singapore: day 07

yesterday mindy and i were treated to a night's stay at the luxurious Marina Bay Sand's Hotel and Casino by her Uncle Frankie.  he took us to lunch at Todai (one of Sand's incredible upscale buffet style restaraunts, running the gamut of international cuisine), and spent his time telling us stories of travel and life.  it was such a fun start to the day after the wedding.

after lunch, we went up to our city view room (which Ah Peh generously spent a bit extra for, for us) and immediately were taken by the view from the floor to ceiling window.  if chicago is modern and new york is art deco, singapore is po-mo, with specks of british colonial.  wow is really the only word to describe it.  i drew a couple of different views from the window and found it overwhelming to take in all the of the layers of buildings in the city.  but it was quiet and peaceful and the noise of the city seemed very distant.  mindy and i then proceeded to crash out for a couple of hours on the king size bed before we met her mom to go up to the top level infinity pool and sky deck and then to go to dinner.

the view from our window on the 30th floor

same view close up sketch

north out of our window w/ the bug-eye-shaped performing arts center and lotus shaped arts and science museum

friday was such a long day with lots to do from wake to sleep, and i was not very good about staying hydrated.  and i paid for it yesterday evening.  the heat here is unexpectedly abrasive.  you know it's hot and it feels hot, but the thickness of the air zaps all the liquid from your system in less time than you can imagine, and you don't even notice it until it's too late.  so i woke from our nap feeling very ill.  but after some time in the toilet and downing a bottle of water, i thought i was feeling better.

infinity pool looking out over the city

from the sky deck

the sky park was crowded and hot,  but we managed our way around to watch the sunset as the lights of the city began to sparkle one by one.  i sat on the steps and drew the people in the pool and the city scape behind.  then her mom met us and we walked over to the sky garden where the view of the city is unmatched.  you can look east out over the ocean with hundreds of giant ships and barges scattered like tiny islands in the sea.  you can see islands in the distance along the curvature of the earth.  on the city side you can see the whole of singapore, the jungle fading into the distance behind the city.  it was quite breath taking.  

looking east into the pacific

after some time we headed down the too-packed-for-my-claustrophobic-comfort (but not over-packed) elevator and we walked to dinner.  the oppressive heat and dehydration hit me like a truck and i walked straight to the restroom at the 60s style hawker center.  i was really suffering, beads of sweat peaking on my face, and my stomach doing gymnastics.  i didn't eat anything, i only drank a fresh cooling sugar cane drink (tastes like the color 'spring-green' in the crayola box), another bottle and a half of water and took some chinese stomach medicine.  

we had intended to go a laser light show on the singapore river, but i couldn't do it.  i was feeling too bad.  the medicine was making me feel a bit better as we began walking back, but the heat was still oppressive and settling on me like i was carrying leaded pillows on each shoulder.  we made our way across the famous helix walking bridge (which mindy has an iPhone photo of before it was completed [the photo was accepted into a show in NYC last year]).  once we were back at the hotel we said goodbye to mindy's mom and made our way back up to the room.  i found out today that yesterday was the hottest day of the year thus far.  ouch.

helix bridge and the ferris wheel in the background

at night across the singapore river from Youth Olympic Park

we did end up getting to see some of the laser show, as we sat on the floor in the window of our hotel room and watched the city sparkle in the night.  after some quiet time in the air con, showering and downing a couple more bottles of water, i began feeling a bit better.  mindy fell asleep quickly and i watched 'arthur' on the iPad, then enjoyed a very restful and relaxing night.  thankfully, i woke up this morning feeling normal.  we at breakfast at Rise (the upscale breakfast/brunch buffet), checked out of our room and headed back to the westside where mindy's family lives.

tomorrow we're off to seoul, via bangkok.  bangkok i know is hotter than here.  more crowded than here.  and certainly not as clean.  i'll have to be careful about watching my liquids closer, but i think i learned my lesson.  even though i was not feeling well, our stay at the sands was wonderful and the exact medicine i think we both needed.  some simple quiet.  that was the best medicine of all.

the arts and science museum.  i love the shape of this building, and it was quite challenging to sketch.