Upon leaving Garsten we were supposed to head to Zagreb, Croatia to kick off a road trip along the Dalmatian coast. Instead we finally made the hard but necessary decision to return back to Australia so I could consistently see the same doctor, do some further tests and figure out what was making me sick. By this point I had been sick for around 6 weeks and although we dearly wanted to head to Croatia (and Bosnia and Turkey and Sri Lanka!), it wasn't to be.
Instead we took a train to Vienna were we flew to Zurich and then Singapore. We decided to break up the absurdly long flight back to Australia with 4 nights somewhere in South East Asia. We opted for Singapore, a new country for both Rob and I, and the only island city-state in the world! Although it would likely mark the end of our overseas travel, we were excited to be heading somewhere new for a relaxing end to the trip.
Singapore didn't quite turn out as planned. Aside from me being "normal sick", we both got colds, had issues adjusting to the change in time zone and the overwhelming humidity, heat and smog. We had huge problems sleeping at anytime before 3am. This left less time for sightseeing and we turned into pretty terrible tourists! However, importantly, we did utilise our Airbnb apartment's wonderful pool and did some reading.
From what we did see, and barring a few less enjoyable things (humidity, air quality challenges), Singapore seems like a great place to live. The city has done an amazing job at urban planning and seems to be prioritising gardens and active lifestyles. We went to the Singapore City Gallery which shows the transformation of the city over the last five decades. It is astounding the changes they have made over short periods to neighbourhoods, building and lifestyles.
Singapore is a lovely town to wander around, especially in the evening when the heat has lifted. We enjoyed the atmosphere around the river and found lots to see. The city buildings are quite spectacular at night. I'm not really sure why but part of the cityscape reminded me of Melbourne. (Of course I don't recall a soccer field floating on the Yarra but I haven't been home for 10 months!)
Our "final" day in Singapore was quite the experience! In the morning we enjoyed the beautiful botanical gardens. The National Orchid Garden was just fantastic. The orchids were so varied and very colourful.
After the gardens we met up with Rob's old neighbour, James, and his wife Dora and two boys for a brief but lovely catchup - shamefully, WE FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO!
In the afternoon I started to feel worse for wear. Long story short, hours before our flight I ended up at the airport medical centre where I was deemed "unfit to fly" due to having also contracted gastro. We had to book new flights for the next day which wasn't great news but at that point we were just pleased to have seen a doctor. Needless to say our (actual) final day in Singapore was low key.
Our flight home consisted of less than an hour sleep between us but we were still smiling and happy to catch up with family and friends at the other end. (And plotting to keep the 2015 travel dream alive...stay tuned!)
Instead we took a train to Vienna were we flew to Zurich and then Singapore. We decided to break up the absurdly long flight back to Australia with 4 nights somewhere in South East Asia. We opted for Singapore, a new country for both Rob and I, and the only island city-state in the world! Although it would likely mark the end of our overseas travel, we were excited to be heading somewhere new for a relaxing end to the trip.
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| Rob crossing the bridge to find our Air BnB apartment |
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| Sleeping and pool time were high on our agendas |
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| Not a bad view from our metro stop |
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| Singapore model at the gallery |
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| New meets old in Singapore? |
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| Older style buildings with skyscraper neighbours made quite a sight |
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| Singapore turned the lights come on |
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| Floating soccer (i.e. using the land you've got) |
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| Love these statues. Reminded us of similar ones we saw in Santander |
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| "Play it forward" Piano's under a bridge for the public to enjoy |
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| We were there! |
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| Interesting helix bridge near where we had an AMAZING ice cream sandwich |
Our "final" day in Singapore was quite the experience! In the morning we enjoyed the beautiful botanical gardens. The National Orchid Garden was just fantastic. The orchids were so varied and very colourful.
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| Paphiopedilum Hybrid |
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| Rob enjoying the lovely mist garden |
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| Worth battling the humidity! |
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| Fountain and flora near the entrance |
After the gardens we met up with Rob's old neighbour, James, and his wife Dora and two boys for a brief but lovely catchup - shamefully, WE FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO!
In the afternoon I started to feel worse for wear. Long story short, hours before our flight I ended up at the airport medical centre where I was deemed "unfit to fly" due to having also contracted gastro. We had to book new flights for the next day which wasn't great news but at that point we were just pleased to have seen a doctor. Needless to say our (actual) final day in Singapore was low key.
Our flight home consisted of less than an hour sleep between us but we were still smiling and happy to catch up with family and friends at the other end. (And plotting to keep the 2015 travel dream alive...stay tuned!)
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