And here is our last part of the 10-22mm series! Yet another trip to the posh Raffles Hotel! For some reason, I end up in Raffles Hotel whenever it is rainy. The first time I went to Raffles Hotel, it was also raining.
Before the rain actually came down full force, I was at the Civilian War Memorial, affectionately known as the Chopsticks. Each "chopstick" represented a major race in Singapore - Chinese, Indian, Malay and "others". The memorial was built in memory of those who died during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945). It is located in a park known as "War Memorial Park", and it can be seen from many places within the Singaporean CBD.
The memorial was unveiled in 1967 by the then Prime Minister of Singapore - Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
The remains of the dead are actually buried underneath the memorial. This is like a Shrine of Remembrance for those who have sacrificed their lives during the war.
Felt some drizzles, so I quickly crossed over to Raffles Hotel.
Entered the hotel through the main entrance, and found myself in a winding corridor...
Before I reached this black-and-white themed corridor! The rooms were part of the East India Company suite. The East India Company was a mega-company set up by the British - trading mainly in cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, tea and opium, in the Indian subcontinent and other parts of colonial Asia.
The colonial style facade of the hotel, plus a really gorgeous fountain out on the courtyard.
Walked through a narrow corridor that was next to another small courtyard. The rain had really increased by now, and there were a few people rushing through this corridor to get away from the rain.
Ended up at the main eating area of Raffles Hotel. The seats were completely drenched by the time I got there, and the rain was still coming down quite strongly. I would like to go to Raffles Hotel one evening and see this whole place come to life with guests.
Decided to explore the hotel all over again, this time starting with the second floor.
Part of the facade from the second floor balcony. This place overlooks the main eating area.
Went up to the third floor (something that I didn't do in my previous visit). And hung around the empty corridors while it continued raining outside. The rain was starting to die down. But my tour of Raffles Hotel had only just begun too!
The Raffles Museum on the third floor. Unfortunately it was closed when I went! I think it is closed permanently now. Wish I had a chance to go in and take a look though!
Who could ever forget - the mandatory facade shot from the balcony of the third floor?
Decided to head back down to the ground floor to explore Long Bar.
Yep that meant going into this fancy lift with gold doors and the old-fashioned design!
Not surprisingly, the guest suites in the hotel weren't accessible, but I managed to steal a shot or two. I really, really wonder how it is like to stay in Raffles Hotel. Many famous figures, including Alfred Hitchcock, Rudyard Kipling and Ernest Hemingway have actually stayed in Raffles Hotel!!
Passed through the ground floor corridor (walking towards the entrance at Bras Basah Road)...
And ended up at the entrance of Long Bar - where the famous Singapore Sling was created. I initially wanted to go in and have a drink. But it was SO CROWDED that there was actually a queue outside the entrance of the bar!!! Besides, I didn't bring my identification card...so there wasn't any way where I could actually get a drink.
Fortunately I managed to get a sneak peek of how the bar looked like. It was dark, but cosy. And they had interesting fan-like things hanging from the ceiling that fanned guests as they relaxed.
A gold plaque just outside the entrance of Long Bar, explaining its history and its famous creation.
No drink for Min! So what was the next best option? Explore some more!! Back on the ground floor I went, and ended up walking around a bit.
Called it a day after I spotted my bus driving past. So I dashed towards it and managed to hop on! The rain started to come down again, this time heavier than before. As I was going back to Orchard Road for lunch, I managed to snap a couple of pics of the Singapore History Museum through the bus window. Had a good view of the museum from the upper deck of the bus - usually I sit on the lower deck.
And this post marks the end of the 10-22mm Series! I'll be posting the remnants of my Singapore trip in the near future! Meanwhile, I have to head back to the books. Masters is, indeed, a tough but fulfilling year!