Singapore Day 3

Today we got an early start and headed over to the Bugis Shopping Center. I have been trying to find some local emerging designer boutique, just to see what the Singapore design scene is like. So far I have only found a bunch of European stores like Topshop and Massimo Dutti. There are also many Western stores like Guess and Banana Republic. Anyway, the locals directed us to Bugis. They said that on the street next to the mall, there were rows of outdoor stalls with little emerging designer boutiques. We never saw the emerging designers, but we found a very cool outdoor market filled with every kind of knock off and cheezy souvenir you could imagine. The market itself was very cool looking though, with lanterns hanging above and colorful statues everywhere.

After walking through the market, we came to Sim Lim Square, a huge 4 story building full of electronics dealers (which made my husband very happy). After going through the seemingly endless stalls of wares and comparing prices, I ended up buying a new Fuji camera that isn't even available in the US. So that was a pretty cool find : )

Next , we decided to head over to the famous Raffles Hotel. It is on of Singapore's most luxurious places to stay. The grounds were amazing. The beautiful colonial style building looked surreal surrounded by the tall swaying palm trees and tropical greenery. We headed upstairs to the Long Bar for a famous Singapore Sling. This is a tasty tropical drink made with gin and fruit juices.

Afterwards, we checked out the Raffles Mall. Which is another huge 4 story shopping center. We went to a delicious lunch spot called Canali, which is known for it's famous desserts, but also serves an extensive well rounded food menu ( think cheesecake factory).

Then we headed back to the hotel to lay out at the pool and go for a swim. The evenings are a perfect time for it because it is cooler, but the water is still warm. After a swim, we headed over to the riverfront for dinner and to listen to the live entertainment going on for the festival.