Day #143 - There Be Dragons!

Waking up in our beautiful hotel room was very relaxing especially since we just had to hit a button in the ipad for the morning lights to come on, easing us into the day. 

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Not the most extensive breakfast buffet we've encountered but still very enjoyable and delicious. 

James wasn't feeling 100% (could have been the airline curry yesterday) and given what happened a few weeks ago, we decided to take it easy this morning and focus on his recovery. 

We therefore had a fun lazy morning in the hotel, gently swimming in the rooftop pool and watching some TV while sprawled out on the lovely bed. 

By the afternoon, James had regained his energy and so we decided to head out and explore the Marina Bay area which is a short walk from our hotel. 

Immediately next to our place is a vibrant and very busy food market housed in a wonderful octagonal building. Wandering through here the sights and smells of all the various food was both delicious and overwhelming. It is certainly popular with the locals with a side road given over to seating so everyone can enjoy their satay chicken and more!

The bay itself was once a humble harbour which has now undergone a huge metamorphosis in recent decades, transforming itself from a neglected backwater area into a vibrant tourist area. In the 1960s, the visionaries of Singapore saw its potential and embarked on a massive land reclamation project which has born fruit all these years later.

Around the water's edge are several famous landmarks. Towering at one end is the distinctive Mariana Bay Sands Hotel - a boat-like structure sitting atop three towers. We plan to visit the observation desk in a day or so. 

Next to the hotel is a huge shopping mall filled with designer shops and restaurants. Since we both aren't into clothes we enjoyed wandering through the complex without being distracted by buying anything! At one end there is a crystal chandelier style installation that hangs over an interactive art exhibit aimed at children. Halfway down on the lower floor is a river upon which you can take a boat trip and go around the rain oculus. It was all very impressive and of course adorned with lots of red and dragons for the Lunar New Year.  

We wandered a bit further to get other views of the bay but didn't wander all the way around since we weren't sure there was a path. We'll investigate more tomorrow.

The weather started to turn against us and so we headed back to the hotel to chill for a bit before dinner. 

When it came to dinner, we kept it simple, dining in the hotel's restaurant where James had a light salad (I know!!) while I had spaghetti arrabbiata.

After that, it was back to the room for more True Blood. We have just a few days to finish off 14 episodes or so!

Oh, and I found these two videos online. The first is a promotional one for the Marina Bay Sands featuring a dragon for the Lunar New Year, while the second is the drone show they did the day before we arrived. Enjoy.