapore, with an average daily ridership of 2.406 million in 2011, approximately 71% of the bus network’s 3.385 million in the same period.
The MRT network has 102 stations with 148.9 km (92.52 mi) of lines in operation, on standard gauge. The lines are built by the Land Transport Authority, a statutory board of the Government of Singapore, which allocates operating concessions to the profit-based corporations, SMRT Corporation and SBS Transit. These operators also run bus and taxi services, thus facilitating full integration of public transport services. The MRT is complemented by a small number of regional Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems in Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Punggol that link MRT stations with HDB public housing estates. Services operate from about 5:30 am and usually end before 1 a.m. daily with intervals of approximately three to eight minutes, and services extended during festive periods such as Chinese New Year.
Fantastic street decorations
Everybody in the MRT was glued to their phones. I would have been but could not log onto the free wifi!
The MRT journey costs SGD$2.40, you get a plastic ticket:
Once you start your journey you swipe the plastic ticket against the entry onto platform machine and it deducts SGD$1.40. Once you have completed your journey you deposit the ticket and it gives you a SGD$1.00 refund. Such a fantastic idea.
Orchard Road is lit up elaborately nearer the end of every year for the Christmas festive season.
Orchard Road is a 2.2 kilometre-long street that is the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore. It is a major tourist attraction, in addition to being the most popular shopping enclave in the city-state. Often, the surrounding area is known simply as Orchard, partly because the MRT station that serves the vicinity is named Orchard.
The Orchard Planning Area is one of 55 urban planning areas as specified by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and is a commercial district. It is part of the Central Region, and Singapore’s central business district, the Central Area.
Orchard Road underwent a $40 million revamp in 2009, with the addition of new street lamps, planter boxes, urban green rooms, street tiling and flower totem poles, which have since been removed.
Orchard Road has the well known designer brands also the high street shops, it is even got a Marks & Spencer! Singapore is just a fabulous place I could easily live here, after America!!
We walked around the Mall, popped into a few shops and tried to find the exit…..once the malls have you inside it is hard getting out. It is a labyrinth which you just have to negotiate!
After successfully getting outside and back onto Orchard Road we immediately felt the heat, 32 degrees C and a humidity of 60%!
We walked back to the hotel to collect our backpacks and go to the YHA I had booked earlier in the day.
On the way we saw people sat on the street having food.
Some had banquets, I was tempted to join in!
On the way to the hostel, which was again by taxi, Sangeet noticed a Gurdwara two houses away! What a fantastic blessing, to be so close to the Gurdwara.
Once we checked in and dropped off the bags, we walked over to the Gurdwara.
Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha
90/92 Wilkie Road,
Singapore (228086)
T: +65 6337 6301
F +65 6337 5160
E: [email protected]
Gurdwara Sahib Sri Guru Singh Sabha is one of the oldest Sikh institutions in Singapore established by the early immigrant Sikh community in 1918.
The first building was located close to the old Central Sikh Temple at Queens Street. The congregation used rented premises until the property at 90 Wilkie Road was acquired in 1932. Extensive structural changes were made to prepare the congregational hall on the first floor. In 1968 an adjoining plot of land was purchased for the construction of an entirely new premises. Construction on this new building began in 1978 and was completed in 1980. The new gurdwara was declared officially opened in 1984. The old premises was converted into a ‘jangh ghar’ where receptions for wedding events were held for a short period. This use for the old building was discontinued and has since been converted to a Gurmat Parchar Centre for use by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Youth Wing for Sikhi parchar and as accomodations for residential camps (samelans) during schools holidays.
Guess who’s coming to town:
Afterwards we decided to have a wander to Little India, which is about twenty minutes walk. In Singapore it has been very very clean, peaceful, quiet, superb. As soon as you ‘enter’ Little India you see a warning sign “dengue fever alert”. The area is exactly like India. Cars beeping, massive crowds, very dirty streets….I am not surprised there is a dengue fever alert. This was a total assault on my senses. I hated the place. Sangeet wants to add on India to this trip, I am not sure I could handle it! On entering Little India I saw a line of mice moving out, even they were looking for a better area to live!!!
I would like to thank Puaji, Paji and Phenji for the fantastic hospitality and accommodation they gave us. It was great to play hockey on the full size pitch, located in the back garden!
God created a stunning New Zealand, pity mankind did a poor job with the infrastructure. The infrastructure is need of modernisation….when you live in a world that is connected, you would expect every country to be better connected or connected at a reasonable level, also more free wifi spots would be welcome.
Indians used to have a fantastic reputation for hard working. The Indians who settled in New Zealand in the last two years seemed to have come on student visa’s and are illegally working, also where as the previous generation came to New Zealand and worked hard, invested back into New Zealand and are proud to call it their home. The new lot seem to earn quick money and just send it back to India.
The South Island is fantastic and spectacular, if you could only visit the one of the islands I would recommend the south.
Today we are driving from Apollo Bay to Port Fairy….just hope it is more exciting!
We first spent some time around the town.
Great ocean walk:
The Great Ocean Walk is a walking track, located 200 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, stretching 104 kilometres from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead, located near The Twelve Apostles, Victoria. The walk passes through the Otway National Park; with Parks Victoria providing seven hike-in camp-sites spaced at intervals of 10 km to 15 km along the track. Guided tours are offered by several operators, with the walk estimated to take approximately eight days to complete. All walkers are required to register with Parks Victoria, and must book for use of camp-sites.
The track hugs coastline which is not always visible from the Great Ocean Road; and traverses an area which hosts koalas, wallabies, echidnas, reptiles, bird species, snakes (including tiger, brown, and copperhead), ants, bees, European wasps and leeches. From June through September, whales can be spotted along the coastline. The track passes through several named areas; including Elliot Ridge, Blanket Bay, Cape Otway, Aire River, Johanna Beach, Ryans Den and Devils Kitchen.
The difficulty of the track increases along the walk; with the section between Apollo Bay and Cape Otway suitable for beginners, becoming more challenging when reaching the rugged terrain through Ryans Den. In addition, travellers need to note that sections of track can be dangerous or impassable at high tide.
When you travel 15 minutes out of Apollo Bay you will find Maites Rest, a good example of the local rainforest and a 45 minute loop walk.
After a nice walk we continued along the Great Ocean Road and came across Otway Lighthouse. There is a AUS$18.50 per person entrance fee. This is a place where you spend at least half a day not half an hour! On the way to the lighthouse you can see Koalas in the trees an amazing sight to see in the wild.
The next stop was Castle Cove, where many prehistoric fossils have been found in the exposed cliffs. The spot had fantastic views of the rugged coastline. Due west of this point, the next land fall is Argentina, South America!
This is a must, Gibson’s steps, which takes you down to the beach giving you a view of the first apostle from sea level.
For email subscribers: Gibson’s Steps
Steps down Gibson’s steps.
Next the famous Twelve Apostles. Before visiting the twelve apostles we got out the hamper and had a fantastic lunch. Afterwards we walked to see the twelve apostles it was spectacular. Pity it was very busy. The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks were the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks.
Our final stop was Loch and Gorge where we viewed the sunset. From the car park you have four pathways leading to various vantage points to view the coast line and the apostles. Also there is a stair case which takes you down to a wonderful beach caves and the histories story of 2 survivors of the Loch Ard Ship wreck. There was very few people around. It feels like a combination of Pacific Coastal Highway and Arches National Park. I have spent 2.5 months in America, fallen in love with America so compare everything to it! We did a couple of walks, The Loch Ard and Razorback. The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island on 1 June 1878 approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew, only two survived: Tom Pearce, at 15 years of age, a ship’s apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, an Irishwoman immigrating with her family, at 17 years of age. According to memorials at the site, Pearce was washed ashore, and rescued Carmichael from the water after hearing her cries for help. Pearce then proceeded to climb out of the gorge to raise the alarm to local pastoralists who immediately set into plan a rescue attempt. After three months in Australia Carmichael returned to Europe. Four of her family members drowned that night. Pearce was hailed as a hero, and continued his life at sea. He drowned several years later in another shipping accident.
The arch of the nearby Island Archway collapsed in June 2009. The feature now appears as two unconnected rock pillars. They have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two teenage survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck.
As it was getting late and we had to check in before the reception closes we made out way to the hostel. We stopped and enjoyed the vista points as we drove through Port Campbell and Warranbool. We arrived at the YHA hostel and 9pm. This hostel is the oldest YHA hostel in Australia:
Port Fairy YHA
8 Cox Street
Port Fairy 3284
T: +61 3 5568 2468
Email: [email protected]
Today we start the drive along the Great Ocean Drive. The Great Ocean Road, officially designated as B100, is an Australian National Heritage listed 243-kilometre (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932, and is the world’s largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of World War I. It is an important tourist attraction in the region, which winds through varying terrain alongside the coast, and provides access to several prominent landmarks; including the nationally significant Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations.
The road hugs the coast which reminded me of Pacific Coastal Highway in California. To be honest because I had seen much nicer scenery in California I was not impressed.
We passed through Torquay which had nice beaches, Bells Beach which had a lot of para-gliders. At Bells Beach we walked down to the beach.
Torquay is a township in Victoria, Australia, which faces Bass Strait, 21 km. south of Geelong and is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road. It is bordered on the west by Spring Creek and its coastal features include Point Danger and Zeally Bay. At the 2006 census, Torquay had a population of 6,695.
Our transport for next time?
We also passed through Pt Addis, Urquhart Bluff Beach, Split Point lighthouse at Airey’s Inlet.
The 5 km of coast between Urquhart Bluff and Table Rock at Fairhaven is dominated by 20 to 50 m high, eroding bluffs composed of poorly consolidated limestone, tuffs, clays and silts.
As they erode, they leave inter- and sub-tidal rock platforms and reefs. Running along the base of the bluffs are twelve small, exposed beaches, mostly dominated by the headlands, rocks and reefs.
The first five face south-east and extend from Urquhart Bluff south-west for 1 km. They can be reached at low tide around the rocks from Urquhart Bluff, or by climbing down some of the less steep bluffs. They are all exposed to waves averaging 1.3 m, but owing to the degree of protection or the presence of rocks and reefs, they have variable beaches and surf zones.
In the evening we stayed at
Apollo Bay Eco YHA
5 Pascoe Street
Apollo Bay 3233
T: +61 3 5237 7899
F: +61 3 5237 1136
E [email protected]
Reception Hours:
8am to 10am
5pm to 10pm
Arrival Time:
Check-out to 10am Check-in from 5pm
The hostel is a very nice Eco friendly hostel with a great vibe.
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around.Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep,I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die!Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
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