On our way back to the hotel, with the building site of the renewed Raffles Hotel in front of us, we learned about durian fruits. These are about the size of a melon, and when you can open them up ( they are hard!) they have several small fruits inside, each with a large stone in the middle. The fruits taste divine, unlike any other fruit I've had before or since. Unfortunately, the durian smells foul, and most hotels ban the fruit from their premises. Some street vendors are brave enough to cut them open and sell the beautiful fruits to passers-by. Including me.

Back in our hotel room, we could see far into the distance from the 12th floor. A rumble of thunder came from the distance and lightning split the sky for several seconds, but it did not rain. The storm drains would stay dry for several weeks yet.

Return to stories