F1 Rocks!

If you ask me what my favorite sport is I would just spurt out F1 without even thinking twice! Yes this comes from a person where Cricket is a religion and the real funny thing is that cricket will only be my 4^th favorite sport!

I always wanted to go for a grand prix and finally a few weeks back went to Singapore for the only night race in the F1 calendar and I can say only one thing, F1 Rocks!!!

Yes, there is a difference between having a few beers and watching the race in one kick-ass big screen TV rather than drinking (expensive) beer in the hot sun and waiting to see cars just pass by you in a second and not to forget the insane amount of noise. But in the end the experience of watching the race live is something totally different and any F1 fan has to experience it atleast once in their life. It is a sight to see cars going at 300 km/hr on a track which is just a few feet away from you!

If you are one of those kinds who do think that F1 is all about cars going in circles you stop reading it but then if you are still interested in having a kick-ass holiday on limited budget well I guess you can continue to read.

Singapore is a small city-state which according to many who live there is boring and you basically have nothing to do. Well for a tourist I would beg to differ as Singapore during the whole racing weekend was a different place to be. If you want to experience at its fullest then a trip during the race weekend is a must visitJ.

The plan for the trip was actually laid out when India was on its way winning the Cricket World Cup and what was originally planned after a few rounds of beer took shape one Saturday afternoon as the tickets we saw on Tiger Airways was too good to be true and we just booked tickets. The cost of a round way ticket to Singapore is cheaper than going to Mumbai! Tiger Airways may not be the preferred airlines but for that rate and with the flight being just under 4 hours, it is well worth it after all. Not bad and it is a sure value for money!

Singapore is bloody expensive during the race weekend and hotels hike up prices during the race weekends but then if you are travelling with friends the best place you can go to is “Hostel Amigos”. The friendly place is very cheap and also clean. Plus you have a make shift bar at the roof top where you can meet like-minded travelers. Plus being very close to the Lavender station which is right at the middle of Singapore you practically need not spend anything on taxi. You take the metro straight from the airport to Lavender! Plus it is a very quiet place and with lawns all around it is a good place to just chill & laze around.

The race zone was a different thing and will close to 100,000 people you would expect pandemonium but the place was so organized that you could hardly feel the crowd! Beer was expensive and the F1 merchandise even more but in the end if you are true fan you need to wear a bloody team jersey and watch the race. You also get to experience various food stalls and there was even Biryani stalls!

As part of the whole race experience apart from the smaller races which apart from the drivers and teams of those categories no one actually cares about them but then when it comes to entertainment nothing beats Singapore and this year we had Shakira, Linkin Park and Shaggy! Shakira live was a different ball game and she just rocked the place. Another note, you need to go early and stand in a freaking long ling to get the fan zone pass but it is totally worth it. Shakira 10 meters away performing is something different. Linkin Park rocked the house as well and though Linkin Park live was not as special as a Shakira is but the concert was bloody good and the performance was high octane!

If you are in Singapore you need to visit the Universal Studio especially for the Egyptian roller-coaster and this is a high-speed indoor roller-coaster which is blow you out! Apart from the other usual attractions like Jurassic Park, Shrek, Water World, Madagascar and Hollywood Boulevard, Universal studio is a good place to hang around for a whole day types.

Sentosa Island where this is located has other attractions but the beach is a must visit and despite being not a very long beach, it is a good place to have a few beers and sit under the sunJ. Also the laser show there is a must miss as it is a sheer waste of time!

When in Singapore you have to taste the Chinese food there and the Chicken Rice you get there is phenomenon. It is a very healthy food which is damn tasty as well and would do nothing to you. Chinese food is pretty cheap there and even the road side joints are more hygienic than most places in India. Apart from Chinese food, Thai food is a must and also if you a Sea food fan then you will love Singapore.

The night life is virtually 24/7 there with 7/11 stores which is practically everywhere in Singapore selling beer 24/7 while joints in Clarke Quay are open till 6 AM in the morning!

Then the typical usual places to visit include Orchid Street, China Town, Little India and a few other places which I can’t remember now!  

On the whole it was an amazing trip and apart from the race, Singapore rocked and this is one place which I would like to go as often as possible!