Notes from Singapore

Last Saturday night, just after midnight, we landed at Dhaka International Airport, welcomed by a cloud of mosquitoes. They had missed us desperately, apparently, while we spending a week in civilization in Singapore.  We are fine—Millie’s testing went well and we are lighter considerably in cash, but had a good time anyhow. 

Singapore Waterfront

 Singapore is a beautiful place, clean and tidy, with lots of blooming trees and shrubs. There are palm trees everywhere and lots of tropical foliage; they manicure all the green space, even the hardwood trees so that they are spectacular. The architecture is fabulous—incredible high-rise apartment buildings, shiny skyscrapers and amazing hotels.  There is almost no litter and if there is, it’s being swept up as you walk by.  You cannot buy chewing gum at any price because it is illegal, but you can buy brandy if you have enough room on your credit card. 

Shopping On Orchard Road

Singapore is like Waikiki without the beach combined with New York City without the grime.  If you combined what it costs to visit both, you’d get an idea of what it costs to visit Singapore.  And there are plenty of rules.  You can’t eat or drink on the subway, but there are no trashcans if you mistakenly bring something with you.  Gail had to hide a water bottle in her purse to avoid the possibility of being fined. 

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Chinatown

People here line up for everything:  getting a taxi, getting onto the subway, getting coffee at Starbucks (of which there are many).  We stayed at a nice hotel near Orchard Road, the main shopping area, and traveled mostly by taxi, which is just as economical for three people as the subway/buses and gets you exactly where you want to be.  The only problem was finding the place to line up for the next taxi. 

We also visited Little India and Chinatown, rode the giant Ferris wheel—the Singapore Flyer, proudly advertised as five meters taller than the London Eye, and took a boat cruise on the Singapore River.  We toured for a couple days on double-decker sightseeing buses, so we saw most of the city that way.

And the shopping:  Millie got earphones and clothes, Gail got a couple new rings and I picked up some new socks.  Actually, we had three suitcases full of stuff—plastic and glass containers for taking lunch to school, a new tip for Gail’s walking stick, beer-brewing supplies, theatrical supplies; did I mention clothes? 

Country Line Dancing in Chinatown

On the Singapore Flyer