On the buses

In the end we took a taxi to Suntec. The reception staff said it was only a ten minute taxi ride and it wouldn't be much cheaper to go by train.  So we went by taxi and it cost just over $6.

Armed with our Big Bus Hop On Hop Off tickets (used to be Hippo buses but have now been taken over by a multinational company which has buses in Sydney but not Melbourne) we Hopped on a Yellow Line bus and tootled out past our hotel (two nearby stops, one on the Yellow Line and one Yellow and Blue lines), round the city, along to Orchard Road until the bus pulled in at the Botanic Gardens and we Hopped off

The Lakeside Market in Ballarat had been exhorting its followers on Facebook to go to the market despite the horrible weather and had been posting photos of hardy market goers all rugged up.  It wasn't absolutely convenient for Jim and me to go (although we probably would have, had we been in Ballarat).  But we could go to this

I had seen it advertised when we had been in the gardens on Friday, and had marked it as something to do if we had time.  Plus, I was curious how there could be a "Farmers" market when Singapore doesn't really have any farms!

Turns out the only actual produce that was being sold was tomatoes.  And someone had honey. Otherwise it was more of a Makers' Market.  We bought pastries and shampoo bars and mooched about chatting to the stall holders. I don't think it's a regular event, I think it might have been a pop up - but it was quite crowded and people were obviously enjoying it.

The ginger garden was rather lovely.  Plus there were bananas.  I could make bananas in ginger sauce, except I think I'd get into trouble for harvesting fruit and spices in a botanic garden :-D

We hopped back on another bus and rode back to Suntec where we had a surprisingly good hamburger and chips from a dodgy looking burger bar. Then we hopped on a blue line bus and went around for a different view of Singapore.  All the buses go in and out from Suntec, although you can, of course, hop on and off anywhere in the city, and you can change lines if you are minded.

We got off our final bus of the day a stop earlier than our nearest stop and walked along the river on Clark Quay, stopping for a drink at Hooters and to watch the boats on the river.

We finished the day with dinner in the Italian restaurant right next to our hotel.  Another good day.

Although it was ever so slightly disconcerting when I got a text message and an email shortly before we went to dinner telling me that our flight home this evening had been cancelled!!!!!  We have been re-booked on a Qantas flight an hour earlier. This doesn't seriously inconvenience us except that I suspect we won't get the extra legroom and bulkhead seats I had booked and paid for on the Jetstar flight.  Oh well.  At least we will get back home.  I hope!

Time to get dressed an get organised for the day