A couple of bridges up from the mouth of the Singapore River, the south bank bulges a bit. The local name for this part of the river translates as the belly of a fish. It was here that became the commercial centre of Singapore - trade on the south bank, civic administration on the north.
In English it is called Boat Quay
This is a view of Boat Quay looking south and downstream. See the layers of steps where boats carrying tradeable goods pulled up to discharge and load. These days Boat Quay has been redeveloped with a parade of restaurants occupying the restored and repurposed warehouses. Their diminutive size is certainly a contrast to the high rise of the modern finance industry trading houses behind the quay in 2023.
On the north bank a single bank of steps leads down to the water from.... for governing officials to embark waterborne transport I wonder. Tourist boats ply this part of the river, from here to Marina Bay and back.
And its just along here that the People of the River sculptures (blogged last week) are sited.
We visited the raffles mansion/ hotel And had a Singapore sling.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice but oh my so expensive.
Raffles Hotel is just along Beach Road from where I am staying. I have not ventured in yet but yes - did look up the price of a drink and flinched. I promised Mr B a visit there and the Atlas Bar at Parkview Square! (It will probably only be one drink in each. And I don't like gin - so a glass of wine for me.)
DeleteThere is so much to see in Singapore. No wonder my Aussie family keep on going back.
ReplyDeleteDo the Singaporeans think as much of Sir Stamford Ruffles as the English do?
Raffles? They appear to. His name appears everywhere - streets, squares, a hospital, a metro station, a garden at Fort Canning Park, countless refences in names of bars and businesses - a bit of a rare thing for colonial administrators these days. Most have subsequently been found to have seriously blotted their copy books in their rise to, or use (or abuse) of, power.
DeleteI wonder what Raffles would think of modern Singapore. As an entrepreneur he probably would have welcomed its development.
ReplyDeleteWell it was meant to develop as a hub for international trade. It has certainly done that. Geographical position helps (certainly from the point of view of the industry I work in - shipping.)
DeleteI'm afraid Boat Quay in Singapore brings back bad memories. It was there that I was enjoying an evening pre-dinner drink with colleagues when I received a phone call from Nottingham telling me of a crisis resulting in my father being taken into 'care', and I had to return immediately to the UK. I hope any time you spend at the Quay goes more smoothly.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Gail - sorry to read that. I guess we cannot pick the place or the time to receive bad news. "Ours is not to know...the time or the manner of our passing" as my father said often enough as cancer was eating him up. In his case both were becoming fairly predictable.
DeleteAh, Raffles. I think I bought some of his tickets once.
ReplyDeleteWinning ones I hope.
DeleteIt looks an impressive place.
ReplyDeleteI much prefer the small rise over the high rise, but it is pretty seeing all the tall buildings around the quay.
ReplyDeletethe high rise is so impersonal, like new cars these days, the old cars each had their own personality, just like the small buildings in your photo, each one is special. I agree that it is an impressive place and thos street people are still my favorite so far, with the moneys being a close 2nd
I prefer the monkeys and green spaces, but in truth there are large parts of Singapore where there is precious little of either. I have realized when I stand back that the Downtown high-rise of Singapore is actually a very small space; maybe a couple of dozen really big buildings, and there is actually a lot of space occupied by the former colonial administration - now turned into art galleries, theatres and similar forms of expression of cultural identity.
DeleteAmazing place. So that's Raffles? I thought he was a buccaneer. Well, maybe in a way he was. You're really giving us our moneysworth of your time in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I am trying to get my money's worth out of it, and sitting around a generic hotel room is not going to achieve that.
DeleteI've heard and read it's a very nice tidy modern place, I'd like to try the food in some of the restaurants. Bruno is a big noodle and asian food fan so i'd keep some for him.
ReplyDeleteYes - pretty tidy. A little over tidy in some places (the gardens manicured within an inch of their lives), but orderly
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteDropping another comment here as previous one has not appeared... much enjoyed this post... and there is one on my reader that says it is about Mr Teng... but it is not showing up here (and the blog format appears to have altered somewhat...) It might right itself overnight, but just thought I'd let you know the gremlins might be at work! Yxx
Thanks but no gremlins - I hit publish with the wrong date attached and the post was not complete in any event. (Mr Ng BTW). Blogger seems to be constantly altering its format with someone somewhere. The changes affect some and not others - no idea why.
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