Singapore had one more dramatic scene for us: during the night, there was a heavy thunderstorm - Thor was definitely throwing his anvil about above the clouds, and the lightning was spectacular. The rain wasn't light, either!
Come the morning, the fog and mist had also descended:
At first glance, Wendy thought one of the buildings must be on fire! but it was just the sun piercing parts of the cloud and reflecting on the windows.
Sadly, that put paid to the idea of a ride on the Ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer - another case of, "We'll do that, next time."
We checked out at midday, and left our cases at reception. It is too hot and humid to leave clothes packed up and left in the outside temperature, so Wendy requested our baggage be kept in the cool room.
We went for a stroll round Suntec City, shop window gazing as we went; beautiful jewellery, and beautiful handbags, and a shop that specialised in very glamorous gowns! Officially wedding dresses, they could also fit the bill as gorgeous costumes on stage for a cabaret performance. I dared to ask the price, and was amazed to find one of the most expensive cost S$349 - In England I would be looking at three times the price. One day I shall go back, with an empty suitcase, and fill it up!
Back at the Pan Pacific, there was a cream tea on offer. However, anyone who knows me is aware I am very picky about sandwiches (even at the Ritz, Mum and I have a special request for plain cucumber sandwiches, on white bread and butter), and we didn't want everything that was included on the menu here. The waitress suggested we could order a couple of plain scones instead; these would be specially made for us, and ready we wanted them, at 3.30 p.m.
I'd had my fill of gallivanting. The receptionist gave me a copy of The Straits Times, and I sat reading, or just watching the world go by and enjoying my surroundings, whilst Wendy went off for another wander round the shops.
 |
| An indoor stream in the Pan Pacific |
 |
| Futuristic lifts! It's quite fun ascending to the 26th floor |
It also gave me time to reflect on the ten days we had been away from home. If the past few posts have begun to read like a travelogue, it's probably because it has been so long since I've had a proper holiday, and I've gone a bit detail-crazy. I felt sad thinking of Uncle John in Brisbane, but very happy that I had seen him.
Wendy returned in good time for our tea; the scones arrived, complete with cream and strawberry jam, and pots of tea and extra hot water. The only problem was, we should have asked how big the scones were! Had we known they were very delicate (i.e., tiny!) we would have ordered half a dozen each.
Never mind. They were delicious, and melted on the tongue.
After tea, we collected our luggage and went up to the Hospitality Suite, which Wendy had pre-booked. It was beautifully appointed, with an en-suite bathroom and a pile of fluffy towels and toiletries. We spent nearly an hour showering, freshening up and preparing for the flight, and I tried to take an old-fashioned selfie - i.e., a photo in the mirror:
Next time, I'll remember to keep my head up!
The taxi came on time; when we arrived at the airport, we took our cases to be cling film wrapped for added security, and checked in. Going through passport control was followed by a tense moment or three for me - the automatic screen could not read my thumb print! A charming (and still smiling) officer escorted me to another counter, where I was asked to try again, impressing my thumb on the screen. This one was obviously a bit more sensitive; this time, it read my print correctly, but I was then asked to provide further finger and thumb prints of both hands. At moments like these, I experience dark fears of what might happen if this more sophisticated machine still does not recognise me, but the officers assured me this occurs sometimes. All was well; I was waved through and joined Wendy - she looked a tad relieved, too!
Flying back to London always takes longer than the outbound journey; headwinds conspire to add another hour or two to the flight, but we settled down and the time passed, punctuated by sleeps, food, walks up and down the aisles and (for me) another couple of films, although by the time we were nearing Heathrow, I was so heavy-lidded, I wasn't sure if I'd manage to finish watching the second picture.
We landed, collected the suitcases, loaded up the car and (how she keeps going, I don't know) Wendy drove us home.
It took me a good two days to get over the jet-lag; I tried to do as much as I possibly could to get back into the usual routine, but I had to give in on a few occasions, and let someone else carry on!
Mum was pleased to see me, but I'm not sure how much she remembers about me being away, or why I went to Brisbane in the first place. I told her about Uncle John, and sometimes she knows and remembers how, where and why he is in hospital, and at other times it comes as a new piece of information.
When I think back on this trip, and all Wendy and I have achieved, I am just so pleased I was able to go with her. We had the worry about if we could be sure we'd be told how Uncle John was progressing, and a minor battle to get our names and contact details on the forms; we saw him in Princess Alexandra Hospital, and transferred to St Vincent's Hospital; celebrating my birthday with Uncle John was a highlight, as was Wendy taking me to so many places she and Uncle John love visiting.
But the best memory is seeing the expression on Uncle John's face, that first day when we walked into the ward at Princess Alexandra Hospital, and when he said, he had never thought he would ever see me, ever again; and he had never expected to see Wendy back in Brisbane again, either.
No comments:
Post a Comment