I'm goin' solo, so-looooo - first mileage run to Singapore - May 3-8, 2011

I had little over one full day of rest after the Big Island trip before embarking on my journey to Singapore.  I decided last minute to go there when I read on the FlyerTalk boards that flying a back-to-back trip to Singapore (SIN) on a single ticket would save some money and make a 34,000 mile dent in this year's mileage accrual.  I wanted to maintain my Premier Executive status for next year as I planned to do more air travel, so I figured since I was on sabbatical, why not do the mileage run and make it a mini-vacation?   I was not concerned about going solo as Singapore was a very modern city, with strict laws to keep it clean and reduce crime, plus it offered easy public transportation and cheap taxis.  English was an official language as well as Chinese, so I wouldn't have a problem getting around.  Also, the number one attraction for me was the food.  :)  Singapore's "hawker food centers" are the best...those of you who have watched Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern's Singapore episodes on the Travel Channel know what I'm talking about.  Originally the plan was to do the back-to-back trip, each trip staying two full days.  But when I mentioned this crazy mileage run to my friend Karen, I couldn't believe it, but she thought it would be fun to join me on the second Singapore run...yay!  (plus, she got blessing from her loving supportive husband Paul :) )  Thus, I replanned the second trip to be a full four days so that she and I could do some sightseeing and eat the city up!

But first thing's first, travel solo to Singapore.  As I was flying by myself and wasn't on an upgradeable fare, I decided to forego the exit row seats on United and fly 3 of 4 flights on All Nippon Airways (ANA) to experience Japanese airline service.  It wasn't a bad experience.  I was at the head of the Star Alliance Gold (or *Gold) check-in line when the First Class counter agent waved me over since she was available.  By having *Gold status (due to my having Premier Executive status on United), a "Priority" tag is put on luggage to help it come out faster on the carousels (60% of the time it works), but I happened to get one that said "First Class" (since that was all she probably was stocked with), though I didn't know until I was at the baggage carousel in Singapore.  While everyone was waiting for their bags, a few bags came out first...the ones tagged First Class. :)  *Gold status was also helpful on ANA flights, as they begin the boarding process with First Class, Business, and *Gold at the same time.   I was fortunate to have the entire 3-seat row to myself going to Tokyo Narita, and 2-seat row to myself from Narita to Singapore...not a 180 degree seat, but next best thing.  The food was pretty good and there was individual on-demand in-flight entertainment so I caught up on a ton of movies.  (The King's Speech, Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, The Green Hornet, The Tourist, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits)  The flight attendants were all cheerful, friendly, and walked around offering water, tea and juice on trays frequently during the flight.  I also had 40 minutes to spare during my layover in Narita to enjoy the Star Alliance Lounge.

bento meals are so much better than United

even had premium ice cream for dessert!

the lounge at Narita offered a nice spread of snacks

self-service drinks (beer on the bottom)

love fresh fruit!

wines available too

toilets with bidets (it does feel much "cleaner")

individual entertainment screens

By the time I got to Singapore, it was close to midnight on May 4th.  I withdrew Singapore dollars from ATMs located after the immigration/customs exit, bought a snack to break a large bill, and joined the taxi queue to get a ride to the hotel, which cost S$25 (extra surcharge for taxi rides after midnight :( ).  A cheaper way to get to town would have been to take the local subway or "MRT" for S$2.00, but it shuts down at midnight.  Due to the late hour, I also missed out on the opportunity to get an account for free internet access at various public areas in the city, as they were issued by airport information counters, which were open from 6am to midnight.  That was why I hardly had any Facebook updates since I was too cheap to buy the outrageously priced internet at the hotel.

I got a decent rate on Hotwire for the Intercontinental Singapore, located in the Bugis area, thanks to knowing the mystery 5-star Central area hotel on betterbidding.com.  Due to the weak U.S. dollar, the price wasn't as good as it used to be in the previous year, but I still saved money from booking direct.  The front desk agent informed me that my "travel agent" booked me at a rate that didn't include breakfast, and asked if I'd like to add breakfast and internet access for S$90?  I politely declined and said that I'd find breakfast outside the hotel.  As she escorted me to the elevators, she mentioned that I could find food just outside the glass doors near the elevator that open into a mall.  I'm sure that was where all the employees went to dine.

bed already turned down for the night, slippers unwrapped

nice spacious bathroom, even the bathtub had a curtain.  shower was at other corner

option to spray off in the tub, a jar of bath salts was provided

Elemis spa toiletries along with vanity items like toothbrushes, q-tips, ponytail holder, etc.

complimentary refreshments

a pillow menu!  but I was happy with the existing ones

complimentary welcome fruit plate and Fiji water

I took a much needed shower after over 24 hours of travel and collapsed into the plush linens.  I slept until noon the next day, had the plate of fruit for lunch (love that dragonfruit!) and went to the mall next door to window shop and pick up some grub at a hawker center.  In Singapore, people drive on the "queen's side" (left-hand side) so I often bumped into approaching people as I tended to stay to the right while they veered left...eventually I got the hang of veering left.  The escalators were also confusing as most people would stand to the left, but signage may say "Please stand to the right".  Despite the fact that Singapore is located 85 miles north of the equator, most of the girls are pale-skinned, probably due to the popularity of bleaching/whitening cosmetics as well as the abundance of indoor malls and underground passages to escape from the sun's rays.  As I just came from Hawaii, I was definitely in contrast to these ladies.  Also, a lot of them were very thin, despite the easy access to cheap good food.  I was glad many of the fashions were not my style (very feminine, with ruffles, flowers and pastels) as I'd probably have to buy "extra large".  Do they throw up after every meal?  Even with shoes, the largest size they offered was a U.S. 9...which I would have to buy as half-sizes were non-existent, so too bad if you're size 9.5 and above.  I went into BHG department store in Bugis Junction, browsing at jewelry, and a saleslady tried to sell me a chain link bracelet marked down 30%, but when she put it on my wrist, it was so tight that it couldn't even slide.  She was a bit embarrassed when I commented on how "large" I was, hehe.  I ended up taking home the best items that fit me, or rather my stomach:  edibles that I found at the nearby food center:  some baked goods, a couple of pieces of fresh sliced papaya, and a container filled with chicken rice.  The quality wasn't so great, so not picture-worthy.

dragonfruit

passion fruit

view outside the hotel room, with the Marina Bay Sands in the distance

The next day, I woke up late again and headed to the nearby mall again for convenience, selecting "bah kut teh" (pork rib soup) for brunch.  There wasn't a lot of rib bones in it.  It tasted like soup that my mom makes at home to accompany dinner.

I took a hot and steamy walk out to the famous Raffles Hotel.  It was one of the most expensive hotels to book in Singapore. (even more so than the Four Seasons)  The hotel consisted of about 100 rooms, so it was pretty intimate.  I couldn't get into the hotel lobby as there were signs standing in front of entrances that said "Residents Only" and there were more staff than guests walking around, and given the level of service, I'm sure they knew who was staying there.  The grounds were really nice and the hotel's architecture is reminiscent of times past.  The "Raffles Shop" offered overpriced Raffles-branded souvenirs and edibles; it was a great place to duck from the heat.

big fountain

grassy area, maybe used for events or weddings

lots of lush foliage everywhere

On the way back to the hotel, I couldn't resist going into McDonald's and buying "Seaweed Shaker Fries".  Being that I am a fan of potato chips that are coated with delicious powdery seasoning (my favorite as of today is the Lay's Kettle Cooked Sharp Cheddar, followed closely by Safeway brand Snack Artist Cheesy chips), I had to get these.  I had thought the fries would be served already coated, but they leave the dirty work to the customer.   You get a paper bag, a regular serving of large fries, and a seasoning packet.  You put the fries into the bag, dump the contents of the packet inside, shake to coat, then dump it back into the fry container if you wish.  It was very popular as I heard bags being shaked all over the restaurant.  It tasted good, though the seaweed flavor had a touch more sweetness than I would've wanted.  I think McDonald's should introduce this in the U.S., but with different seasoning packets like cheese or chipotle, as I don't think Americans would go for seaweed flavor.

My two days in Singapore quickly came to an end, with another 24 hours' travel ahead of me.  My flight was at 8am on Saturday, but I decided to leave before 5am just in case there were issues.  I'm glad I did...the taxi driver asked what terminal I was in, but I didn't know and told him I was flying ANA.  He didn't know what ANA was, so I said "All Nippon", and he checked a cheatsheet hidden under his car visor which I couldn't see.  He couldn't locate the airline, so he defaulted to Terminal 1 for "all other airlines".  When I entered the terminal, it did not look familiar at all, and I had to find a directory to get my bearings.  Turned out that ANA was departing from Terminal 2, and fortunately there was a "skytrain" that went to Terminal 2 and it had just started operation at 5am.  I made my way there, checked in with no issues, and enjoyed the ANA lounge at the airport - the spread included fish congee and accompaniments, nasi lemak and accompaniments, sambal vegetables, Western breakfast items, baked goods, steamed meat buns, and fresh fruit.

The flight from Singapore to Narita was on ANA, then Narita to San Francisco was on United.  What a big difference between the two airlines.  I went to the United Red Carpet Club in Narita and there was hardly any snacks available, just some Chex mix and yogurt-covered peanuts.  I made a mental note to go to the ANA lounge when I came through here again a week later with Karen.  On the United flight, the food was almost inedible.  I had forgotten to ask for a special meal...I had read on FlyerTalk that the Hindu meals were pretty good.  The flight arrived in San Francisco around 10:45am (still Saturday!) and I made it through customs without a hitch despite my short trip to Singapore (always buy something and declare it on the form!  $0 declarations raise eyebrows), with the officer asking me if I brought any meat.  My cousin Sheri arrived at the airport just as I was exiting the terminal...perfect timing!  We had dim sum at Koi Palace with Sheri's parents and brother, Aunt Valerie, and my cousin Gwen...it was good to see them.  Afterwards, we all checked out Gwen's new place in the Glen Park area.  I crashed at Sheri's for the night...I was pretty tired as I didn't get much sleep on the last flight.  Tomorrow, I get to travel 24 hours again to Singapore with Karen...nuts!!!