Singapore

We only had one day in Singapore…and boy did we fill it up! Started with the Singapore “Flyer”….very much like the “Eye” in London. A huge “observation wheel” that turns slowly, allowing you to see the entire city from up in the sky.

The city is beautiful! Very clean compared to the cities we have been in. Lot’s of parks and manicured gardens. They are preparing to host the Youth Olympics as well as a Formula One Race downtown.

After the Flyer we got on a “Hop on Hop off” bus and toured the city. We had seen this building from the Flyer. It is three 55-storey hotels that includes a casino and a huge rooftop garden. Very impressive to look at!

Singapore is known for its shopping districts. I have never seen so many malls in my life! Too bad none of us like to shop. We walked through them to cool down (air con!) and ate lunch in what would be considered a “food court” in the U.S. The Asian “food court” is amazing….not exactly the Orange Julius, Long John Silvers, or Happy Panda we have to suffer through back home.

We went to the Raffles “Long Bar” where the Singapore Sling was first created. We spent $30….yes….$30 PER Singapore Sling. Our quote was “when in Rome”…us and all the other tourists filling the bar!

We were also told we had to do the Singapore Night Safari. We were unable to take pictures of the animals because the camera flash spooks them. Unfortunately, that didn't stop all the other ignorant tourists from using their flashes. We saw a huge variety of animals- Rhino, tigers, lions, leopard, tapir, ant eaters, zebra, giraffe, etc.

We had a late dinner at "No Signboard Seafood." The restaurant started as a small stall at a market. It did not have a signboard...thus got it's name. It was delicious...we had black pepper crab, scallops, seafood fried rice, and a clay pot beancurd dish.


Hotels in Singapore are incredibly expensive. Budget is considered less than $100/night. We found a place for $45/night....the reason for the price? It is in the red light district. You wouldn't even know during the day. We did notice that the mattress had a plastic cover on it...and they did have an hourly rate...We took a walk after dinner and watched Dean and Jeff get whistled at. Our street was lined with brothels...they did not have doors on them...just little walls to cover the entrance. It was entertaining to say the least. Off to the islands for some R&R!!!