Tuesday 9 May, 2017
Last minute packing and arrangements took up most of the morning. Two dear friends phoned to wish me well and by 12.30 we were on our way. I received a couple of lovely Bon voyage emails as well.
We drove into Proserpine where Sue was waiting for us to collect her and then on to Proserpine Airport. What a smooth check-in!
I wish all Airports were as efficient as the Whitsunday Coast Airport. Not only are the staff friendly and efficient, they check in the baggage, tag it, and send it down the baggage shoot. This takes all of about 3 minutes. They even managed to book the baggage through to Singapore which saved us having to collect it at the Brisbane Domestic terminal, lug it across the road and up an escalator before purchasing a train ticket to the International terminal where we would have had to sit with our baggage (ensuring that we never left our baggage unattended) whilst we waited for about 4 hours before checking it in.
We were also allocated seating for both the Proserpine to Brisbane and Brisbane to Singapore legs and given our boarding passes.
Because we arrived without baggage we were able to enjoy a light meal and then proceed through to security and immigration. I felt like a child playing “heads and shoulders knees and toes” by the time, I stood on the marked area, removed my glasses, proceeded into security, pressed a red button that started blinking madly and had to stand inside a gadget with my arms in the air while a contraption like a circular door whizzed past. I then had the body pat down and scanner brushed over me searching for drugs. Of course I had none! That will teach me to be early! So much for filling in the departure card – that got tossed in the bin!
On arrival in Singapore International Airport, after admiring the gorgeous garden in the arrivals hall, I had to press both thumbs on a slide while a security check was done on me. Out the corner of my eye I noticed the FBI Symbol whirling around the Computer. After all that, they let me in. So, here I am in Singapore.
We walked out of the Airport at 6.30am to boiling hot humid overcast weather. We took a taxi to the Concorde hotel. Don’t let anyone tell you that they are cheap in Singapore. This one cost 50 Singapore dollars – about the equivalent to 50 AUD.
We had booked into the premier club room. As we checked in were offered freshly squeezed orange juice whilst we did so. Our twin share room was allocated and then we popped into the lounge for a Danish and coffee. I love the service here – nothing is too much trouble. I felt like eating an orange from the extensive fruit platter offered at lunch time and noticed there was no knife to peel it. The Butler appeared and seeing my dilemma offered to take it to chef to have it cut up for me! All snacks are included in the tariff.
This afternoon we took a city sight seeing tour and enjoyed all the sites of this lovely city in a garden. It is boiling hot with light showers at present making all the flowers grow lush and green.
We visited the beautiful Botanic gardens and strolled through the Orchid gardens admiring the 6000 plants they have on show. Our coach took us to Little India which is an amazingly colourful place and such a contrast to the modern skyscrapers of this very modern city. We enjoyed several stops to take photo. I hope you enjoy them.
Families of Ireland 