Malaysia and Singapore - final destinations

 We have settled in here well at the Marina at Danga Bay, just a 10minute bus ride from the centre of Johor Bahru, Malaysia's second biggest city. The marina is part of a big development plan in this area and has recently been built onto - in fact they are still working on it.



In the foreground the good ship Erica

I have been exploring some of the nearby region and visited the Sultans Palace- now a museum but still used for official state functions

I came back yesterday from a 3 day visit to Singapore. Singapore being just over the strait is very easy to get to. From Jahor a bus takes you to the immigration centre where you get stamped out of Malaysia, then on over the causeway to the Singapore immigration centre where a visa is stamped for entry, onto the bus again and into Singapore city.

Singapore continues to grow and expand by reclaiming land from the sea. There are incredible building projects everywhere along the seafront with some spectacular architecture

  

These 3 towers house hotels and the ship like top has a viewing platform,restaurants,a casino and a swimming pool



This still unfinished building, as viewed from the top of the ship building will be a theatre

This is the opera house - named the Durian by the locals after the similar looking fruit.



I met Deborah in Singapore and we had a great sightseeing afternoon together
after 6 years in Singapore she's quite a Singaporean!



Deborah in front of the commercial centre of Singapore, where she works

During a boat trip along the Singapore river. A bronze tribute to the Malayan boys who used to swim in the river

Some of the extravagant architecture of the shopping 'paradise' Orchard Rd.  

Art works on Orchard Road

A visit to n the Botanical gardens and the orchid gardens was a great treat and a cool and quiet break from the heat and noise of the city

A ginger plant - the gardens have a whole section devoted to ginger plants. I learnt that the banana belongs to the same family

An evening outing to Sentose Island and 'Songs of the Sea', a Disney Land type production on the beach with laser, fire and water was rather kitschig but well done 

Little India, where I stayed, was in good form for the celebration of Deepavali - the Hindu festival of light.

The weather here is very hot and humid - today was the hottest day yet withabout 36 degrees. It is the extreme humidity that makes the heat so hard to take - usually over 95 %. I guess when I arrive back in the Westerwald in 3 days time I'll be in for a temperature shock. I am looking forward to some fresh, cool air though.

Thank you to all of you who have been following my blog. I have enjoyed sharing my experiences with you all ,although I have had some frustrating times getting things on, as the internet connections have sometimes been extremely bad and I haven't always been able to download the photos as I would like to have.

Bye for now - until my next adventure?




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