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Australia e-journal |
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Cairns, Australia |
September
17, 2002 |
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Factoids: · Exchange
rate: $1.00 CAD = $1.09 SING · Cost for a shower in Singapore
Airport: S$8.25 · Chicken rice = S$3.50 · Dessert – Ice Kachang S$1.80 --- · Exchange rate: $1.00 CAD = $1.10
AUS · Total flight time (Windsor to Cairns)
= 30 hrs · Driving on the left-side –
Singapore, Malaysia and Australia |
(9:15PM local time) Going back to the entertainment – SNES, baby! I played Street Fighter II, F-Zero, Dr Mario, Final Fight, etc. I have to say – it made the time go fast and kept me busy. (I wrote the previous entry in the Taiwan stopover). Dorothy took a picture of me at a pagoda in the Taiwan airport. We got into Singapore on time (as one would expect from Singapore Airlines). Have to say those SIA stewardesses are far and above a grade higher than your typical airline – thank goodness for discrimination! Food and comfort is better than imagined, considering the duration we were sitting on a plane. I did try to get up at least every couple of hours to keep the legs from getting stiff. (Dorothy got angry with me for booking 2 aisle seats to maximize movement but she was not able to sit next to me. Boo hoo!) What did D and I do at the Changi (Singapore) Airport? First thing we got travel information – to see if there was a free tour available. The Sentosa Island tour was OK but no city tour. We opted to go out on our own, courtesy of the Singapore Tourist Bureau – we got free MRT (subway) passes into the city. Once we got all that stuff, we went to the airport spa/resort and took a much-needed shower. Well worth the S$8.25. It felt so good to take a bath and rid of the stank of travelling (it was cold on the plane so we didn’t sweat – it was the thought of no bath that made me feel gross – my hair is so short after all!) Also changed some currency to local Singapore money (so I could buy stuff, in case we got something in the city). We took the MRT to Orchard Rd station. What does one think of Singapore but than for the shopping??? Orchard Rd is the heart of the fine shopping district. We walked around – she really liked Takashimaya – all those couture stores under one roof! I found the electronics mall (Lucky Plaza) and ate some chicken rice and ice kachang while there. I thought it would be rude if I didn’t call family while in Singapore. My Uncle Peng Hee was not available (later, I discovered he was on Orchard Rd to return a sofa bed at Ikea) but my Uncle David was home. He was shocked to hear I was in Singapore already. D and I got my uncle some Asian pears imported from Japan (6 for S$16!) at the Isetan grocery store. We went over to his house and we talked for an hour or so. I was a bit surprised how Uncle Dave nonchalantly told us about how happy he was that I found myself an Asian girlfriend. We all went over to Aunt Maureen’s place around 6pm. Aunt Maureen was shocked to see us. We were supposed to be there on Oct 1, not this day. First thing she does is feed us (of course). We sampled mid-autumn festival mooncakes. There are so many variations these days – tasty! We went over to Parkside Parade for supper. Uncle Dave had to pick up his daughter from the library and his wife from work so they were unable to attend. We had Cantonese style cooking for supper – the chef is from Hong Kong. Mei covered the tab – a little on the pricey side, but the meal was good and served quickly. Dorothy and I had to be back to the airport for 8pm (boarding / departure @ 9:15pm). Pretty straightforward from there. The flight to Brisbane was packed and we got inner seats. It was a long 7-hr flight. At least I dozed off a couple of times so I was somewhat rested. It was frustrating to be locked in and squished by a seat fully tilted back in front of me! I held it in a couple of times on that flight (all that water from dinner!). Almost blew my ureters! We made it in to Brisbane on time. Man, SIA rocks! We had to pick up our bags to clear Customs – went without a hitch. The airport in Brisbane is fast & efficient. We had to take the rail to get from the international terminal to the domestic terminal, but that’s OK with me. (took some photos here). Took a big dump at the terminal before getting on the Cairns flight (whew). Also ate my Cheetos (that I bought in Canada) because I was starving. The flight to Cairns was good (Qantas). Not so full so we could spread out. Napped a bit, as well. (Noticed my eyes were blood-shot.) We got picked up at the airport and got a mini-tour of Cairns by Burt, our driver. The rest – the Oasis – is a block from the water and the Esplanade. The room is OK – 4-star place but I wouldn’t give it the same status as the Hotel-Intercontinental in Toronto! Our view from the room is a slightly obstructed view of the pool. (still a great view, though) First thing I did when we arrived at the hotel – showered and brushed teeth! Opened my checked-in luggage to discover the lotion exploded (somehow the cap got opened). Got all over the windbreaker, inside the suitcase and a couple of t-shirts. After D showered, I did laundry. Didn’t take too long – the damage looked worse than it actually was, thank goodness. My shoes were spared (I bagged them!) We were asked to meet up at 2pm for tour orientation. Also – got a detailed tour of Cairns. From the tour, we learned: · increased population due to gold rush in 1870s · main industries – tourism, sugar cane, petroleum, export/import, shipbuilding · sights – Trinity Bay / wharf, the Esplanade, beach (artificial – still being built; Radisson is coming) · lots of shops / shopping for opals · tons of Japanese tourists! The last part of the tour included a quick look at an opal shop. Informative little seminar was given. D and I walked around town instead of taking the coach back to the hotel. Got money exchanged. We kinda got lost after walking town the Esplanade (if that was possible!) so we got back to the room a little later than we had anticipated. Took a nap before supper – oops, the alarm didn’t go off so we went downstairs a little late (missed drinks but were on-time for supper). The food served at the dinner buffet was shite. People on the tour are nice, luckily. We looked around the hotel after eating. Pool is really nice. May swim tomorrow after sight-seeing. |
