Last Friday, we hopped an Emirates flight to Singapore. It wasn't a bad ride, although the seats are narrow and the food mediocre. When we landed in Changi Airport, it was almost 8pm. We didn't know where anything was, but most of the signs are in English and in Chinese (the language of trade there is English). We soon found our way to customs. We already knew that gum was banned, that you could be fined $200 for spitting, etc. And more heinous crimes like vandalism would get us caned (remember that kid in the news a few years ago? Yeah, it's like that.) Customs was fairly easy, and we soon made our way to the taxi queue. We did not have to wait long, and soon we were flying from the airport along the highways of Singapore.
The first thing that struck me was the humidity. Singapore is very close to the equator and is surrounded by water, so it's very humid. I had almost forgotten what humidity felt like. Well, in Singapore it's an everyday occurrence. The other thing was how lush and green it is. Coming from a place where everything is varying shades of brown except for the few patches of green that survive through the wonders of irrigation, I was just inundated with green. Huge ferns, palm trees, tropical trees that I can't name, flowers, and grass. I just wanted to roll in it all. I had not realized how green-deprived I was until I was able to bask in earthly hues. Fabulous.
We got to the Riverview Hotel, which as hotels go was not all that spectacular. It did have a nice creek that ran along behind it. The creek was lined with hotels, cafes, and bistros. Singapore itself retains very little authenticity because it is so modern, like an Asian New York. It's all about what's new, what's in, what's trendy. The markets and stores are glutted with imports from the mainland. I don't think I saw one bit of handmade anything except in Little India. Still, it's got that Asian flavor and this intersection of cultures that is just fascinating.
We sat out on the deck of the hotel cafe and had a late dinner. We noticed huge groups of young people wandering about, sitting on the bridges, benches, and anywhere they could find a seat. They all had plastic bags with soda and food. They seemed to be having little late night picnics wherever they could find a spot. We were actually taken aback by the shortness of the skirts that a lot of the girls wore. And then we realized that we had already been in Dubai for too long because we were no longer used to seeing
skin. We could see legs and laughed because we were absolutely scandalized.
We woke up early the next morning, and I got a healthy dose of how expensive Singapore was. $30 for the breakfast buffet! Yikes! The entire place is priced like a big theme park, with $6 sodas, $10 beer, $15 entrees, and sides are all
a la carte. Anymawho, we took a bus tour of the city to kind of get a lay of the land and take in some of the major sites. We saw the Singapore Flyer, which is thirty meters higher than the London Eye and is the biggest wheel of its kind. We passed the Raffles Hotel. Sir Raffles "discovered" Singapore when he established a free port there back in the 1800's. We walked along the waterfront and saw a hotel (cannot remember the name of it to save my life) with what looked like a boat balanced on top. Our guide told us that this "boat" actually had palm trees and a huge pool on top.
After we meandered around the waterfront, our guide took us to Little India. Singapore has quite a large Indian population, with a good number of Malays, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Western expats. For such a small place, it is bursting at the seams with diversity. Little India was full of winding streets, market stalls, food vendors, and stores selling all manner of Indian textiles, decorative goods, and clothing. I was rather enthrallled by the flower garland makers. They weave flower garlands from fresh flowers for weddings, special events, and for Indian ladies to wear in their hair.
After we visited Little India, we were taken to a jewelry factory with beautiful gold and precious stone jewelry. That was the selling part of the tour. The tour operators probably got a percentage of any sales made. Luckily, they didn't spend too much time trying to sell us overpriced high end jewelry. Our next stop was in Chinatown. The culture of Singapore is influenced in moderate part by mainland China. I have to say that my favorite part of Chinatown was our visit to the Buddhist temple. We were lucky enough to be allowed in while services were taking place. I had to cover up my shoulders with a musty cape because I was wearing a sleeveless shirt. The monks were at the front of the room chanting. It's an eerie sound, all five of them chanting together in Chinese in a monotone but somehow harmonious tune. It was almost as if the sound itself was tickling the edges of heaven. The temple itself was marvelous. It was covered in images of Buddha, flowers, offerings, and shrines.
We also went to the Singapore Botanical Gardens and National Orchid Garden. A little slice of paradise in the middle of the Asian equivalent of New York. Fountains, waterfalls, pools, winding paths, ferns, trees, and just about every color, shape, and size of orchid imaginable. I could have built myself a little house in the middle of that lovely jungle and lived there quite happily...with the addition of a hammock and cabana boy.
That night, we went to Clark's Quay which is a trendy night spot full of bars, restaurants, and fancy stores. We tried our first Singapore Sling, which is gin, cherry juice, and a couple of other things that I cannot currently recollect. We finished out the night in a rock and roll bar where a live band from Canada was belting out cover tunes. The girls played pool and we did a couple of shots before calling it a night.
The next morning, we got up and dressed in a hurry for a much anticipated trip to the Singapore Zoo. I had read a lot about this zoo, and how it was a step above many others because the habitats were so large and as much like the animals' natural habitats as possible. We were kind of blown away when we got there because it was just like we'd read about. It was huge, full of large habitats, lots of trees, places to sit and watch the animals. We lost track of time and almost didn't make it to the breakfast at Ah Meng. You see, we were going to have breakfast with the orangutans. And when I say with, I mean they were in the restaurant with us. Their habitat abuts the restaurant and they have been trained to answer when the keepers call. They climb over the branches and follow a little bridge right over to the restaurant. The orangutans sit on perches and tree limbs while the keepers give a talk. Meanwhile, everyone is walking around getting breakfast at the buffet, eating, and taking pictures. We were so entranced walking around the zoo that we got there late, but we did manage to get a table right up where the orangutans were sitting.
I had breakfast with orangutans. In a million years, I never would have thought that possible. The zoo had lots of really neat residents. The white tigers were stunning. One was taking a swim, while another was lazing on her rock. One, however, was pacing back and forth along the rock ledge. He had that look like he was trying to figure out from what point he would have to jump to launch himself across the moat and into the crowd. I guess he did not have his Wheaties that morning, the cranky boy. The elephants were quite endearing. Their habitat was quite large. The traditional elephant handler is called a mahut, and each elephant worked with a trainer. They moved logs, knocked down trees, walked along narrow logs to show their agility, and snuck bananas out of their trainers pockets. Loved it! Made me so excited to see the elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka in December!
I happened to spy a plaque outside the Australia animal habitats. It talked about Steve Irwin and how he used to visit this particular zoo often. It said that Singapore Zoo was considered the sister zoo to Australia Zoo in Queensland. I don't care what people say, I loved that guys. I survived long nights in the studio thanks to back-to-back episodes of the Croc Hunter. So there.
That evening, we headed out to Little India again for some shopping. What we did not know (although I had read briefly about this and the cab driver confirmed) was that it was absolutely packed with people. Many Indian workers come on two year contracts to Singapore, and their night off is Sunday. They were spilling out onto the roads because the sidewalks were full. The taxi driver quick let us off at the taxi stand. There we were, a couple of pasty white gals in a sea of mostly Indian men in a questionable part of town blocks from where we needed to be. What does one do? A hasty about-face and quick-march down the road! Whew! We found our way to a couple of fabric stores. We wanted sari fabric. I am a fabric whore. I admit it. I have a problem. And Indian textiles make my knees to all jelly-like and my willpower to mush. The colors, texture, surface design, and patterns make me swoon. Can't help it. I only bought two though. Give me at least some credit ;)
We meandered through shops, past the flower garland makers, and wove our way through stalls looking at clothing, trinkets, accessories, and all kinds of fabulous things. We were lucky enough to go into a store where a nice woman recognized how much we loved Indian textiles, so she said "You like? I take you to my big store!" It was raining, and she led us through the winding dark streets of Little India to her other store which was absolutely full of carpets, wall hangings, furniture, and antiques. I had seen a small wall hanging that I liked in her other store. It was brown, hand beaded in a lovely design. She told me her price, and then said she would offer it to me for less because she had offered it at that price to a customer just before me. She smiled, and I smiled. And on the inside, I thought "Oh, yes, let's dance, you and I." And we haggled. This is common in Indian culture. Nobody pays the asking price. I offered her this much, she countered with more. I pointed out problems in the stitching, she countered with the handbeading. I hesitated (overdramatically) because there were tiny tears on the back. I made my final offer. She took it. She was happy as a clam because my friend Kathy has the same problem I do and bought a wall hanging AND a carpet. She still made out in the end, and we fed our addictions for textiles and got an authentic taste of the local culture.
We were so exhilarate from shopping that we headed on over to the much celebrated and high end Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar. We were told by several good authorities that one hasn't truly experienced Singapore until one has sipped a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar whilst throwing peanut shells on the floor. At $28, it's an expensive but neat experience. The hotel itself still retains much of it's colonial flavor and opulence. Luckily, it's free to walk around a bit.
The next morning, we packed our bags and headed off to Sentosa Island for a break from the city and some quality poolside and beach time. We had planned on taking a night train to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, but that fell through. I was all for an extra day at the beach. For the most part, Sentosa, like Singapore, is a synthetic attraction. It consists of restaurants, bars, hotels, a Universal Studios, two new casinos, and a theme park called Resort World. Still, beaches are beaches. I have to admit, I done good when I chose our hotel. I chose an eco-resort called Siloso. Instead of knocking down every tree in sight, they built their hotel
around the trees. There are trees coming up through the walkways and extending up several floors. The walkways wind their way through the jungle from one part of the resort to the other. The pool is 95 meters long and is fed from a fresh water spring. There is a thirteen foot waterfall feeding the pool. It's crisp and refreshing after wandering around in the heat and humidity all day. We spent most of our first afternoon on the island just lazing by the pool.
That night we went out for a most wonderful dinner of Indian food. While we were waiting for the tram, some local boys came and sat down next to us. I figured they were talking about me because they gestured toward me. Before I know it, one of them is holding his camera up and says "Missus, take picture?" I was amused, so I said yes. The boy leaned toward me with a goofy smile while his friend took the picture. I thought I was done. The other boys each took a turn getting their picture taken with me. I must've looked especially hot. Maybe they mistook me for Natalie Portman ;) We hit the Wavehouse which is an awesome bar across from the Siloso. They have two wave pools where intrepid folks can wakeboard and bodyboard. We had kidnapped their tram driver, Sidi, earlier in the day for a ride and had promised him a shot. He introduced us to the staff. We got friendly with the manager Jun, who ordered us a few rounds of free shots. Yedh, the bartender, made us even better Singapore Slings than the Raffles Hotel. His were served in a hollowed out pineapple. Beat that, Raffles!
This is Sidi from the Wavehouse. We flagged him down and bummed a ride.
The next day, we went to the beach. It's a rather nice beach, albeit it small. It's located in a little cove with palm tree covered islands, clear green water, and lovely sun. The only thing that detracts from the view are the busy shipping lanes across the way. Ah, well. Nothing is perfect.
We went back to the Wavehouse that night to bring our trip to a close with our new friends. Kathy got up the gumption to try out the wakeboarding for herself. It was kind of bittersweet, because we knew we had to go back to our rooms and pack up to go home. We had had such a good time on the island. We agreed that if we ever came back to Singapore that we would stay at the Siloso on the island and take daytrips into the city. It's just so nice, lush, and green. It was the kind of restful, natural experience that we really wanted after being in the desert.
It was a good trip. It was my first taste of international travel from Dubai. Other teachers went to Kathmandu, some went to Amsterdam, some to Istanbul. Whenever there is any kind of break at school, the teachers scatter to the four winds with their passports and carry-ons to experience whatever they can. It's such a transient culture that I kind of stumbled upon and became a part of. Can't wait for the next trip!
