Day of the Raffle
Now visiting Singapore, a trip booked more than anything out of rage after yet another wound, meant that my first priority was to find a hospital. I had to make the trip worthwhile. I’d cut myself under the foot while snorkeling in Thailand and which mustered so much momentum out of the country that I soon left it, for Singapore. It's a fancy city, a lot of skyscrapers and money, so after just a brief look at the city map I knew exactly where to go for a suiting high class foot-treatment; Raffles Hospital.
Raffles, as in Stamford Raffles, the founder of the city Singapore, is not just a man, a Hotel or a Hospital. To this city is he like an element of the world, like energy and math, like Gaia. He is everywhere. First off, he was the Hospital I visited in the morning, and of course Raffles Dental clinic right next to it. After green light from the doctor and a new hope, a fresh foot to stand on so to speak, I headed for lunch in a apparently famous food court down town, appropriately places on Raffles Quay.
A quick lunch at the Lau Pa Sat food court and I was set on a drink in the famous bar in Raffles Hotel. I'd started doubting my compass during the day due to a surprising increase in wrong turns, so I headed towards Raffles Place, the metro station. My logic behind this was basically: Obviously the station is named after the famous hotel that'll be conveniently places in the middle of the... Raffles Place. Alas how wrong I was.
Raffles Place, the metro station, is suitably located in the center of the Raffles Place Plaza, right next to One Raffle Place, the shopping center. For a persistent twenty year old tourist it takes about half an hour to understand that the Raffles Hotel is not anywhere close this area but rather uptown, much closer to City Hall. A big area on the map named Raffles City seamed like a better idea now.
Raffles City, another massive shopping center was an equal disappointment in my search for the famous bar. It did provide some expensive shopping, but as far as Raffles Hotel goes was this another hour lost. Apparently it was across the street.
Finally, after a day spent scaling skyscrapers in the dozens, I arrived at the Raffles Hotel right before sunset. In my surprise was it a pretty little three stories white colonial house instead of the vulgar tower I was expecting, but it suited me perfectly. I was tired of stairs and elevators. Up on the second floor lays the famous Long Bar, original home of the well now cocktail Singapore Sling.
Filled with some alcohol and half a kilo free peanuts I took the next direction on the map. It was to the east. Bringing out my compass, marking my destination with a big cross and putting on my imaginary Indiana Jones/"Captain" Jack Sparrow -hat and marched on along Raffles Boulevard. Drunk on luxury from this day of abundance i had but one more goal for the day; The Fountain of Wealth.
The cave was hidden down a roundabout, surrounded by even more skyscrapers. The were still impressive, but started to get a bit tiresome for my neck. I went closer, surprised by the choice of music bouncing up from the roundabout in form of Goo Goo Dolls hit song Iris. While singing along I entered the queue to make a wish in the fountain.
"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand."
I drank heartily, thirstily from the sweet water of wealth. I consumed as much as I could in the three small sips I managed to sneak in when the patrolling guard wasn’t watching. It was a rich taste, and kind of oily. Three younger girls standing behind me looked perplexed at my endeavors to absorb the magic of this cave. It was worth it, I could feel how my fate slowly changed. While absorbing this feeling, taking it to me and sensing it's deeper meanings I also sensed how my feet hurt after a day of walking. Better go home and tend to them again.
//Nisse
