I found it really interesting that the bulk of Street Art seems to be centred around Arab Street (the region can also be called Kampong Glam)in Singapore. I had heard from friends that this was the place to check it out and they were absolutely correct. Only in one place in Singapore had I previously found a few stickers on a box near a bus station, but they were poor quality and only three together on the flat surface, but here there are entire walls of really good graffiti and dozens of poles with stickers up and down.
First part of a wall near Haji Lane
Second part of a wall near Haji Lane
The lanes were so close I could not get full photographs of the expanse of some of the art, including an entire wall of dozens of spear-wielding warriors and sprawling landscapes near Haji Lane. The locals, sitting on cushions smoking outside most of the buildings, looked at me like I was made as I moved the bins away from the walls to get the full shots of them.
There were a good dozen of these chaps along the walls
Additionally, against the Mexican restaurant there are some amazing Aztec-like graffiti that span two stories and were extremely difficult to photograph. I had been informed that the Mexican restaurant would be the spot to find some good street art and they were right. It is some of the most detailed I have seen and all of the same style across the walls around the restaurant.
Two stories of Aztec-inspired art on the side of the Mexican restaurant
Stylised Aztec art - some very futuristic
I'd highly recommend heading into this location in Singapore just to view the art. The pristine, almost sterile Singaporean environment is corrected in this little section of Kampong Glam. I even found a Barek Art sticker on the corner of Haji Lane and Baghdad Street.
I needed three doses of Little India to really get a good handle on it. The first time, I got myself hopelessly lost among the little alleyways and ended up getting caught in a heavy machinery work zone with no resemblance to India at all (as far as I am aware). Even checking the map I had with me was no help, because the street signs were nowhere to be seen and the angles of the roads didn't match my map. I had to use the skyline to get my bearing and the angles of the shadows to determine compass directions. Given Little India is only a dozen blocks or so, I felt a little silly and vowed that I needed to reconsider a GPS for the rest of my trip.
The second and third time, a lovely local Indian-Malay woman offered to show me the sights with dinner. Rain had started to fall in the afternoon, so we met at the Chinatown Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and caught the train to Little India station. On exiting, I found myself very near where I had lost myself last time. Plunging through the rain and people, we moved through a food court smelling of Indian spices and where I had a brilliant mango lassi previously, while searching through the map.Through the bustle, we made our way to a vegetarian restaurant across the road.
Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant
It took a bit of effort to eat with my hands, but my South Indian meal, rice on a leaf (which sounds more exotic in Tamil), was glorious. It was composed of a bowl of rice and small serves of different dishes and cups of various curries and tastes arranged on what looked like a banana leaf. Using my fingers to mix different amounts of the food with rice, I made a mess (encouraged by my host), but the food was wonderful - the best Indian I have ever had. At the end of the meal was a bitter yet tasty broth that I could taste in the back of my nose more than my mouth and then rounded it off with a sweet white yoghurt, cashew nut and raisin drink that tasted faintly of ginger but without any ginger (my host asked, to my chagrin).
South Indian meal (Rice on a Leaf) ... sans leaf
From there, moving through crowded streets smelling of flower wreathes being made, I was shown exotic textile and jewellery shops with incredible fabrics and detailed necklaces. I bought a pale Jippa with some gold and silver floral embroidery and cotton pants. I was struck by the similarities of the sari, a single strip of fabric that is woven around the body to form a dress, and the Scottish kilt. We stopped to look at the Mustafa market that had everything and, to my joy, an extensive toy and electronics section.
Roadside florist stalls for all occasions
Taking our shoes off at the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, we washed our feet before entering the Hindu temple to see incredible statues of various deities and heroes. The place was in full swing with families praying while walking around statues, red and white blessings being placed on foreheads, and men in robes rocking while reciting prayers at dozens of spots. There was even a long line for a blessed meal. The feeling of peace and comfort ran through the place constantly under the watchful eyes of the deities. I paid respect and donated to the costs of cleaning and maintaining the temple, but could not bring myself to pull out my camera and start taking photographs inside - it just seemed too insensitive.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Hindu Temple
I drove through the location in an attempt to get better photos of some of these landmarks, but I had to watch out for the traffic and people that I couldn't take any good shots with the helmet-mounted camera. I loved the environment, though, and although I got some strange looks, I thought the bustle perfect for me to train in for some of the future locations I will be driving through.
Chinatown during the Chinese New Year celebrations is an amazing place to be. The bustle of people is constant and the sounds and smells are unique. It is also very different from the rest of Singapore, and all you need to do is walk a few blocks any direction to find this out.
In Singapore, Chinatown is not just a single street that has been blocked to traffic, like it is in Brisbane. It's a region of five or six streets, some of which are permanently blocked to traffic. However, just because they are blocked to traffic doesn't stop some really intent people trying with cars and, more often, precariously packed motorcycles or scooters, inching through the throngs of people who give no purchase to the vehicles. I have seen a car get caught in a sea of people unable to move forward or backward. They just sat there looking out like fish in a fishbowl, unable even to open the doors.
Pagoda Street, Chinatown, Singapore
The stalls start to get set up at about 8am and remain active until late into the evening. I was heading to bed around 11pm and they were still going strong. These stalls are only a few meters across, but some are extensions of shops that provide a real depth to them. Others are just a few square meters of packed wares, including tailors, clothes, tourist bits (like shirts, hangings, gems, and trinkets), food, drink, delicacies (like pork, mushrooms, peanuts, jellies, and fruit), stone stamps, tattoos, and many other strange things. I was expecting to see a little wooden box with a mogwai in it, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find one... yet. I get some strange looks when I ask, but how could you not?
When I first got here, I was shuffling along with the other lines of westerners, taking photos and stopping at each offering of free wares, trying the delicacies cut open and shoved into your hands. After a few days, even I started to get pissed off with these damned tourists who just stopped in the middle of the street to eat something or take a photo of something utterly ridiculous. Now, I am able to slice through the crowds like a local, angling my shoulders to indicate my next sudden direction change, dodging the slow tourists and receiving grunts of acknowledgement from the locals because I am tall enough to see the traffic snarls ahead. I don't even respond when live animals are shoved in my face with serving suggestions, terrified eyes clearly understanding their fate. Initially, I actually said "No, thank you". In the interim, I waved them away, but now, seasoned as I am, I ignore them unless I am looking for something specific to eat.
Year of the Snake, Chinatown, Singapore
A friend took me out to try some of the local delicacies, which I really recommend, including the char kway teo and chili crab. This was the best meal I have had in Chinatown. The two of us went to five or six different places bargaining for 2 crabs for SGD $28 total plus a long neck beer for SGD $5. He disappeared off to find a hawker stall to grab a chicken and mushroom char kway teow version that had noodles and sprouts, being careful to order the mild spice for my benefit. It could have been hotter, but the black bean crab was even hotter than the chili crab. The crab, initially protesting with its eye stalks at that Buddhist part of me, was cooked to perfection and by the end of the feast, I was covered in crab and juices. The 660ml beer washed it all down nicely. Who said auditors are boring?
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum
As a side note, I had a fellow backpacker who was a vegetarian and he found very little in Chinatown for him to eat outside the fruit vendors. Be warned, if you are a vegetarian, you will have more luck in Little India than in Chinatown.
When it comes to the clothes, I was very impressed. I am planning on picking a few pieces up and replacing some of my silly heavy Western clothes, especially the pants. I was warned not to wear jeans, but I brought some to use on the motorcycle and at high altitudes, but they are sweat collectors in Singapore. There are some amazing wares on sale, although I found a beautiful red and black silk tai chi shirt that I really wanted. It stopped me in my tracks while I was walking and the elderly Chinese man ushered me into the store, but would not sell it to me. He showed me another three or four that were not as good, some not even silk, and the one he really recommended was a black and pink number. I gave him a look that he read very well and he tossed it back into the shop, but would still not relent on the gorgeous creation out the front. I have tried him daily for the last week, but he remains unconvinced I am the right person for it.
The Tai Chi jacket that got away
And it would not be Chinese New Year without a dragon dance.
I head across the border into Malaysia on Thursday, February 14. I plan to leave at about 10am in the morning and am expecting about 2 hours to get through customs and continue on my merry way. This means I need to start planning where I am going and what I am doing, especially so I can book accommodation or plan where I will be camping.
Here is the plan as it sits before I have even entered the country:
Day One - Cross the border. If I have time, visit the Muzium Diraja Sultan Abu Bakar, otherwise I may have to do it when (if) I come back (although according to Google Maps, it will take me 37 minutes to get to the museum). I plan to spend the night of the 14th in Mersing at the Fishing Bay Resort (booked) on the East Coast of West Malaysia (directions).
Day Two (and Three) - Start out at 10am from the Fishing Bay Resort in Mersing. Stop for lunch in Kluang, then continue to Muar where I follow the coast along the Malacca Strait into Melaka and stay at the Mari Mari Guesthouse (booked) for two nights (directions).
Day Four - Start out at 10am from the Mari Mari Guesthouse and cross inland over the Segamat District, across Rompin and Pekan and into Kuantan for the evening of the 17th (directions).
Day Five (and Six) - Start out at 10am from Kuantan and head to Kuala Tahan (directions) to camp in Taman Negara for the 18th and 19th. This will involve getting myself to some of the wilderness hides and seeing if I can spot any local wildlife while not getting eaten alive by leeches.
Day Seven - Start out at 10am from Kuala Tahan and head to Kuala Lumpur for the evening of the 20th (directions). I am hoping to find a good spot to stay so I can scrub off the grime from my camping at Taman Negara.
Day Eight (and Nine) - Start out at 10am from Kuala Lumpur and head to Tanah Rata Pahang for the evening of the 21st and 22nd (directions) to climb trails and drive the Cameron Highlands for two days. I had hoped to climb some of the local mountains, but we shall see - if I twist an ankle it will really screw my plans up.
Day Ten - Start out at 10am from Tanah Rata Pahang and travel to Kota Bharu for the evening of the 23rd (directions).
Day Eleven (and Twelve) - Start out at 10am from Kota Bharu and travel to George Town (Penang) for the evening of the 24th and 25th (directions).
Day Thirteen - Start out at 8am on the 26th from George Town and travel to the Malaysian/Thailand border, into Sandao and staying at Hat Yai (directions). This then links to my route planning for Southern Thailand which will be determined, soon.
This is the plan so far, but we all know how brilliant plans can go to shit very quickly once they actually meet the road and since I am meeting the road intimately (although hopefully not hard) and the weather could also really screw up my plans, or at least delay me, then I suspect these plans will turn out very differently.
I'll admit, the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery was not my first plan for today. I tried to get into Sentosa, but found that Sentosa Island (previously called Island of Death) for a variety of horrible reasons - storing bodies in World War 2 after Japanese occupation, early piracy, and outbreaks of disease and malaria - is restricted to authorised motorcycles only.
I drove initially through the loop once to be waved through the car parks for Universal Studios, and then a second time to see the rest of the island, but was yelled at (in the courteous Singaporean way) that I had failed to see the single "No motorcycle" sign on the bridge. I did see it the second time, but there was no way to turn around once you reached the sign unless you drove like a Singaporean taxi.
As the rain started to get heavier, I decided not to do an East-West journey across the entire island, although I do still intend to do that. Instead, I looked at some of the things I had on my list for what I wanted to see and found this at the top of it. Consulting the GPS, I found the monastery only a few kilometres away. It would have been rough to walk to it in this weather, but I donned my new bright banana yellow wet weather jacket, installed the GPS in a reasonably dry location and set off.
I came around the corner onto Sin Ming Avenue to hit a massive block of traffic. I have never seen this sort of traffic in Singapore, even with the Chinese New Year celebrations last night, and I thought initially there must have been an accident. I had tried to keep out of the rain and away from the areas of high traffic, just to stay away from the damned taxis, but here I was in the thick of it, both traffic and rain.
After parking, I found it a little strange that people were everywhere and that the place allowed you to walk pretty much everywhere. There were some signs around saying "No Admittance" but in general, you could investigate every building and walk up and down any stairs. Initially, I was careful not to walk on the grass until I saw a group of kids playing tag around a field of Buddha statues in various poses.
Part of a field of Buddha statues
As I moved through the monastery, I had people come up to me and welcome me. I was the only Westerner who was there alone. I saw maybe six (6) other "white fellas" there, all elderly couples, and met a man from France with his male friend. The motorcycle had been noticed and people approached me asking if I had come from Australia, to which I had to explain that it had been flown here to start my expedition. Everyone was very nice, patient, and courteous, which is why I am myself a Buddhist.
Stopping to admire the place (photo by Yu Hong)
Many of the maps and signs were in Mandarin with no English translations. I often had to watch and learn by others examples. I met a nice old lady who explained that it was customary to make an offering to the temple while I was praying, so I made a donation to the temple to bring a large bouquet of flowers to the monks.
Map of the monastery complex
I found one specific temple that had such an effect on me that I wept (twice - I went back later to see if it did it again and it did), and even now when I think about it, tears well up in my eyes and my heart expands. It is not pain or sorrow that causes this but a great feeling of joy and happiness, and just how lucky I am to have experienced it, my family and my life.
Wept in this temple (twice)
Learning by example again, I prayed with joss sticks and knelt at each of the temples, respectfully bowing on entry and exit and taking my shoes off before entering. I sat with the monks and spoke to several of them who were interested in my journey, including one of the head monks (or THE head monk) who found time from his very busy schedule to bless me. Some of the other monks who blessed me gave me a handful of lychee lollies and sprayed water on me with lotus blossoms (I think they were lotus blossoms).
I rang the bell three times. I had intended to do it once, but a mother with a small boy in front of my berated him for doing it only once, telling him, "No, you must do it three times." Then she showed him how to do it. I used this as my own example and noticed hundreds of video camera on me while I did it.
Massive bell people were lining up to ring three times
Finally, I managed to sit on the damp ground under a Bodhi Tree that had been grown from a cutting of the Bodhi Tree the Buddha himself gained enlightenment under. It was a real experience and did not think it would move me as much as it did. I was so glad to have done this on this day, accidentally sharing the experience with my Buddhist brothers and sisters.
Bodhi Tree - an offshoot of the Buddha's enlightenment tree in Sri Lanka
On the way home, the heavens opened up on me and I was drenched, which is apparently a good thing to wash away the bad spirits and cleanse my spirit. I did feel quite peaceful and even though the guys snored like a freight train beneath my bunk, I had a reasonably good nights sleep and feel refreshed this morning. I'd heartily recommend seeing this temple if you get a chance while in Singapore.
So you have your motorcycle in Singapore, but you don't want to push it across the border and into West Malaysia? This is how you are able to drive it around in Singapore and across the border into Malaysia without too much sweat.
If you have a carnet, you need to go to the Automobile Association of Singapore to get an International Circulation Permit (ICP) costing about SGD $60. Then you head to the LTA for an access pass costing under SGD $20. This all sounds pretty easy, but it just sounds that way. Here are the details:
Organise an International Circulation Permit (ICP) through the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) for temporary use of a motorcycle in Singapore for less than SGD $60. I recommend you get the required insurance from the AAS because it was almost impossible for me to find it anywhere else (It cost me $230 for three months but it is based on age of the driver). You must show the following:
Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD) for the motorcycle.
Motorcycle registration certificate or card (in English or with a translation).
Passport of the CPD holder.
Head to the Land Transport Authority (Vehicle and Transit Licensing) of Singapore and purchase an Autopass Card for less than SGD $15. You must show the following:
AIT Carnet de Passage en Douane. (This is the tourist version of the CPD. The ATA CPD is for trade shows.)
Passport of the CPD holder.
Motorcycle insurance certificate (must be from a Singapore-based insurance company).
Bill of lading (surface transport) or Airway bill (for air transport).
Motorcycle registration certificate or card (in English or with a translation).
On your way out of Singapore into Malaysia, return the Autopass Card to the Immigration Booth at the Singapore-Malaysian border.
The Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) is a fee structure based on the type of vehicle, the method of entry into Singapore and the date and time that you enter and how long you stay in the country. It is designed to apply to vehicles entering via the checkpoints of Tuas and Woodlands from Malaysia, but are also applied to other foreign-registered vehicles. Although there are 10 days free, VEP charges clearly prefer the use of motorcycles (SGD $4) over cars (SGD $20). So, you want to try to minimise the time you spend in Singapore if you are a foreign-registered car, but it is not so bad if you are a foreign-registered motorcycle. This fee is also applied for crossing the checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia and the Tuas Checkpoint is MUCH more expensive than the Woodlands Checkpoint. If you are a motorcycle, you want to enter and exit via Woodlands, because there is no charge.
The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system is a pain in the arse, but given the size and population of Singapore, I can certainly see the requirement. It is not so much the concept, as even Brisbane has similar toll roads, but it is the method of management, relying on a government built non-RFID system that is bulky and easy to both spoof and steal (not that I did that - I am trying to ensure no problems anywhere I go). However, this system could be a lot smaller and easier to use.
Now what they didn't tell me about was the gantries that charge around SGD $5 per crossing when you cross during high peak periods. This sounds quite reasonable, however, the penalty if you don't do it right is SGD $70 per crossing. Normally, if you do not drive across the gantries within peak periods (like inbound between 6 and 9am; outbound from 5-8pm) this will not affect you, but I was driving across Chinese New Year gantries and my hostel was within the gantry entry and exit areas, so for me it was vital to consider them. The gantries around the CBD and Chinatown during Chinese New Year (and other gantries of the CBD during other public holidays and special events) are charged from about 5pm to 1am the following morning. The potential to get caught in traffic or miscalculate the times was too great for me.
You can wear it as a car - accept the SGD $5 up front or pay the SGD $5.50 (or so) per crossing - but as a motorcycle, these options are moot for a foreign registered motorcycle, meaning they cannot be applied at all. Cars can be charged this amount per crossing, but motorcycles are fined SGD $70 each crossing because they are not recognised by the system. To get around his, I sorted a temporary In-vehicle Unit (IU) for SGD $124.65 with the balance after several days being refunded at the border checkpoint. Normally you cannot get these units unless you pick them up from one of the two Singapore-Malaysian checkpoints (Tuas or Woodlands).
I was very lucky on the day I needed to get one (as the clock moved past 4.30pm, the closing time for the LTA) because a chap there had a temporary IU available for me to rent. Otherwise, I would have needed to get myself out to one of the checkpoints before I tried to cross a gantry. Since I needed to cross several gantries to get to my hotel, I decided it was best to accept the unit being offered. The IU requires a CashCard that can be purchased from participating service stations or 7-Eleven stores, which must be topped up with value before crossing the gantries or the fine is imposed. I was very lucky to read several pages into the forms I was given at the LTA to find this out, as they did not tell me anything about this when I sorted the Autopass Card.
The guys at RAM Racing Engineering warned me before I set out about the taxis. They were adamant that they were the prime threat to motorcycles on Singapore roads. I didn't really believe them, even though several of them pointed this out. I thought it was more to warn the silly overseas driver that all taxis are bad and to be wary, however in Australia at least our taxi's recognise right of way and accept minimal impact to traffic flow during operation.
This is NOT the case with Singapore taxis - be warned! Within minutes of driving on the road in Singapore, I was dodging taxi left, right and centre - I kid you not! They merge on top of you without warning and sometimes without indicators. They pull out in front of you, forcing you to brake to stop from running into them. They swerve to pick up a fare across multiple lanes of traffic and they assume that they have some sort of divine right to the road over a motorcycle. I chose not to engage with them and started to identify the mad drivers as taxi drivers.
Here are the steps required to get a motorcycle from Australia into Singapore under a Carnet de Passage (all prices in Australian dollars unless otherwise specified):
Make sure your bike is registered in Australia and you have a valid motorcycle license to ride it.
Contact your local Automobile Association to arrange an international carnet (motor-vehicle passport) and International Driver's Permit (IDP). For me this is RACQ after a discussion with the Australian Automobile Association. The IDP costs about $50 while the Carnet depends on where the vehicle is being taken. In my case, the Carnet cost $950.
Organise a provider to fly the vehicle into Singapore International Airport. My provider is QANTAS and they have been very helpful. The current quote for the service is approximately $1600, but final dimensions and weight will resolve this price. (Final mass is 244kg; Final dimensions are 228cm x 71 cm x 130cm; Final price is $1700 based on volumetric mass).
Organise for the motorcycle to be "safed" before transport as a dangerous good. This involved removing the battery terminals and taping over them, and removing much of the fuel and oil from the bike. The guys at TeamMoto Enoggera were extrememly helpful in doing this for me. Getting a flush certificate, which tells the transporter what you have done to the motorcycle to make it safe, might also help although in my case it was not mandatory.
Arrange for the motorcycle to be crated and delivered to the airport dangerous goods service provider, usually several days before departure. Again, the TeamMoto guys helped with this with a combined cost of $350. Direct Couriers were the dangerous goods and carnet management team.
Organise (or have as part of your transit agreement) transit insurance for the motorcycle while it is travelling. HWA Insurance were able to help me with this for $450, but make sure it is for the mode of transport that you are using, either air or sea freight.
Organise for a customs clearance and transport agent in Singapore to assist in clearance of the motorcycle through Singapore Customs and delivery to someone who will un-crate the bike. I used Jupiter Air (Singapore) with a quote of about SGD $400 for the complete service.
Contact a Singaporean motorcycle shop to uncrate and re-assemble the bike at the other end. Performance Motors Limited (PML) BMW Motorrad shop can do this with an estimated cost of SGD $250-300. Alternatives for PML BMW include Ram Racing, which I used because they were much more responsive and they were recommended to me. Note that PML BMW Motorrad does not crate bikes up, so if you need to get it back, you will need to organise a different supplier to crate the bike for return to Australia.
Once all this is done, you have a motorcycle ready for riding in Singapore, and ready to take across the border north. There is still more to do to ensure you are legal to ride on the road, but this is the first step, getting a motorcycle into Singapore from Australia.
Some warnings that might help you out. Be wary that departure times and arrival times for the motorcycle might change with outgoing and incoming customs, changes to flights, and additional timing delays for pick up and transport to and from the airport itself. My bike has been delayed at least a week due to outbound customs holding the vehicle up.
