Mad Dogs and Englishmen
The temperature was in the low 30’s but the BBC weather App advised that it felt like 42 degrees; it certainly did. The humidity was at 66% and precipitation was highly likely – it seemed like the ideal day to go for an 8 mile walk!
Having spent many days in a car or just gently strolling around various sites, we were both desperate for some real exercise and decided to head off to the botanical gardens, which the guide book suggested was an hours walk. By the time we had debated which cameras to take, spare shoes in case sandals weren’t suitable, waterproofs and of course loads of water, the rucksack exceeded in weight anything that I’d recently used in the Lake District.
We set off into the streets of Singapore, which is the absolute opposite of Delhi in every possible way. It must be the cleanest city in the world; absolutely spotless and roads, pavements and greenery immaculate. The traffic is well-ordered and the roadways designed with ample crossing points; and nobody jay-walks! It’s also the safest city in the world to walk around in – it was noticeable the previous evening that plenty of young women, in groups or alone, had no hesitation in walking around after dark. The building are also modern and immaculate and it feels like a very wealthy city – which it is. There were absolutely no signs of poor people on the streets – I suspect that in all aspects of life, government rules are somewhat draconian.
It’s also one vast shopping mall! The shops are endless and all high end. I was horrified at the how often the names of Armani, Tiffany, Dolci & Gabbana etc etc kept popping up. I put S in charge of navigation to distract her attention. Somewhat bizarrely, Christmas decorations were going up everywhere; displays of penguins and reindeer were highly incongruous amongst the palm trees.
We found our way to the Gardens very easily, but by then we were absolutely dripping with perspiration, totally exhausted with the effort and most of our water had gone. We found a cafe in the gardens to restock, after first phoning home for a bank loan!!
The gardens were well worth the trip, especially the Orchid Garden. As is her wont, S set about carefully taking photos of every bloom on every plant over an area of several acres; I understand that Apple will be building a new data centre to get ready for the upload! Before the hike back, we grabbed more reasonably-priced sustenance at a Starbucks just outside the park. As the sweat trickled down our necks, we watched workmen assembling ‘Santa’s Grotto” just outside to the sound of ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas…’ .
The route back took us down perhaps the main shopping street in the city and one street crossing, (where there were roadworks) we were instructed to use the underpass. Total nightmare.
As we descended the escalator, it became horribly clear that underneath street level, there were a further FIVE layers of shopping mall, each stretching into the far distance in every direction. S went into a trance of catatonic ecstasy while I frantically looked around for an exit sign – which of course didn’t exist. How we got out, I don’t really remember, but I know I had looked into the modern version of Hades; a nightmare zombie future where nothing exits except pointless material consumption.
Never was the oppressive heat of outdoors so welcome, as we headed back to the hotel swimming pool.
It may well be that ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’, but far better that than joining the rest of the world doing underground shopping!