Another late start, as no major plans for the day. After breakfast at the local food court (I finally found a muesli option at the soya milk stand - a major find as I'm craving simple western food at the mo) we caught the bus to Singapore National Museum. It was a great choice. The guidebook doesn't do it justice. We learned about opium dens and secret societies in Chinatown, plus lots about the history of the trading in Singapore and more besides. The three historically important cities for trading in this part of the world (for Britain at least) were Singapore, Melaka and Georgetown and we're now seeing all three on this trip.
After dragging ourselves away, we headed north so we could book some tickets for our journey to Melaka. Then it was off to Little India. I'd read that the area changes a lot at the weekend, when it comes alive with people thronging the streets, and I can confirm it's true. As we walked into the area, I couldn't believe how busy it was, with hundreds of Indian men filling the pavements and road. It was like they were waiting for something, all standing around, talking. In the first five streets, I counted two other women besides me and felt like I was the proverbial sore thumb sticking out. As we headed for the main food centre, we started to see some families, but still the ratio of men to women was about 40:1. There are lots of Indian men who come here on contracts to do labouring for a few years at a time, and they all flock to Little India at the weekends, just as all expats seek out their own communities, but it is a bit overwhelming for outsiders. Not rushing back!
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