Singapore Birthday Celebration!

I had the most wonderful 48 hours in Singapore!  I flew down to meet up with Brady to celebrate her golden birthday- 30 on the 30th!  She just finished an amazing trip through Cambodia and Thailand this January. Her last stop was Singapore so that's where we met!

View from the hotel room, 46th floor- L: Looking down R: Looking out!

 Her friend Elise lives there and was the most amazing hostess and event planner!  I left Japan very late Wednesday night and arrived at 0930. I flew commercial since the trip was much too short to take an AMC flight. Customs was a complete breeze and soon I was in a cab on my way to the Marina Bay Sands. Brady and Elise had spent the previous night there and I was going to meet up with Brady so we could have some pool time. I was so excited!  I have wanted to stay in the hotel since I first researched it for the 2013/14 New Year trip with SMS. The infinity pool is on the 57th floor and has the most unbelievable view. It looks like one could just swim off the edge- it's really amazing. Brady and I lounged for a couple of hours and took lots of pictures. I don't even care that everyone takes pictures there and it's totally cliche- it is so amazing that really, pictures just have to be done. 

Dream come true ;o)

We also went into the hot tub where I joked that wherever Brady is, that's where people want to be. A beautifully empty hot tub filled with people, who appeared to be trying to race Brady and beat her in since their bathing attire was questionable at best, aka gym clothes. Never fear, we just headed to the other hot tub. 

We headed back to the room to shower, change and pack up. The MRT station was at the base of the hotel and we took it two stops to Elise's apartment. After we dropped off our bags, we went out to try and find the Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling. SMS and I hadn't gotten around to it on our last visit so off we went. 

We went down to Raffles Quay and started looking for the hotel.  I realized later that my confusion resulted from me thinking that the Grand Fullerton Hotel was the Raffles Hotel.  Anyway, let me set up a small play in two acts...

Scene: Brady and I wandering around Raffles Place, we are about to give up so we desperately ask...
Me: Excuse me, where is the Raffles Hotel
Store customer, overhearing: Oh ho ho, it is one MRT stop away at City Hall. You are far away.
Me: That's confusing. Because everything around here is called Raffles, ha ha!
Store customer: [Blank look. There is clearly nothing funny about my brilliant insight.]

Fast forward to Raffles Hotel, sitting in Courtyard bar
Me: Do you think this is the right bar?
B: Can i take a video of you asking?
M: No, I'm not going to ask. *reconsiders and asks the bartender* Excuse me, is this the bar where people can get Singapore Slings?
Bartender: No.  *Brady and I start laughing* The original bar is upstairs. But we can make you one here.
Us: No thanks.  But we may be back.

Raffles Long Bar: The lady in the painting has clearly had more than she can handle!

So it was off to the Long Bar!  Getting there was slightly ridiculous but I'm glad we went.  Sometimes, I really like doing the touristy thing-to-do and an "original" Singapore Sling sounded perfect.  The bar was funny in that it allows for peanut shells to be dropped directly onto the floor.  We had our drinks and then headed back to Elise's place.

We met up with Elise, whom I met for the first time. It was hard to believe because we got along super well from the start and she is awesome!  We changed into our fancy attire and then it was back to the Marina Bay Sands for one of the most incredible meal experiences of my life.