Our Asian Adventure
THE
TRIP:
We left Barbados on a Friday morning and flew to Miami, and then San Francisco, and
finally Singapore, with a one hour stop in Hong Kong. All totaled, the trip took
about 36 hours. We flew Singapore Airlines, and the service was absolutely outstanding. We
had personal video screens, so we could watch whichever movies we wanted, and we could
also play video games (Mark was getting pretty good at golf by the time we landed). The
seats were fairly comfortable, and there was enough room that we were able to sleep quite
a bit on the 15 hour leg from San Francisco to Hong Kong.
GENERAL
INFO:
The population of Singapore is a mixture of Chinese, Malays, and Indians. The Chinese
religion is a mixture of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, while the Malays are primarily
Muslim, and the Indians are Hindus. The cultures and religions seem to blend harmoniously,
with national recognition of holidays. The food reflects each distinct culture as well,
and was absolutely awesome. There are a lot of gardens throughout the entire city.
We thought this was one of the most wonderful aspects of Singapore because everything
looks wonderfully green. You forget that you are in a city with 2.5 million people packed
into an island of 225 square miles (25 miles at the longest, and 14 miles at the widest
points).
THE
SITES:
Chinatown - Much as its name implies, this is an
area of predominantly Chinese people. In our opinion, this is one of the more
interesting areas to explore. The shops, particularly the medicinal halls, sold
goods that we weren't even able to identify - mostly dried plants, fish and sometimes
animal horns and hooves. Chinatown also contains the oldest Hindu
temple in Singapore (a bit strange, since it is the Indian population that is primarily
Hindu). The temple "idols" were almost carnival like in their appearance.
They were very fanciful characters, which were painted in very bright colors. There is
also an old Chinese temple in Chinatown, the Temple of Heavenly Happiness, but
unfortunately it was closed for restoration, and we couldn't see much of it from the
outside.
Little India - Serangoon Road is the center of the
bustling area of Singapore known as Little India. The entire road is lined
with gold merchants, Indian grocers, and restaurants serving curry. The smell of
Indian spices mingles with the aroma of incense as you walk through the predominantly
open-air markets - it can leave you feeling a little "heady".
Orchard Road - Incredible street filled with mall
after mall, but with incredible price tags to match! Also, a great place to stop at
a sidewalk cafe for coffee, and people watch.
Arab Street - Known for its selection of fabric,
some of which were truly magnificent. Arab Street is also home to the
Sultan Mosque, the island's principal place of prayer for the Muslim community.
Singapore Zoo - We opted for the Night Safari
at the Singapore Zoo. It was very unusual to have the opportunity to see
the nocturnal animals. The lighting is very subtle, just enough for viewing. We saw lots
of neat animals, both native to Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world.
Botanic Gardens - An 80 acre area of meticulously
maintained gardens. I would have loved to bring an orchid back (the Gardens
had about 600,000 on display), but agricultural restrictions prevent it.
Boat Quay - A series of outdoor restaurants along
the Singapore River. Another great place to sit and watch the world go by.
THE
FOOD:
Satay - Malaysian kebobs, either chicken or beef, served with peanut sauce for dipping.
Spring Rolls - Similar to Chinese egg rolls, but smaller.
Samosas - Indian vegetable pastries, with potatoes, corn and peas mixed in a curry sauce.
Seafood - Of every variety (including eel), but most prevalent were prawns and crab.
THE
PICTURES