After 36 hours of travel including two long, overnight flights (Montreal to Doha – 12 hours; Doha to Singapore– 8 hours), we arrived in Singapore on Friday morning feeling well rested.
Somewhere along the way we lost half a day of our lives, as we are now 12 hours ahead of Ottawa time. At least the time difference made for easy math when figuring out when to call home.
Getting to our hotel was a breeze using the MRT, a world-class transit system that sets the bar for light rail travel. I must admit I was tempted to stick my arm in the doorway to see if that simple act would bring down the whole line as it did recently in Ottawa. But Chris reminded me that there was probably a stiff penalty for such shenanigans, or worse, it could land me in jail. After all, this is the city/country where chewing gum in public or eating or drinking on the MRT carries a $500 fine, and littering will cost you a hefty $3000 and 3 months jail time. So I kept my arms to myself and enjoyed the ride to our hotel.
This would be the first of many rides on the MRT and bus system. We marvelled at how easy it was to navigate, how spotlessly clean the stations and trains were, and how orderly people were boarding and leaving the trains. For example, at the entrance of each door, red lines on the floor marked where onboarding passengers should stand to allow those who were disembarking to easily exit down the middle. Everyone followed this system effortlessly and it made for a very efficient and effective experience. As if these weren’t enough reasons to use the public transport system, it was dirt cheap too. Fares were based on distance travelled, so we paid about $0.72 for the shortest trips (about 4-5 stops) to $1.75 for the longest trip (about 45 minutes from airport to hotel).
The iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel resembles a boat perched 57 stories above three large towers. It is best known for its roof top infinity pool overlooking the city. The last time we were in Singapore, we admired this hotel from a distance, marveling at its architecture and promising ourselves if we ever came back, we would stay at least one night at this luxury property. This is bucket list stuff. And so we splurged and stayed for 3 nights, celebrating our 17thwedding anniversary in high style.
This hotel did not disappoint. From our spacious and luxurious suite on the 45thfloor overlooking the harbor and gardens, to swimming in and lounging around the famous 146-meter infinity pool, it was an indulgent (and super ridiculously expensive) weekend. To give you an idea of the scale of this place, there are over 2500 rooms in the hotel. The SkyPark spans the length of the rooftop and includes multiple restaurants, the pool (restricted to hotel guests only), and an observatory deck open to the public. It is longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower! (Thank you Wikipedia).
We started and ended each day at the pool, surrounded by a largely Chinese clientele (we later learned this was the beginning of a Chinese school holiday). At times it felt like we had stepped into a new world – the world depicted in “Crazy Rich Asians”; a world of incessant “selfie” madness, designer fashions, and carefree spending. Quite an eye opener for how the other half lives!
In between lounging by the pool, we explored the neighbouring gardens and attractions throughout the weekend. It was a wonderful weekend and a memorable way to reflect on and to celebrate 17 years of marriage, and 21 years together overall.