When we flew to Indonesia from the US, Dan developed DVT, a blood clot in his leg. No way we wanted a repeat of that when we left the country. We decided to avoid DVT the easy way and visit a few places on our way home. First stop: one day in Singapore.
I may have grown up in the shadow of Manhattan but I still think Singapore is the most cosmopolitan city I’ve ever seen, bar none. Like other world-class cities, it’s got glass-and-steel high rises and a state-of-the-art infrastructure, and although Malay is its official language, English is spoken everywhere. Despite colonial British influence it has huge Indian, Malaysian, and Chinese neighborhoods and everywhere we went were people of all colors, cultures and dress.
First stop: Little India
Due to our flight itinerary we really only had a night and one day in Singapore, but we made the most of it, starting with taking a taxi to Little India. The taxi dropped us off in front of Mustafa Centre, a mega-large Little India landmark. We were meeting new friends but arrived early enough to take a look around, and it was worth it. The clientele were mostly Indian, of course, shopping for bargains on everything from clothes, perfume, souvenirs, electronics, makeup, confectionery and even groceries. They even had kiosks for travel and other services.
Louise and her husband are Australians who live part-time in Singapore. We’d originally met them in Bali and hit it off. They took us to a sidewalk cafe and we sat for hours chatting like old friends over bottles of Singapore’s Tiger Beer then headed to their favorite Indian vegetarian restaurant, Raj. We asked them to choose our menu. The restaurant served an amazing variety of dishes, so delectable we forgot it was all vegetarian.
If you like cheese, I highly recommend that you try Palak Paneer the next time you have a chance to try Indian food.
Next stop: Singapore bus tour
Though Singapore’s subway, bus and taxi systems are top-notch we opted to use our only full-day taking a hop on-hop off bus tour that came complete with a river cruise. It took us to all three neighborhoods and gave a good overview of the city. The top deck provides a great vantage point for photos.
As we drove around there was one thing that constantly impressed me: Singapore is pristine. Singapore has a reputation for its strict laws against of littering of any kind. As a matter of fact, chewing gum isn’t even sold in the country because they don’t want people spitting it out on the street.
Be aware: Littering carries a $1000 fine. I was told that repeat offenders have to wear bright jackets and clean up a public place. They sometimes even invite the media to cover the story as added disincentive. Having just come from Indonesia, the largest trash dump I’ve ever seen, the contrast was striking.
Another must-do: Shopping
Singapore is known for its shopping,and not just at discount emporium Mustafa’s. Orchard Street is a shopper’s paradise; it seemed there was a mall on almost every block. Dan wanted to look for a new camera so we hopped off to see what was available. How like high-tech Singapore to even have malls just dedicated to electronics. We saw things that aren’t even available in the U.S. yet, and at very reasonable prices.
Checking out Chinatown
Back on the bus later in the afternoon, we hopped off again in Chinatown to visit the monolithic Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Inside its walls is a 27-foot statue of the Buddha, which I picture as occupying a lot of space in the temple’s four stories. Even more remarkably they have one of his teeth on display. Unfortunately it was closed; I didn’t realize that we could only visit at certain times of the day. If we ever get inside we’re also going to be sure to visit the 10,000 Buddhas Pagoda on the roof, which has a large Tibetan-style prayer wheel.
Since that option was out, we went on a photography expedition to discover what some of the streets and shops had to offer. We looked but didn’t stop in anywhere although one Chinese herb shop looked especially inviting. We wanted to get to another must-do destination before dark …
Last stop: Sightseeing from atop the Singapore Flyer
The end of the day found us on the Singapore Flyer watching the sun set over the city. Their sightseeing Ferris wheel is similar to the famous London Eye, but they claim it’s larger. From atop the wheel I could see that I had been wrong about the city: Singapore is not just a small island with a bunch of high-rises. It’s a collection of hilly islands with lots of greenery and very attractive, older neighborhoods too.
On our way down the Flyer’s ramp we passed a fish spa. It was so intriguing we just had to try it. These little “doctor fish,” about the size of big guppies, like to dine on dead skin. We sat with our feet in the water and let them nibble away. It felt like we’d put our feet into champagne and were getting thousands of little tiny bubbles popping on our skin. For about $15 it was the most unique pedicure we’ve ever had … and worth doing again.
If I ever have to live in Asia, I could definitely live in Singapore. Even if it meant I’d have to do without chewing gum. What about you?
