Singapore Trip July 2016

Part 1: Singapore

On 1^st July we flew direct from Cape Town to Singapore, a long boring fourteen hour flight and arrived at 0630 Singapore time at Changi airport. This is a big, very big, modern and immaculate airport with 3 terminals and is one of the world’s busiest in terms of passengers handling 55 million in 2015 and 1.8 million tons of freight.

Singapore the Garden City

Changi serves more than 100 airlines with an arrival or departure taking place every 90 seconds. Terminal 3 is connected by an Airport Sky train which quickly shuttles passengers from the disembarkation gates to the main terminal where immigration and customs formalities are conducted. Despite a careful scrutiny of our passports and faces, the speed with which hundreds of arriving passengers are processed is impressive.  Unfortunately for us we had a tour group of Chinese mothers with at least two children each who kept pushing in to join their friends ahead of us in the queue thus delaying us in getting to the counter.  This was the first of several encounters where we were to experience that generally Chinese tourists are most inconsiderate of others.

 We were met by our daughter Erin who took us by taxi to her flat which is in a modern high-rise building complete with three swimming pools, a well-equipped gymnasium, tennis court and two outdoor hot pools. The flat is typical of what many ex-pats live in with a reasonably large living room, kitchen, bedroom with a small en-suite bathroom and small study. Surprisingly there is also a bomb-shelter which is used as a store-room until the next time the Japanese invade the island.

Here after catching up on family news and views we had a couple of hours sleep before starting out to explore this amazing city. In my opinion the word awesome is grossly overused today but it truly applies to this island-state.

At the end of WW2 Singapore was in a poor run-down condition with much of its infrastructure destroyed, a shortage of food, unchecked diseases and rampant crime and violence. In 1959 it became a self-governing state within the British Commonwealth with Lee Kuan Yew as its first Prime Minister.  Under his firm, visionary and decisive leadership it is quite incredible what was achieved during the following years.

Today, this island city-state is the only Asian country with a top AAA sovereign rating from all the major credit rating agencies. The World Bank says it is the “easiest place to do business” and it garners many accolades from being the 3^rd largest foreign exchange centre, the second busiest port in the world after Shanghai and consistently rated as among the least corrupt countries in the World.

This city-state ranks high in its social policies with the emphasis being on education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life and personal safety. Its core principles are meritocracy, multiculturalism and secularism and it has a pragmatic and corruption free government focusing on the nation’s longer term interests. 

Of particular note is the emphasis on greening the island and we were highly impressed with the tree-lined freeways, abundance of parks and the creation of green terraces on high-rise buildings. Singapore considers itself as the Garden city. It is modern with eye catching architecture, not the dull boring concrete blocks so beloved here in South Africa. It is clean, tidy, graffiti-free and law abiding with an efficient transport system consisting of a fully integrated bus and rail network.

Super Tree

It is truly a delight to walk through the attractive streets and parks with their combination of eye catching, futuristic architecture embodied in its graceful soaring buildings interspersed with quaint throwbacks to the colonial period.

Our first stop was the Gardens by the Bay which is a recreational area built on reclaimed land close to the river. Here we were stunned by the “Super trees” which are huge 50m high mushroom shaped metal frames encased by real creepers and plants, cleverly illuminated at night. Between the two largest trees is a suspended “skyway” 22m above ground.

Next we visited the nearby Cloud forest, a glass dome covering a 35metre man-made mountain and waterfall. It includes a variety of tropical montane plants, orchids and ferns all cleverly set out.  We then went to the Flower dome which houses a magnificent floral display made up of vegetation from around the world. South Africa, more specifically, our very own fynbos was featured with familiar plants and a sculpture of two baboons.

We strolled around the Marina Bay area which is dominated by the towering Marina Bay Sands hotel, the icon of Singapore, three curved tower blocks with what appears to be a gigantic canoe perched on top. We walked over the curved Helix Bridge to the area where the Grand Prix will be staged later this year. We saw the statue of the Merlion, which is the symbol of Singapore. It has the head of a lion and tail of a fish and guards the Southern

Marina Bay Hotel

entrance to the Singapore River. Its origins date from the 11^th century when Prince Utama landed  and saw what he believed was a lion. He named the island Singapura which is Sanskit for Lion [Singa] and City [Pura]. The fish tail symbolises the fishing village origins of the site.

We then had supper in an outdoor terraced restaurant and watched the nightly laser light show which plays over Marina Bay from projectors placed along the sides of the “canoe” at the top of the Marina Sands Hotel. Unfortunately we were too far away to hear the music which accompanies it.

Dempsey Hill.

Former Barrack Building

The next day Sunday, we visited the former British Army Tanglin Barracks which is now a Lifestyle village, known as Dempsey Hill, with a bohemian theme of shops, wine outlets, restaurants, arts and craft centres and educational facilities.

Intended to accommodate the British troops stationed there the building of the barracks started in 1861 and consisted of large airy structures, however they remained unoccupied as the British India Office did not deploy any troops to the island.

In 1867 the Colonial office took over the administration of the island from the British East India Company and in 1868, the 80^th Foot Staffordshire Volunteers moved in.  Over time many improvements such as sports fields and housing for married offices were added. A garrison church- St Georges Church was built in 1911 and is still in use today. The barracks served the British garrison infantry battalion until the fall of Singapore in 1942. 

We had lunch in a restaurant situated in one of the renovated barrack buildings where we could appreciate the high-roofed, open and cool design.

Botanical Gardens

Botanic Gardens

Lake scene

After lunch, we walked down to the famous Botanic Gardens. Here we found a truly enchanting combination of paths, trees and brilliantly coloured flower-beds scattered around sprawling wide open lawns and water features. The towering trees provided plenty of shade although the humidity was uncomfortably high in the 36˚plus temperature.

The original gardens were established in 1822 at Fort Canning by Sir Stamford Ruffles a keen botanist and founder of the modern city state of Singapore. His main purpose was to evaluate plants for commercial cultivation. These were closed only a few years later.

Burkill Hall

The present gardens were founded in 1859 by an agri-horticultural society which was granted 32 hectares of land in Tanglin.  Lawrence Nevin, a landscape designer was hired to turn the overgrown plantation and virgin rain-forest into a public park. His layout reflects the English garden style and remains largely unchanged to this day. Rubber plant seedlings from Kew gardens in London were introduced in 1877 and the garden’s first scientific director- Henry Ridley undertook research into the cultivation of the rubber tree and encouraged planters across Malaya to adopt his methods. As a result Malaya soon became the world’s biggest rubber producer. Ridley also developed the technique to extract the latex without harming the tree. His rubber tapping procedure remains in use today

During the Japanese occupation, the gardens continued to be run as a scientific institution and the interned British director- Professor Eric Holttum and the assistant director Edward Corner were instructed to resume their horticultural research.

The orchid garden is blessed by the hot, humid tropical climate and is at the forefront of orchid studies. It is the home of the largest collection of over 1200 species of orchid and 2000 hybrids.  The garden contains an 1856 built colonial plantation bungalow called Burkill Hall which became the garden’s director’s residence. Today it is used for VIP events and private functions.

The gardens played a prominent role in giving effect to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s vision of turning Singapore into a garden city. Today with over 4 million visitors annually they are the most visited botanic gardens in the world. To anyone visiting Singapore they are a must on their what to see list.

Sentosa Island

Palawan Beach

Sentosa Island situated only a stone’s throw off the south shore of Singapore is a popular resort for both locals and tourists and is undoubtedly Singapore’s play-ground. The name is derived from a Malay word meaning peace and tranquillity. Perhaps that was appropriate once but today it is a frenetic area full of families with small wild children excitedly wandering between holiday hotels, amusement parks and the numerous kids’ entertainment facilities. The Universal Studios Theme Park is a major attraction for many.

6" Gun Battery

Really?

Having taken the mono-rail from the main island across to Sentosa we made our way down to one of the three beaches, Palawan beach, which is a very attractive palm tree lined strip of beautiful clean, white sand, washed by the warm, clear blue ocean. Just offshore is a small wooded island accessed via a shaky suspension-bridge.  As we stepped off the bridge we saw a sign reading “The Southernmost Point of Continental Asia” For the rather exacting Singapore, this is stretching reality given that we are standing on an island, off Sentosa Island, off Singapore Island thus three islands displaced from the actual mainland. Finally a quick look at Google Earth will show that this little island is not even off the southernmost part of Sentosa!

Fort Siloso

From the beach area we took the free bus to Siloso Point at the western tip of the island where Fort Siloso is situated.  This is the only remaining coastal battery of the 12 that formed “Fortress Singapore” at the start of WW2.  The batteries faced south towards the sea in expectation of a Japanese seaborne assault. Contrary to popular belief they were trained to fire northwards against the Japanese assault across the Johore Straits. Having only armour piercing shells intended for use against shipping, the were largely ineffective against infantry targets.  However they did sink one Japanese transport ship and were used to demolish the nearby oil storage tanks thus preventing them falling into Japanese hands.

Observation Post

Early in my naval career I attended a Coastal Artillery course on similar 6” guns situated on the Bluff in Durban.  I was most interested in seeing this battery which has been renovated, complete with life-size mannequins in army uniforms which give a good impression of what military life and action must have been like for those 1940 Artillery volunteers and conscripts.  However some of the renovations strayed from historical accuracy in that the observation post would not have had glass windows! Never-the-less it was well worth visiting.

Raffles Hotel

One simply cannot visit Singapore and not stop by Raffles Hotel, the former bastion of British Imperialism which has been declared a national monument.  In 1991 it was reopened after a 30month long restoration/modernisation yet retaining its elegant colonial ambience. In style it resembles our Mount Nelson and the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe. We found it to be in immaculate condition with brilliant white walls, gleaming floor tiles and elegant

Pat enjoying a Singapore Sling in the Terrace Bar

chandeliers. Unfortunately legendary long bar has been moved up onto the second floor, although retaining some of the original furnishings it is no-longer the real-deal.

The Long Bar was originally situated down the side of the ground floor ballroom where it became a popular gathering place for the English and other expatriates.  In those early days of the last century it was unseemly for Ladies to be seen drinking in public, they had to be content with iced-tea or fruit- juice whereas the Men could happily knock-back their whiskeys and gins. Realising an opportunity chief barman Ngian Tong Boon created the “Singapore Sling”. A fruit-juice looking concoction of gin, cherry-brandy and lemon juice amongst other ingredients. It was an immediate hit!  Seated in the terrace we tried one and its not bad!

Orchard Road

We took a walk down this 2 km long boulevard which is the city’s retail hub and a shopaholic’s delight, where all the European and Asian big name brands have large outlets with a vast array of their offerings. Again we took-in the avant-garde architecture, wide-tree-lined pavements with busy-bustling crowds thronging into the malls and high-rise centres.

Erin’s School

Erin is employed as an English teacher at the Lycée Français de Singapour so we took a bus out to see her school which accommodates some 3 200 pupils. For security reasons we were not allowed into the grounds but we could get a good impression of it walking down Ang Mo Kio Avenue.  It is an impressive campus with many large modern buildings and extensive sports fields. She told us that this school is considered the flagship of overseas French Schools.  

While on the bus we noticed that almost everyone had their cell phones out and were busy with their apps. Singaporeans are definitely well into the digital age and constantly use their phones for everything but phoning!

Fort Canning Park

Fort Canning Entrance

Fort Canning is a small 60m hill overlooking the original anchorage and river mouth harbour as well as much of the island hinterland. Previously known as Bukit Larangan “the forbidden hill,” it is believed to have been the seat of the former Malay Kingdom, thus forbidden to ordinary folk.  In the park, we came across the the Keramat of Iskander Shah whom legend has it was the last Malay ruler of the Island.

Replica of the original lighthouse

Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, chose this site for his residence and established Singapore’s first botanical gardens there. On Raffles Terrace we saw a replica of the Old Lighthouse used to guide ships into the river as well as a replica of his bungalow.

Around 1860, this hill was fortified and used as the base for the British Military with barracks, ammunitions stores and a hospital. It was named after Viscount Canning who was both Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India.  Later the British Colonial Governors resided there and it became known colloquially as “Government Hill”.

As Singapore developed, the fort became obsolescent and much of it was knocked down as space was needed for other important buildings such as the Administration Building for the British Far East Command HQ built in 1926 and from where Lieutenant General Percival oversaw the defences of Singapore during the lead up to WW2. The Main Gate, sections of the outer fortress wall and a Sally Port are all that can still be seen.  The barracks were converted into the Fort Canning Arts Centre and the former Military HQ has been refurbished as a boutique hotel but retaining its old style colonial glamour. 

The Battlebox

For students of history, a must see is the “Battlebox”, the underground bomb-proof 29 room bunker constructed about 10m below the site of Fort Canning in the late 1930s. It was intended to be the combined operations headquarters and had a telephone exchange connected to all the military and most civilian exchanges throughout Malaya.  It was a Top–Secret installation and few knew of its existence. The actual decision to Surrender Singapore to Japan was made on 15 February 1942 in the Commander Anti-Aircraft Defence’s room where Gen Percival had summoned his senior commanders. He initially proposed a counter-attack to regain the water reservoirs and food depots overrun by the Japanese. Advised that there was now only one day’s worth of water and only two days’ worth of ammunition remaining, and with the Japanese in control of most of the island, it was unanimously agreed that a counterattack was impractical. Consequently Percival had no choice but to ignore Churchill’s admonitions to fight to the last man and to seek terms with the Japanese Commander.

This conference room has wax models of Percival and his senior officers and one can easily imagine the anguish they experienced when faced with the realisation that all was lost.

It is an interesting historical footnote that the two Allied Commanders who were forced by circumstance to surrender to the Japanese, thereby creating the “British Army’s greatest humiliation” and “the worst military defeat in United States’ history”, namely General Percival and US Army General Wainwright, Commander of the Allied Forces in the Philippines at the time of their surrender to the Japanese, were invited by General Douglas MacArthur to stand right behind him when he accepted the Japanese Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in September 1945.  A worthy tribute to two military commanders whom history has not treated kindly until quite recently.

Southern Ridges tree top walk

One morning, after a brief refreshing rain-shower we set off on a hike along the southern ridges walk which is a 9km route across the hills of southern Singapore overlooking Keppel Harbour. The idea of this trail is to link the three parks- Mount Faber park, Hort park and Kent ridge park.

Henderson Waves footbridge

Elevated Walkway

We started at the ingenious caterpillar shaped Henderson Waves foot-bridge which straddles a highway running through a valley between two ridges. The well maintained foot-paths and elevated walkways meander westward overlooking the residential suburbs with their many high rise buildings. The end is at Kent Ridge Park with its Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a small but well set-out war museum commemorating the Malay Regiment who fought here at the battle of Pasir Panjang, the last major battle before the capitulation. We also passed behind the site of the Alexandra Hospital Massacre where on 14^th February 1942 the advancing Japanese army bayoneted to death 50 patients, doctors and medical staff including those undergoing surgery at the time.

Changi Museum

The Changi museum is situated close to the site of the original civilian prison built by the British in 1936. It and its satellite camps became the main internment centres for the Allied Prisoners of War and civilian men, women and children some who remained there for more than three years following the surrender of Singapore. It became infamous for the cruelty meted out to the POWs by the Japanese guards as well as being the embarkation point for the POWs being transported by rail in metal box cars to Thailand for enforced work on the notorious Thai-Burma Death railway.

Today the museum is dedicated to all who suffered during Singapore’s dark years of WW2 and we were deeply moved by the collection of POWs’ letters, documents, paintings and sketches. Alongside the museum building is a replica of the Changi Chapel built by the POWs. The original was relocated to Canberra. This chapel is place of pilgrimage for veterans and the families of ex POWs.  We were saddened to find no trace of any acknowledgement of the South African’s who lost their lives in that theatre of war. Over 20 SA sailors died when HMS Cornwall was sunk.

Exhibited there were examples of the extraordinary ingenuity of the POWs in fabricating surgical instruments from bamboo and other scrap material, Artificial legs were made from bamboo and discarded tins, They fabricated mess utensils, cooking pots, knives and other tools, water bottles as well as secret radios similar to crystal sets but utilising razor blades in addition to small valve powered sets which could be easily hidden.

Boat Quay and China Town

Renovated water-front

We walked along boat quay which was the original trading centre with boats moored in front of the predominantly Chinses owned shop-houses where the owner lived directly over his work-place. This whole area has been modernised but retains much of its former layout and buildings which were simply refurbished.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

On the North bank of the Singapore River there is an imposing statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles at the point where he is reputed to have first stepped ashore. The plaque reads “On this historic site, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles first landed in Singapore on 29th January 1819, and with genius and perception changed the destiny of Singapore from an obscure fishing village to a great seaport and modern metropolis". Unlike many of his contemporaries, Raffles was a far-sighted and fair-minded man tolerant of other cultures. He provided for the education and well-being of the local inhabitants and his contribution to the overall development of the island is openly acknowledged.

Kepple Harbour

Wandering through the narrow streets of China town is an experience. Much of the wares on display are cheap, plastic tourist junk but between these tourist traps, are some good shops selling genuine items from The China interior.   I found out from one of the shop assistants that they travel to China at least once a year to scour the inland towns for antiques and genuine locally made items.

The Singapore City Gallery

We also visited the Singapore City Gallery which is run by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, with the aim of showcasing Singapore’s physical transformation in the last 40 years to become "one of the most liveable cities in Asia". Through the use of many innovative and interactive screens, diagram’s and models it sets out how the city has developed from its early days and goes on the explain the 40 to 50 year Concept plan which is updated every ten years and reveals what the city fathers plan for the future. Outline details of the follow on Master Plan which will put it all into effect are also shown.

This is a superb gallery and one can only be impressed by the depth of the city’s authorities’ innovative, fully integrated and forward looking planning.

We also learnt that the majority of residential housing in Singapore is publicly governed and developed by the Housing Development Board [HDB] primarily to provide affordable housing for the poor. More than 80% of Singaporeans live in flats and 95% of them now own their HDB flat thanks to a scheme whereby the can use their savings in the provident fund to use as a down payment.  Because of space limitations most of the housing schemes are high rise but careful thought is given to providing recreational and green spaces surrounding them and each complex or “town” is designed to be self- sustainable with small retail businesses included. 

A unique feature of these housing blocks is that in most the first floor is left void of housing units and intentionally left as an open space for community use such as weddings, medical centres and child-care facilities.  Newer projects are now aimed at the middle income group and even executive condominiums are being built.

Sky-Walk

Sky walk suspended from Super-trees

On our final evening we returned to the Gardens on the bay to do the ‘Sky-walk” we queued for almost an hour as only 50 are allowed along the walk at any time. The time was not wasted as we had good seats to watch the light and music show that played out by means of thousands of little lights hidden in the super trees. They changed colour, flickered and faded in and out in keeping with the music which was an eclectic mix of good old-time favourites to modern pop. All in all an enchanting display.

Foot-note

Carefully does it!

Whilst we were there Singapore experienced its first bank robbery in ten years. A 27 year old Canadian walked into a Standard Chartered Bank in Holland Village and handed the female teller a note that said: “This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don’t call the police”. He was given S$30,000 and immediately left for the airport where he caught a flight to Bangkok.  Unfortunately for him the police traced him and contacted the Thai police who soon tracked him down with in three days.  Last heard he is in custody awaiting extradition back to Singapore.

Part 2: Thailand

Phuket and Kata Beach

Kata-Noi Beach

With Erin accompanying us, we flew directly from Singapore to Phuket which is an island off the Western coast of Thailand and from there took a mini-bus to Kata Beach. This was an almost two hour trip due to Phuket’s international airport being at the northern end of the island and Kata way down south, the chaotic traffic and the need to drop off other passengers at their resorts.  Our hotel was a pleasant surprise built half way up the hill behind Kata beach with the exotic name of Nook-Dee, a new and well fitted out establishment with its own swimming pool.

Kata-Noi beach

After a good lunch in the hotel’s dining room, we walked down to the Kata-Noi beach.  This was quite a hazardous undertaking because the electricity supply cables are all strung haphazardly overhead and various wires hang down waiting for a passer-by.  Anyway, we survived and reached the beach which was much as expected with white sands and palm trees but surprisingly few bathers.  We later realised that there are two Kata beaches and this was the smaller less popular of the two.

In the tropical heat and high humility it’s one thing to walk down a steep hill, quite another to slog back up it, so we negotiated with a tuk-tuk driver to take us back to the hotel.  At first he wanted an outrageous amount for quite literally a five minute drive. We reached a compromise but clearly they are out to fleece tourists as compared to the costs of tuk-tuks in Bangkok, which for much longer distances,  are a fraction of the costs that these beach-side robbers demanded. The influx of tourists that Thailand has seen over the past few decades has meant that the locals have become more stubborn and unwilling to haggle.

Fishing boats

Heading out to Sea

Over the next two days we explored the beach-front, swam in the warm, salty Andaman sea, kept an eye out for tsunamis and were amused at how hefty Russian women squeeze themselves into tiny bikinis.  We found a little fishing village at the mouth of a river and watched as the long-tail fishing boats navigated the shallow river and then headed out through the surf to get to the fishing grounds where they seemed to stay over-night.

One event of note was that we subjected ourselves to a real hour-long traditional Thai massage. Those slight little women certainly knew how to use their elbows and knees as the not so occasional shriek, groan and mutterings from our fellow sufferers attested, but at the end I have not felt so flexible for years.

Being the chill-out part of our trip, lounging and reading beside the hotel rim-flow pool took up much of the time as it had a superb view out to sea and when it got too hot, what better than to hop into the cool clear waters? I have no hesitation in recommending this Nook-Dee hotel, it was comfortable and convenient with big spotless well equipped rooms and polite helpful staff.

I am intrigued by the attraction of Phuket for South Africans when we have equally inviting beaches and resorts in the Seychelles and Mauritius easily accessible at less than half the flying time and costs. Maybe it is an age thing! Phuket is mainly a starting point for travellers going to the other islands which are much nicer.

From Phuket we took an evening flight to Bangkok and after about an hour’s taxi ride through this sprawling city we reached our hotel which is in the older part of the city close to the Royal Palace.

Kanchanaburi

Next morning we had to be up early as our train to Kanchanaburi left at 0745. I arranged for the hotel receptionist to brief the taxi driver as to which station we wanted to go to and I clearly heard him say Thonburi. After about 20 minutes the taxi driver grinned at us, pointed to a station and indicated that this was it.  It wasn’t as we soon found out. We approached the ticket office and eventually found a lady who could speak some English. She explained that we could get to Thonburi by a circular route on the skytrain and we would have to change trains on the way. So we bought tickets and caught the next train. It was an all-stations affair and we had many to go before we even changed trains. It became very obvious that time was fast running out and that we were going to miss our connection.  Seeing that there were only two departures a day for our destination, this would be a major setback.

Deciding that proceeding any further on this particular train would be a lost cause we got off and debated what we should do next.  Erin who had a data connection on her phone found out that there was a frequent bus service out to Kanchanaburi. So we flagged down a taxi and set off for the Southern Bus Station. This turned out to be alongside a huge mall where we eventually found the bus service ticket office. Here there was a notice saying that tickets should be bought at terminal 10. We teamed up with an elderly Japanese(they were Thai) man and presumably his granddaughter and set off to find terminal 10. Finally we found it and a woman behind a wooden table selling the needed tickets.

The bus was an air-conditioned coach so the journey was comfortable and from our lofty seats we could see much of rural Thailand during the two hour ride. Fortune favoured us because the bus is a lot quicker than the train so despite the time lost we arrived in Kanchanaburi mid-morning, much as we had planned.

Alighting from the coach and to our complete surprise we were cheerily greeted by an Australian from Brisbane who worked there as a tourist policeman! He quickly organised a Tuk-tuk to take us to our destination, the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre.

Cemetery & Death Railway Museum

The Thailand-Burma Railway Centre

This is an interactive museum, information and research facility dedicated to presenting the history of the Thailand-Burma Railway- “Death Railway” in a respectful, factual and non-partisan way.

The “Death Railway” ran 415 km from Ban Pong in Thailand to Thanbuyuzayat in Burma, and was built by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War 2. Its purpose was to link Thailand to Burma thus providing a much needed means of getting war supplies to Burma for the Japanese build-up for their invasion of India. The alternative was to use the sea-route around the Malay peninsula with the considerable risk of their ships being torpedoed by US Submarines. The building of the railway was supervised by Japanese army engineers using an estimated 180 000 impressed civilian labourers (Romusha) and 60 000 Allied Prisoners of War. The brutality of the guards, starvation rations, inhumane working conditions, lack of medical facilities and rampant disease led to the  deaths of about half of the Romusha labours and over 12 000 POWs.

This centre/museum is the work of an Australian, Ron Beattie who has researched the history and construction of the rail line for some time before he opened the centre in 2003. Today it is probably the most comprehensive exhibition of the subject anywhere in the world.

The museum sets out the history of the railway from the initial British survey, Japanese planning for the region, invasion of Burma, construction and use of the railway to the post war repatriation of the POWs and reburial of the dead.  The displays are first class, using photographs, sketches, artefacts, replicas and models. There is a full size model of a hospital with dummies depicting the gruesome conditions under which the Doctors and Medical Orderlies had work. A scale model of the full length of the railway is also on display

Not only does the museum cover the fate of the Allied POWs but also gives comprehensive coverage of the inhumane conditions endured by the conscripted Asian workers referred to as Romusha, [Japanese for labourer] who were forced to work on the railway under even worse conditions than that experienced by the POWs.

Following our visit to the museum we then walked across the road to see the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery which is immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Here are the graves of almost 7000 servicemen and POWs most of whom died during the building of the Death Railway.

We than made our way by Tuk-Tuk to our hotel for a short rest from the heat and high humidity before setting out to visit the actual bridge.

Bridge of the River Kwae

The Bridge over the River Kwai

This bridge, immortalised in the film Bridge over the River Kwai is a tourist focal point. It was constructed by the POWs from steel spans acquired by the Japanese in Java. If you look carefully you will see that two spans in the centre are rectangular while the remainder are curved. These replaced two of the original which were destroyed when the bridge was bombed by the RAF in June 1945.

In fact none of the 688 bridges built by the POWs crossed a river named Kwae. The river running past Kanchanaburi was actually then called the Mae Klong.  But thanks to the international success of David Lean’s film, tourists flocked to Thailand to see the site of this film and its bridge so in 1960 to capitalise on this, the Kanchanaburi town council changed the name of the river to Kwae Yai.

Another misrepresentation in the film is that this bridge was not wooden, but constructed with eleven steel spans brought from Java. It was the only one of the 688 built by the POWs not built of wood. However there was a small light temporary wooden bridge built about 100m downstream which could carry light rail trucks transporting building material across the river whilst the main bridge was being built.

Although it was late afternoon, the heat and humidity was oppressive and just walking across the bridge brought home the harshness of the conditions that those POWs had to endure. We watched as the evening train slowly rumbled across and then visited a majestic Buddhist temple set on the far bank.

Hellfire Pass Museum

POWs labouring

The next morning we took a taxi to the Hellfire Pass Museum which is about 70 kms from Kanchanburi and situated in a Thai military training area.  This museum was built and is maintained by the Australian Government after an agreement was reached with the Thai government.

Hellfire Pass today

It presents the history of the Thai–Burma railway, the rationale for the railway and the way in which it was constructed and the hardship experienced by the POWs and Romusha. Walking around the well set-out displays is a deeply moving experience and made me reflect on the fact that we in South Africa know so little about the hardships endured by those who fought in the Asia/ Pacific theatres of WW2.

From the Museum, and armed with the audio guide we climbed down to the actual railway track and along to Hell-fire Pass Cutting.  At 75m long and 25m deep it is the deepest and longest cutting along the length of the railway. The name symbolises the appalling conditions experienced when the Japanese introduced “Speedo” to meet the tight completion deadline. This entailed the emaciated POWs working long hours into the night lit only by oil-lamps and fires and the din of the rock-drilling conjured up images of hell. “The place earned the title of Hellfire Pass, for it looked, and was, like a living image of hell itself. [Jack Chalker]

Section of the Death Railway

The audio guide was good and contained commentaries by former POWs on their experiences which eloquently added to the overall experience. We saw the memorial at the far end of the cutting which is the focal point of the ANZAC Day memorial ceremony held annually. We continued a little further along the rail bed and saw first-hand just how difficult the terrain and thick undergrowth would have made construction.

Despite the shade provided by the trees, the heat and humidity was over-bearing and I was only carrying a camera compared with the POWs who had to climb down to the river to gather stone for ballast and then drag a basket load back up the slippery slope.  Altogether a moving and contemplative  experience.

Train trip to Bangkok

Nam Tok Station

The present rail service over the former Thai-Burma Death Railway terminates at Nam Tok about 20kms short of the Hellfire pass cutting as the remainder of the rails from here to Burma were taken up as the rail-track was not judged of a standard to carry commercial traffic.

Our taxi dropped us off outside this rather quaint village railway station where a bell sounds to indicate that tickets can now be purchased.  The “up” train from Bangkok arrived on time and we boarded this 3^rd class only train.  Our carriage was definitely old and well used but clean with padded seats. Absent were any signs of graffiti or vandalism such as we are accustomed to at home. Even the antiquated fans suspended from the roof were working!  

Wam Po Viaduct

Trestle bridge built by the POWs still in use

We pulled out on time and slowly made our way along the rail bed made by the POWs 70 odd years ago. We passed through villages virtually untouched by time, paddy fields and farm lands. After some time we reached the banks of the River Kwae and very slowly inched over the Wampo viaduct which is one of the few remaining wooden trestle bridges virtually unchanged since built by the POWs in 1943. From there on we passed through many narrow cuttings and along the rail-track hugging the steep sides of the hills. Next we slowed for the crossing of the infamous bridge over the river Kwae.

From Kanchanaburi it was an uneventful three hour trip back to Bangkok through the tropical landscape with many small rural villages and open farm lands giving us time to reflect on those horrendous events and the ordeals of the POWS.

Bangkok

After Kanchanaburi we returned to our hotel and spent the next two days “doing” Bangkok.

On our first morning as we were walking to the Royal Palace we were approached by a woman who started chatting to us in good English. After a while she asked us what we wanted to do and then steered us around to taking the boat ride first as the Palace only opened at 1100. She explained what it entailed and soon a Tuk-tuk conveniently arrived and she “suggested” that it could take us for a good price to the river landing from where the long boats operated. We agreed and off we went.  The boat trip went up the smaller canals which cannot be accessed by the main river ferries and boats. 

Entering Bangkok's canals

For me it turned out to be the high point of our Bangkok stay.  We saw the back-waters of the city, with stilted houses that most have been there for ages, some completely run down and collapsing into the water. Others had been patched up and stood perilously on their rotting wooden piles while others were recently built brick and concrete palaces standing on substantial concrete piles.

The boatman gave us 20 minutes to explore a riverbank temple and its surrounds. Then back into the boat which we had to ourselves and more sightseeing. We noticed that at the intersections of many of these canals there were canal–signs on poles sticking out of the water just like street signs.

Finally the boatman opened up the diesel motor and we roared away across the main Chao Phraya river  to the landing pontoon near to the Palace. In retrospect, although we were conned by that woman because the Palace actually opens at 0900 not 1100, and how-come the Tuk-tuk appeared just when it did and how-come the boatman was ready waiting for us? But on checking the prices offered by other boat operators and tuk-tuks, we did not seem to have paid more than necessary, in fact some boat operators offered less for more money. So in practice her conn was of little consequence.

We then walked around the Palace walls to get to the tourist entrance and in doing so passed the Naval Wives Club and the Naval Officers club. Both very smart buildings and clearly the Navy & Military in Thailand are very well looked after.

Grand Palace

The Grand Palace which is no longer the King’s Residence, is situated in a vast compound with many halls, temples and museums.  It was crowded with tourists of all hues but specifically Chinese with their parasols at eye level and selfie sticks waving about with no regards for those nearby.  To get in we had to queue to go through a security check and aware that men in shorts are taboo I draped one of Erin’s shawls about me to hide my legs.   This was quite acceptable when we visited the Buddhist temple in Singapore but not here.  A polite but determined sergent informed me that I had to wear long- loose fitting pantaloons.

We retuned the following morning with me sweltering in my long khaki trousers to be admitted without a problem.  We had chosen the right time as the beat of a drum drew our attention to the relieving guards marching into the palace. Unfortunately the actual changing of the guard ceremony takes place in a walled off area where the public is not admitted.

Our aim was to see the famed Emerald Buddha but we found out that admittance to this temple would cost 500 Bhat each, a total of about R400.  We just wanted to see it not buy it, so we turned away and fought our way through the crowds fending off the inevitable eye-height umbrellas and made our way out to see the Wat Pho Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

Wat Pho

Although for tourists the main attraction of this temple is the 46m long Reclining Buddha, it also houses one of the largest collections of Buddha images and was the earliest centre of public education in Thailand. Today it contains a school of Thai medicine and is known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.

The Reclining Buddha

It is one of the largest and oldest Wats in Bangkok and covers an area of 80 000 m^2.  We looked into Phra Ubosot which is the ordination hall and most sacred part of the complex.  The Reclining Buddha is imposing and along the side of the chapel are 108 bronze bowls into which visitors can drop money for good-luck and as a contribution to the monks who maintain the Wat.

Khaosan Road

This short road has become Bangkok’s Backpacker centre and is internationally recognised as a party-place. It is lined with many cheap back-packer hostels as well as cheaper 3 star hotels as well as many travel agents. In between the hostels and travel agents there are many cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops.  Later in the evening the street is lined with street vendor’s carts selling food, CDs, clothing and plain junk!

Thatnight we visited it to eat supper at a restaurant. It rained, not gentle rain but by the bucket load.  Although it was not cold the problem was that the roadway was soon flooded and we had to wade through indescribable muck!

After Bangkok, we took an evening flight back to Singapore for a final day there before catching our flight back to South Africa and home. Once again a forgettable flight, a tad shorter as it terminated in Johannesburg.  Due to only 4 lanes being open for the security screening of several hundred passengers in the domestic departures hall, we almost missed our connecting flight to Cape Town. 

Europe 2012; Part 1

 Two Ps, Two Backpacks and a Camera

Sun 23 Sep Istanbul

Galata Bridge with Tower on skyline

 After a long and uneventful flight from Cape Town, broken only by a ninety minute technical stop in Johannesburg, we arrived at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport at about 0515 in the morning.

Early morning fishermen

We experienced long queues in obtaining our visas but happily, by the time that was sorted out, the hotel car was ready waiting and drove us through Istanbul in pre-dawn darkness to our hotel which was situated in the old town.  Our room would only be available mid-afternoon, so we left our back-packs with reception and enjoyed an early breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Golden Horn and watching the sun rise.

Not wanting to waste time we then set out to explore and made our way down to the waterfront and across the Galata Bridge which was crowded with keen fishermen.   We were intrigued to see how modern apartments were jammed in between very old buildings, many clearly ready to collapse but for the support of their modern neighbours.

Bosphorus looking North

Later that morning we took the Bosphorus Ferry trip up to Anadolu Kavagi, the last stop before the Black Sea.  This was a relaxing way to familiarise ourselves with the geography of this sprawling metropolis. Our ferry zigzagged across this famous waterway calling in at many small terminals for a quick disembarkation or embarkation of passengers. 

On the way we passed the MV SAVARONA, a graceful steam yacht built in Germany in 1931 for an American Heiress. In 1938 she was purchased by the Turkish Government as the Presidential Yacht for their ailing leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.  Today she is retained as a state yacht run by the navy.

MY SAVARONA

Interestingly we saw many ships making their way up to the Black Sea, mostly oil-tankers bound for the Caspian, but hardly any coming down the straits.  Eventually we arrived at Anadolu Kavagi on the Asian side where we all had to disembark.   After a quick look around this quaint little village, we made our way up the headland behind the village to the Genoese Castle, a derelict 14^th century fort with its magnificent views out over the Black Sea.

Two hours later we were back aboard our ferry which had remained berthed alongside, which soon cast off to make her way back down to Istanbul.    The straits are lined with a variety of houses and apartments 

Entrance to the Black Sea

ranging from older more modest dwellings to sumptuous old palaces, modern avant-garde residences for the uber-rich and innovative high-rise blocks of flats.  The weather was mild and balmy with just a gentle breeze and all too soon we were back at Eminönü, the ferry terminal. 

Village scene

Residence on bank of Bosphorus

After a short detour to the hotel and a quick clean-up in our room which we found had a good view overlooking the old Orient Express Railway station and the opposite bank of the Golden Horn, we set out again for an evening walk through the crowded streets followed by a modest supper of a Big Mac and Coke. 

Orient Express Terminal Station

Busy street market

Mon 24 Sep Istanbul

After an early breakfast we strolled through the nearby Gullane gardens which are situated below the walls of the Topkapi Palace, past the great Hagia Sophia which is closed on Mondays and on towards the Blue Mosque.   On the way we were accosted by a smooth talking carpet seller who, sensing a customer went into a long story about his relations in Cape Town and so on.   On the pretext of hearing about Cape Town he invited us into his shop for apple tea, I was deeply suspicious of his motive but we did make it very clear that we were not buying carpets that day.  “No problem let’s just talk” he replied.  Sure enough he served us a minute cup of delicious apple tea but too hot to drink.  After a few pleasantries his brother entered and the hard sell started while brother No. 1 sidled out.  Brother No 2 started off all sweetness and courtesy and soon zeroed in on Pat as being the better target. After I pointed out that we were not here to buy carpets, he realised that he would get nothing from me so curtly told me to get a life and Pat to ditch me!

Sultan Ahmet Mosque

He upped the smooth talking pressure on Pat, detecting that she really liked the admittedly beautiful carpets they had on display.  Anyway to cut a long story short we drank our tea, thanked him and walked out with him muttering about me really needing to get a life!   From here we continued on our way to the Blue Mosque.

Interior

Blue Mosque. Its proper name is the Sultan Ahmet Mosque but it is known world-wide as the Blue Mosque because of the over 20 000 blue Iznik tiles used in decorating the interior.  From the exterior it appears really massive with its main dome surrounded by eight lesser domes gracefully descending into the vast courtyard with six minarets standing sentinel.

The whole of the spacious and serene interior is well lit by the many windows but I did not get an impression of blueness.  Perhaps the colour of the tiles has faded over time.  The floor is completely covered with a rich deep red carpet and one immediately notices the four colossal columns which support the main dome overhead. Pope Benedict XVI visited this Mosque in November 2006 during his visit to Turkey.  This being only the second papal visit to a Muslim place of worship in history.

Basilica Cistern.  This huge underground cistern dating back to Roman times, was the main water reservoir for the ancient city.   Many will have had a glimpse of it in the James Bond Film “From Russia with Love” although it is not mentioned by name in that film.

Basilica Cistern

This cathedral sized cavern could hold 80 000 cubic meters of water.  The ceiling is held up by 336 9m high marble columns in twelve rows.   In 1985 the municipality undertook a major restoration of the cistern and installed discrete lighting and wooden walkways. The subdued orange lighting of this vast space creates an eerie forest like effect.

Gate of Felicity, Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace. This palace is the largest palace in Istanbul, well situated on the bluff of Seraglio Point overlooking the southern entrance to the Bosphorus.  Its construction was initiated by Sultan Mehmed II the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople in 1459, and it became the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years.  In 1856 the Court was moved to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace.  Today it is a State museum which contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Mohammed’s cloak and sword.

Topkapi Palace courtyard

The interior is very oriental, highly decorated with beautiful tiles but some rooms I found rather gloomy and the decoration just too overpowering.  The quality of the craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing.  Having been frequently added to and modified, it now consists of three courtyards with numerous pavilions, chambers, terraces and foyers.

Although there are several semi-furnished rooms, the mostly bare apartments make it hard to visualise what it must have looked like in its prime.  We also visited the Harem and learnt that the harem concept was not the popular western perception of a sultan with a bevy of beauties reserved for his sexual pleasure.   It was a practice of seeking out the most intelligent and beautiful girls who were brought to the palace to ensure that the Sultan had several strong and intelligent sons who, after rigorous training and suitable experience could be appointed governors of the various provinces. The daughters were well educated and were eligible to become the wives of lesser royalty and noblemen.  Further the women who bore sons were elevated to the status of queen and several played very important roles in the ruling of the empire. Hurrem Sultan, the wife of Suleyman the Magnificent was said to be one of the most powerful women in Turkish history.

Council Chamber in the Topkapi Palace

The Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar.  Obviously no visit to an oriental city is complete unless you visit the market or bazaar. Istanbul’s grand Bazaar founded in 1461 is one of the World’s largest and consists of a network of 61 covered streets housing 4 500 shops manned by about 30 000 traders who are masters in the art of haggling. [The opening scenes of a motorbike chase in Sky Fall the latest Bond film, were shot on the rooftops of this bazaar]  With modern LED lighting everywhere, it is just a dazzling, colourful maze of glittering stalls crowded with people.   Capet sellers were everywhere with some magnificent carpets on display, but after our earlier experience, we did not tarry as it does not pay to show too much interest unless you want to spend time debating the pros and cons of a purchase with a shrewd expert on the pros and a utter cynic towards the cons.

narrow cobbled streets

Finally emerging from this market maze we decided to walk around the Carisapi area which lies to the south of the Blue Mosque overlooking the Sea of Marmara. This we found to consist of very narrow cobbled lanes lined with elderly but brightly coloured wooden houses interspersed with more modern brick buildings containing street cafes and small shops with an occasional small leafy park.  From here we made our way through many smaller streets to the Galata Bridge and on to the Galata Tower.

Galata Tower

Galata Tower.   After a somewhat strenuous climb up the narrow streets below the tower, we joined the queue to visit the upper gallery which the public can only access by lift.   This 66m tall cylindrical stone tower was built by the Genoese in 1348 as part of their city fortifications but soon became a watch tower for the fire service.  Today it is a very popular site for tourists like us to get a bird’s eye view of the city.

After a short queue to buy tickets the lift whisked us up to the upper section where we made our way out onto the narrow gallery which completely encircles the tower.   We had timed it well as the sun was setting and the city below was bathed in soft yellow sunlight.  The views out over the city are magnificent although the haze reduced visibility somewhat.  

View over Bosphorus from the Galata Tower

Our supper stop

We then returned to our hotel via the Ataturk Bridge and a walk along the Eminönü embankment where many tourist craft and pleasure craft are moored.  On the way we stopped off at a street side restaurant for a typical Turkish supper.

Tue 25 Sep   Istanbul

Next morning we had an early breakfast so as to be able to get to Hagia Sophia by opening time.

Hagia Sophia

We had noted several that several cruise ships had berthed earlier that morning and we anticipated a long queue to gain entry.  Sure enough there was and we had about a 40 minute wait as hundreds, on pre-booked tours arranged by the cruise ship operators, entered ahead of us.

Interior

Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya in Turkish was something I had long wanted to see.   To say see is inadequate, as this colossal 1500 year old building embraces you with its vast historical spaces which have witnessed some of the most significant events in the historical development of the broad Christian church.

The present building is in fact the 3^rd on the site and was built between 532 and 537.   It was the World’s largest cathedral for almost a thousand years until Seville Cathedral surpassed it in 1520.  Its 32m diameter pendentive dome was an architectural innovation and has ever since astounded engineers with its revolutionary design concept and it remains to this day, the world’s largest of this type.

The great dome

As a Christian church it was the centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church until Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 under Sultan Mehmed II. He promptly had the building converted to a Mosque which it remained until 1931 when it was closed during the war of Turkish Independence.  It is now a state museum.   Although rather gloomy inside and clearly in need of some serious restoration it never-the-less is an awe inspiring creation and a lasting monument to the skills of its builders.

From here we then made our way down to the
Eminönü ferry terminal and caught a ferry across to the Uskudar terminal on the Asian side followed by another short ferry trip to the terminal close to Dolmabahçe Palace.

Dolmabahce Palace

The Dolmabahçe Palace.  
This magnificent palace is situated on the western bank of the Bosphorus and was built on the orders of Sultan Abdul Mecit and completed in 1856 as a replacement for the sprawling and aging Topkapi Palace.  The Sultan was attempting to modernise the Ottoman Empire using western ideas and Dolmabahçe Sarayi was intended to impress his western visitors.   Its building almost bankrupted the Turkish Treasury at the time and was one of the factors that contributed to the eventual collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. 

Although ornate, its exterior design blends gracefully into the surrounding well maintained gardens.    Inside the lavish interior is truly awesome, incredibly ornate yet maintains a distinct balance of harmony and dignity.  I have not seen Versailles but am reliably informed that this palace rivals it.

Our guided tour took us up the Crystal Staircase which leads into to the Ambassador’s reception room which is simply breath-taking with its rich, colourful decorations and furnishings.  We saw the main hall which contains an ornate dome from which is suspended the World’s largest crystal chandelier weighing 4.5 tonnes; it was a gift from Queen Victoria and was originally gas-lit but has since been electrified with 750 light bulbs.   Our guided tour also took us through the main rooms of this remarkable palace which, although a national museum, is still occasionally used for state functions.

Suleymaiye Mosque

After a walk around the elegantly laid out and colourful gardens we returned by ferry to Eminönü and hiked up to the hill to the Süleymaniye Mosque.

Interior

Interior

Süleymaniye Mosque. This mosque is the dominant feature on the Seraglio Point skyline.   It is a vast creation with domes seemingly cascading down to the Golden Horn.  The mosque is surrounded by well-kept terraced gardens which add to the tranquillity of the setting.

We discovered that it is much more than a mosque, but a complete charitable institution with a hospital, schools a caravanserai and hamam.   It was commissioned by Sultan Suliman the Magnificent or the Law-giver, who was instrumental in leading the Ottoman Empire to its foremost position in the Middle East during the 16^th century. This mosque is reputed to be one of the world’s finest, built in 1550-57 by the renowned architect Mimar Sinan, who altogether built 144 mosques and more than 221 other buildings.

I found this a particularly serene place of worship as it was far less ornate than either the Blue Mosque or Aya Sofiya.  It has clean soaring lines, a sense of serenity, light and openness.

Wed 26 Sep Istanbul to St Petersburg

After breakfast we decided to take one last ferry ride over to the Asian side of the Bosphorus and walked down to where the new rail tunnel is being dug under the straits.  We had a good close up view of the Maiden’s Tower which is now a restaurant since James Bond moved on. Then it was time to catch the ferry back, check out of the hotel and be driven out to the Airport. 

Maiden's Tower

To sum up Istanbul; it is a fascinating city well worth a visit with its many interesting and historical buildings and sites.    It’s has a very cosmopolitan aura about it but sadly it is rather seedy, definitely dirty and in need of a lot of maintenance. To be fair we only saw the old city so have no idea of what modern Istanbul is like.