I ended up where I was supposed to begin and I’m glad I did it the other way around. I should have asked the Amara for a late check out, or at least waited until the last possible moment to check out.
Instead I left to have a late breakfast of chicken rice at Tian Tian at Maxwell. Now I know why it’s so popular. Very flavoursome. Then more pancakes – the coconut filling is best.
I was at a loss as to what to do. I thought of visiting Geylang, then going early to the airport for a rest.
On the way in the MRT I stopped at Bugis, where many of the shops were reminiscent of Japan. There I purchased a number of gifts, before rejoining the MRT onwards to Paya Lebar, closest to Geylang and Joo Chiat road.
The area was filled with stalls selling snacks, rugs and colourful clothing, celebrating Ramadan and Hari Raya.
I walked across to the Haig Street food centre, purchasing a bag to store my excess purchases. I had to shake a cockroach out of the dusty bag.
The two shops I had come specifically to eat at were both closed. The satay stall owner was obviously on holiday, but the Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa might be closed permanently from what I could see. Their competitor’s Laksa wasn’t quite so good.
Fortunately, the other award winning satay stall was easily the best I’d eaten in a long while.
It was hot, that energy sapping heat and humidity that leaves with nothing but a desire to vegetate. It was like a Queensland summer. I needed airconditioning.
I decided to head off early to the airport. Maybe I could check in and use the lounge facilities post immmigration.
Bad move. Scoot doesn’t offer online check in or bag drops and most of the good stuff at Changi is only available after check in and immigration.
Hot and very tired I wandered down to the hotels desk and booked the cheapest close hotel I could find – the Hotel 81 Geylang. It’s a pity that Changi lacks reasonably priced hotels onsite.
Ahh, so this was the red light district of Geylang that I’d been warned about. It certainly was sleazy, touts and provocatively attired women on the streets, sex shops, massage parlours. There were a couple of kopitiams, I had a mutton soup and roti prata from one.
The hotel was about as basic as could be, bed, desk without chair, tiled floors, unplugged tv with a bare wire, a shower without a cubicle, just sprayed in the direction of the toilet. Tiny ants crawled around the room. The window looked out to nowhere. I’m glad that I hadn’t stayed earlier, although it was okay for the purpose of a pre-flight rest and wash. Plus there was wireless internet access that worked better than the phone.
I had some sleep, awoken by an alarm at 10.30 local time, showered, then hailed a taxi from the street. Back to the airport for the journey home.