FEBRUARY 3, MOVED FROM DOHA TO SINGAPORE! HOT< HOT< HOT!

So our last day in Doha, we took a city bus out towards West Bay, the center of the city, where all those unusual shaped buildings we had seen across the water. We had hoped to rent bikes and bike out to The Pearl Qatar, which are manmade islands, similar to the palm tree shaped one in Dubai last year. Full of expensive residences and upscale shops and restaurants. ALAS, no bike rentals to be found! 

This is out of sequence but ... we stopped in the Souk in a pearl shop. It turns out the guy on the right, 83, used to be a pearl diver (the main business here in old Qatar). The guy on left is his 40 year old son. They were a hoot!! 

He said he lays down on beds of nails, is some kind of a magician! He took a pointed pliers and jammed it into his chest! No pain, he said! Quite a character!! We didn't buy anything; they were fresh-water pearls.

So we stopped by a pyramid shaped Sheraton to rest, read the Times International, and then headed back to the hotel. We had hoped to spend the afternoon in the pool on the roof. Alas, closed until 4 pm! we were departing at 5! So we had a LOOONG sit in the lobby! I had asked to see the manager to ask if they could unlock the pool - as usually no lifeguard. Got a message that there WAS a lifeguard; pool couldn't open until 4. At 4 I went up and there was a woman with 3 kids in the pool; no lifeguard to be seen!! Susan was steaming! Asked and got to see the manager! By this time, the clerks were wide-eyed and afraid!! Manager appreciate my "feedback."  (told him about no room cleaning; you have to ASK or it's assumed you don't want it!! So no trash removed, no water bottles until we asked! Dryer didn't work! Anyhow, off we went to the airport for our 7 hour flight to Singapore. This time I got an aisle seat so I could move around! Much better!

Jackie was at the McDonald's waiting for us and drove us right to the airbnb apartment that her friend/former landlady Madame Neo lives in. It was great not to have to figure out where they were located. I think it would have been a pain! Jackie is a teacher of business here at a high school. Excellent English - she's from Calgary, Canada but Chinese. She used to rent from Madame but now lives elsewhere. Since Madame speaks little English, Jackie manages her two apartments for airbnb for her. 

Madame Neo is 62, very spry and so helpful! The room has tons of snacks, beer, wine, soy milk, some fruit, etc. The shower is unusual - no separation from sink and toilet so water goes everywhere!! But the room is air conditioned and there's a fan. Because Singapore is HOT< HOT!

Also we have transportation cards we just add some money to to ride the light rail downtown.  We headed downtown to Raffles Hotel of Somerset Maugham and other authors' fame!

The waving fans in the Raffles Long Bar in Singapore.

Courtyard of the Raffles. Couldn't get in the lobby. Only for people staying there!! :(

Beautiful fountain in Raffles.

Hotel shaped like a Waterboat. Garden on the top. 

This is where Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles came ashore and established Singapaore! It voted not to become part of Malaysia. Remains only island city/state in the world.

Beautiful decorations for Chinese New Year in Fullerton Hotel.

Mandarin orange tree. Remember people giving these in Saigon at Tet.

Looking down at floating flowers with koi fish on the stairwell.

Came across a company masquerade/New Year's party at Fullerton. They posed with me!

Where the laser show was on the Singapore River.

Chinese mama we sat next to having a beer on the river. Her 27 and 25 year old daughters were there translating for us. Mama spoke no English! Has 5 kids!! They were from mainland China! So much for 1 child policy!!

Lion water fountain on banks of river.