The Singapore Merlion.
It’s hard to find anything bad to say about Singapore. It’s clean and buildings are either new, freshly painted, or painstakingly restored. Lots of former British Colonial buildings have been repurposed as things like cultural centers and even hotels. It’s actually reminiscent of EPCOT, except for the lurking presence of a Universal Studios on one of the adjacent islands. The only downside is the heat and humidity, but then that’s just like summers at home in Miami.
Growth here is controlled, there is good rapid transit, and cars are very expensive ($125K for a Toyota sedan); therefore, traffic is under control. This island city/state is very green with good use of vertical and rooftop spaces. Feng Shui also plays a key role in architectural and planning decisions. Our Miami-Dade planners should come over here and take some notes.
There is a bit of Big Brother here with cameras pretty much everywhere, even on many cars. Petty crime is low because they WILL have your crime recorded. International crime may be another story – we saw a huge Interpol building, and the banking laws attract many uber-wealthy à la the Swiss and Caymans. There are all sorts of fines for bad behavior, and you’d better not chew gum because that is one of their many rules. People here do follow the rules, and I enjoyed the security and order of it all.
The Arab section.
We really enjoyed our time here. To make the most of it, we hired a great, young guide (contact info below) recommended by some friends, and spent an entertaining six hours touring the various neighborhoods and important sights. When we visit a city, we always love to see the neighborhoods, and we covered the gamut here, from the upscale Dempsey Hill area, to the ethnic enclaves of Indians, Muslims and Chinese, as well as the beautiful embassies, mansions and restored (now-coveted) black and white houses from the Colonial days. We also went up to Faber Peak for the cool breeze and nice view back towards the port area.
A Hindu Temple.
One highlight was a visit to one of the traditional hawker areas (Tiong Bahru) for some delicious local food. Hawker stands are like food courts, but with more of a food-truck vibe and cuisine; one even has a Michelin star. We trusted our guide to just get different types of dishes for us to try, with our one caveat to not be too spicy! We had an amazing eggplant dish, chicken, noodles and some sort of wrap. I do have the names of the dishes, but doubt I will ever find them on a menu again.
We caught one of the two evening light shows on the Bay, where they did some incredible things with holograms. Having managed to eat and drink quite a bit during the day, we settled for a late-evening tea and pastry before calling it a night.
Tip: Great guide Phil Choo: choozhphil@gmail.com
Little India.
Chinatown.
I finally got to go to a Cat Cafe!
I knew they were popular in parts of Asia and was thrilled to find out there were several in Singapore.
There were 15 cats – all rescues. Very cute with their individual collars, bows and scarves. The $15 (Singapore dollars) fee goes to their support and maintenance. Visitors leave their shoes at the door and Purell their hands before entering this kitty-haven. You can stay as long as you like, order a coffee or food, pet them, play with them or just let them sleep on your computer while you do your homework, whatever. Cats curled up on table tops and backpacks, one was walking along beams about 10′ off the ground and another was trying to escape. They had plenty of play towers and special beds. Most were sleeping soundly and all were hard to photograph.
I wish I could’ve stayed longer and I hope my kitty, Pippi, never finds out . . .
They are still celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Sling (1915) being invented; right here, at this Raffles Hotel. Can’t think when I last had this gin-based concoction, probably at the original Ruby Tuesday’s on Cumberland Ave in K’ville. Of course, we had to have one in the Raffle’s Long Bar, particularly since the Raffles is closing in a couple of days for a huge renovation. We hear it will take 1.5 years. BTW, one drink is $22/US. Cheers!
We came, we saw, we conquered. You will never see a picture of me in the pool, but I did get in – and it was freezing!
#AmazingPools, @MarinaBaySands
