Singapore 2015 Part 2 China Town & The Raffles

Sue, my sister had been on her first overseas trip to the UK, and was returning via Singapore as she had booked her flights on the Luxurious  Singapore Airlines 

Mum thought that this was a great chance for us to all catch up as a "family" in the land of her birth,, so we, meaning her and I, booked a budget no frills flight on Jetstar !

Sue had been away almost a month and we were going to spend a week together on her last leg home, also the first time we three had ever been away together for more than a night 

Mum was still pretty spritely at this time, and was keen to do a bit of "Shopping " before Sue arrived..so we headed off to China Town to see what we could see.

We jumped into a cab and headed down to New Bridge Road, alighting at Pogoda street, where the Indian temple complex is the first thing you see when you get out of the car.

Pagoda Street was named after the pagoda-like gopuram of Sri Mariana Temple, the largest and oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, located on the South Bridge Road end of the street.

The present structure was erected in 1843 and has been altered and renovated several times since.

In the early days, Pagoda Street was known for its opium smoking dens. This street was probably one of the stations of the coolie trade between the 1850s and the 1880s.

By the 1950s, the shophouses here were mainly involved in retail trade and services, These days restaurants and $2 dollar/ souvenir type shops line the block.

On several occasions there has been fortune tellers sitting outside the temple gates with a large Parrot and a ray of :scrolls" or "fortunes". You pay the elderly Indian Parrot Keeper and the Parrot then reads your "fortune" for you.

Sth Bridge Road is also famous for many old Chinese Herbalist shops and Gold & Jewellery retailers. Mum was most insistent that she wanted to go and see the old family jeweller, Mr Au, who's family had had a shop there since her childhood in the 1930's.His son, Mr Au. junior , who was in his 70's was now the proprietor, and remembered mum ( who was in her 80's) from previous visits with Dad, back in the 70's 80's and 90's when they used to visit Singapore on a regular basis. Mum never really bought a lot of things from him, ( we were not a moneyed, wealthy ,family, just your average middle class Aussies.. but I think Mr Au liked mums visits and her chats about the old days and all her many family members who had been constant visitors since the turn of the last century until now.

Many wealthy Singaporeans have a relationship with their jewellers much like that of their Doctor or Dentist. Mr Au was that man for the Ellison family !

My sister and I having little interest in gold,jewellery,diamonds or other such trifles and were very unwilling to make this visit, (boring to those who are not involved) and advised her that she could go alone if she wished, but we'd be hunting bargains much more affordable in Chinatown proper.

These decorations were hanging outside a Herbalist on New South bridge road.

Standing outside one of the many Souvenir shops in Pagoda Street

You can buy anything from Food, A dodgy $2 plastic watch, hundreds of souvenirs made in China, India, Korea , and anywhere else except Singapore. which has little or NO manufacturing base.

Chinese temple located in the China town Precinct ,Mum & Sister Sue 

 Next Stop was the famous Raffles Hotel at 1 Beach Road. The Raffles, as its affectionately known by locals, is one of the most famous hotels in the Far East. In the 1920' and 30's The Raffles was at its peak,a fine example of the  Colonial British Empire's and of all things British.In 1887 The Sarkies Brothers leased the property with the intention of turning it into a high-end hotel. Just a few months later, on December 1, 1887, the ten-room Raffles Hotel opened. Its proximity to the beach, and its reputation for high standards in services and accommodations made the hotel popular with wealthy clientele.Within the hotel's first decade, three new buildings were added on to the original beach house. First, a pair of two-story wings were completed in 1890, each containing 22 guest suites. Soon afterward,the Sarkies Brothers leased a neighboring building at No. 3 Beach Road, renovated it, and in 

1894, the Palm Court Wing was completed. The new additions brought the hotel's total guest rooms to 75.

The hotel continued to expand over the years with the addition of wings, a veranda, a ballroom, a bar, a billiards room, as well as other buildings and rooms. The Great Depression spelled trouble for Raffles Hotel and, in 1931, the Sarkies Brothers declared bankruptcy. In 1933, the financial troubles were resolved, and a public company called Raffles Hotel Ltd. was established.

In 1933 my mother was 4 years old, and grew up as part of this Colonial Colony called Singapore.In the colonial Singapore of my mothers youth, it was a place to go for Sunday TIFFIN,a type of brunch served on courses, popular in British Singapore, Malaysia and India at the time,  the  place for her mother Rebecca Ellison on a Saturday night to celebrate the win of one of her horses at the Bukit Timah Race Course.  

My Great Grandfather Isaac Ellison, won the first Singapore Cup, and Horse Racing  was a passion that was passed down to the next generation, his daughter and my grandmother Rebecca Ellison. My Great Grandfather Isaac  also owned Iky's Bar near Raffles Place,  a joint were expats, and gentleman could gather for a drink and entertainment.( Iky was my great grandfather's nickname.).Rumor has it that the cup was buried it in the basement of the family home, by my great grandmother Flora,  during the Japanese Occupation of the second world war, and a layer of concrete poured over the top to camouflage the hiding place. After the war, it was dug up and the gold melted down to give the family money to begin rebuilding their lives.

Whilst visiting the Raffles, we decided we jut had to try the Singapore Sling, which was first created in 1915 by bartender Tong Boon. Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling also contains pineapple juice as the main ingredient, along with grenadine, lime juice and Dom Benedictine.We only had one , because at $30 a pop the 3 person round with taxes came to over $100.!

 Internal view from the Courtyard

After our afternoon drink at the Raffles headed back to our hotel around the corner, on Victoria street, from the Raffles. Not as grand, but more than adequate for our needs as tourists, shoppers and amateur historians.