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A sleep in! After three full on days in Singapore, and a 4am start yesterday, the later start is blissful. No plans for the day, except to cut some laps around the Old Market area of town. Maybe tend to the aching legs and feet.
The Old Market is a squeezy block of brick stalls, with rickety ceiling fans and yellowing fluoro lights. Through the middle, a wet market. Men slurp noodles perched at thin wooden benches. Women bargain for raw chicken over piles of garlic. The smell is intense, pungent. Around the outside, stalls cater to locals selling everything from motorcycle parts and tools, to plastic buckets and brooms. The aisles narrow as stall wares spill out, racks of clothing protrude ever so slightly, catching my handbag. Hi, I’m a large, clumsy foreigner.
We perform the usual South East Asian market dance; we need a bigger sized shirt than they can find, and watch as they run stall to stall to check with other sellers. “Big size, fit you sir” – it doesn’t. Interestingly, knock-off activewear seems to be on the rise. The sizes are positively miniscule though, and I have no hope of squeezing even one thigh into the tights. The tops look as though they would get stuck, and I leave them on the rack. We purchase some necessities, a couple of new shirts (the right size, eventually), some underwear and a couple of magnets. “Morning price! You are good luck sir, lady!” the seller says, grinning as she taps her wares with the cash.
Procure some post cards to send home. Decide on a foot massage at a place near to Pub Street. Snooze for 30 minutes while a kind lady punishes massages my tired feet and calves. At USD$4 each, I can’t complain.
The rest of the day, we lounge. Patrick is recovering from his head cold, and we head to bed early. Tomorrow is a long haul. Ensure camera batteries are charging before the lights are turned out.
Things to note:
- There’s plenty of places to get your tired tootsies tended to. Pidor Massage is where we went, they have shops either end of Pub Street.
- English speaking pharmacists are easily found in the Pub Street/Old Market area. We visited UCare Pharmacy on the corner of Thnou Street and Street 08. Medicine wasn’t cheap, but still not the hefty price we would have paid at home. If you’re looking for cheaper, shop around.
- Rest days are important.
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