Ayesha Nair gets a ringside view of the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race
Ayesha Nair gets a ringside view of the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race
I did not know what to expect of Singapore. Those who had been there gave me a list of places and things I just had to do, others purely envied me. So on D-day, I wrapped up stories and lugged my bag to the airport with a tiny butterfly-wing-flutter of excitement.u00a0
Stuff I told myself before boarding:
Singaporean dollars are cheaper than American dollars but thou shall not shop till drop.
Thou shall try and not lose passport and immigration card.
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The race
In a bid to move away from its image as a family destination and project itself as a premium holiday spot, Singapore is playing host to a number of top brass events. A few months ago it hosted the first ever night Grand Prix and this January it is one of the stopovers for the Volvo Ocean Race a sailing competition between six teams over 9 months and 37,000 nautical miles and it's the longest segment in the entire race.
In between gaping at the sport and sampling this tiny island nation, there was serious kickback time. We stayed at Rasa Sentosa Resort on the Sentosa Island to do it. The resort is one the best places to stay at in Singapore and when I settled into the swankiest bathtub on my 11th floor sea facing room, I realised why. At home, the view outside my window was wet towels left to dry. Here, it was a never ending ocean and a pink horizon.
Leaving the confines of the room we headed out to the race village. Slowly, team members of the six racing teams trickled in with their t-shirts proudly proclaiming team names. And if I thought the view from the hotel room was great, the sight of bulky sailors in shorts made the ocean view pale in compassion.
The in-port race, the highlight and the sole purpose of my trip was bumpy as we tried to keep close to the action in our media boat. The view, though, of the drawn out sails and boats titling almost parallel to the water is something I will never forget. The atmosphere was charged with testosterone and sportsmanship as boats jostled for numero uno position. For those who care, Ericsson 4 won the in-port race. As one local journalist put it "My cab driver did not even know this event was taking place. People would much rather fish."
FYI: The changing station built specifically for the night Grand Prix is not being used. It's just standing there. Sad.
Loved: The gorgeous views and this time I am actually referring to the view.
Hated: Major case of motion sickness.
The food
When I said the race was the sole purpose of the visit, I lied; it was actually the food. Breakfast was at the Singapore Zoo, a rather unlikely place, I thought. Orangutans and snakes watched over us as we tucked into some brilliant cheese and grapes. The guava juice and ham slices were not bad either. The lotus petal momo though was instantly addictive. The orangutans must have thought so too because they grabbed a piece from a nearby table.
Lunch was a drastic change from the hustle of the zoo. The serene Halia (ginger) restaurant was tucked away in the Botanic Gardens. Birds chirped, leaves fell and butterflies fluttered around. But the food was not so serene; it kicked some b*tt. The smoked duck soup was creamy yet light and you could taste every flavour.
The seafood pasta as the main course had all marine life imaginable cooked to perfection, but the portion was too large. We finished off with their signature ginger ice cream to calm the stomach. "I love the ginger ice cream and that's why I always recommend it," gushed our Filipino waitress.u00a0u00a0
Dinner at the Jewel Box took us to new heights. Perched on Mount Faber it gives you panoramic views of the country. Yes, the country. Fish in teriyaki sauce was our chosen food. Not great, but good enough.
Raffles Hotel's Long Bar played host for the-after dinner drinks. Named after the founder of modern Singapore Thomas Raffles, this is where the Singapore Sling was invented and also the only place in Singapore where you can litter the ground is sprinkled with peanut shells. But a pre-ordered virgin Singapore Sling was not what we were expecting. Disappointing.
FYI: The oyster cake we ate is actually called UFO!
Loved: Smoked duck soup.
Hated: Being force-fed Indian food in a place where it's Singaporean street food is sought after.
The end
An aerial view of Singapore gives you an idea of the extent of construction being undertaken. It's a country constantly building new bridges, amusement parks or casinos. Sadly every aspect of their life seems sterile and too perfect. Even the few colonial and neo-classical buildings are painted cream. You would expect a country that has been under British rule and one where four distinct races co-exist to have a great cultural heritage and character.
Yet, they know how to live in style. The fabulous nightlife of Clarke Quay along the Singapore River has been much talked about. Adventure sports like reverse bungee jumping add to the appeal. Singaporeans are one of the better dressed this side of the world. Women are forever in shorts showing off their much-famed legs while their small frame allows guys to carry extremely narrow pants and they are so good they could accessorise a ramp show!
I was disappointed when we were told to spend time in Little India over Chinatown especially when Chinese New Year (January 26) is around the corner and Chinatown is all done up. But it was quite an experience. Men buying underwear at Mustafa (the huge shopping mall) for women back home with no clue of size or shape, shops selling completely outdated 'Indian fashion clothes' and restaurants blaring shady 90s Bollywood music. It's like they've not heard of Vishal-Shekhar or Kailash Kher.
FYI: Three of the Merlions are nicknamed Father, Mother and Baby.
Loved: The show prior to the night safari where a bunch of guys dressed in nothing but loincloths put on a fire show. They invited people from the audience and bullied them royally.
Hated: Men scratching their family jewels as if to assure themselves that they did not lose them between eating idlis and buying lungis.
From Little India I came back to the actual one and to be honest, did not hugely miss Singapore. I did stick to everything I promised myself early on. Maybe that's why.
ayesha.nair@mid-day.com
This trip was organised by Singapore Tourism Board
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