I had booked online previously for a walking tour with Singabites in the suburb of Katong so seven of us in 2 taxis met our guide Kathy at an Indian restaurant on Joo Chiat Road. (Hannah and ChrisM were off having their feet and legs nibbled by little fish - more of that later). While our bread was being made nearby Kathy gave us a potted history of the neighbourhood - hers, as she lived there as a child right by the sea. We saw Marine Parade and Sea Avenue but as Singapore had made more and more land the sea is now 10 miles away.
The flat breads and dipping sauces were delicious with Jon particularly liking the fish curry. I liked the ginger tea in spite of - or perhaps because - it was liberally sweetened with condensed milk.
A walk along the road took us past a beautiful Art Deco building built by the English as a community centre and still in use
then to a row of old buildings from Peranakan times - shops below and living quarters above.
Raining again but we're getting used to that. We went inside one of the shops selling exquisite embroidered tops (with prices to match) and upstairs to see how they used to live. Kathy waxed nostalgic about how after hours they'd let down a basket on a string and haul up beer from a street vendor. She had dumplings for us and delicate little sweetmeats that just went pop in the mouth.
Around the corner we went to a Hindu temple, very beautiful - large and airy - tended by monks, one on his mobile phone which seemed incongruous. We had to remove our shoes which I didn't want to do as the floor was wet and all I could think was "plantar warts" but maybe the 5 hours of ritual cleaning the monks perform daily takes care of that.
Offerings of fresh milk.
Beautiful ceiling.
A further walk took us to the best laksa in the city -?the best one I've ever had out of a tiny sample. We finished off with curry puffs, one of them durian custard which was strange but not unpleasant. We got the bus back to Suntec City where our hotel is and a sign in the bus said "no durian allowed" - fresh presumably.
We have quickly taken to having Happy Hour in the lounge every day - amazing view from the 31st floor
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