City tour begins

Although the guide to get us to the bus was almost as reluctant to divulge information as the other women concerned with the bus tour of Singapore, it did gradually become clear why we needed to be ready to leave so long before the advertised tour began. Customs and the vastness of the airport were the two major factors.

The trip began with a long walk, perhaps 10 minutes or so, across the airport to the "Skytrain." Nothing is close at Changi.

The Skytrain is a narrow gauge elevated railway system using remotely controlled two carriage trains between the three different parts of Changi airport.

Above is a view through the front window of the train from Terminal 3, where tours are organised, to Terminal 1, where the trip departs.

The skytrain covers enough open land that you can see large swathes of the city before you reach that part of the complex.

Eventually, though, we reached our destination, were ushered through Customs, and made it to the bus.

Here is the bus, and some of the passengers.

It wasn't long before we were underway, and very aware of the smog covering the city. Our guide informed us that it was due to burning off of forest in nearby Indonesia. It was a pall over the entire place, and gave the city the faint smell of distant barbecue preparations. This is the world's problem, not just that of Singapore or Indonesia.

There is no escaping your environment in the high-rise flats where most Singaporeans live. And the smog at the weekend shrouded the most iconic features of the city-state.

I wish I had some more publishable images of the road into the city. Singapore has pursued a positive tree-planting policy, including an annual tree-planting day. Roadside planting is dense, and sometimes approaches what we would see as forest, if not as jungle. Unfortunately, you rarely get good shots from the side window of a moving bus.

Here are some other shots of Singapore, including of the notable fountain at Suntech City.

The cathedral, glimpsed behind a tree. You don't get second shots from a moving bus!

Next... the Merlion.