SINGAPORE, THE CITY IN A GARDEN

When we planned this trip, the goal was to see more of Australia and to go finally to Bali.   That Singapore was the most logical way to get home was a happy accident.  We hadn't been there, we knew it was a destination in its own right, and we wanted to see it.  Thus, we planned an additional two days to insure that we would get more than a passing glance.  I'm so glad we did.  

On the drive into the city from the airport, the streets are lined with bougainvillea, every building looks brand new (which is more about maintenance than about age), and the architecture as you get nearer the downtown is simply sublime.  And parks and pocket gardens everywhere. 

The two pictures above are the view from our hotel room.   At night, the lotus style building (the center of the first picture) is equipped with a light show that illuminates each lotus leaf in colorful, geometric designs.  The unusual tri-towered building is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the platform on the top has a infinity pool that runs almost the entire length of the building.  It's worth Googling.

Singapore, a city/state of 5.6 million people and surprisingly only the 19th smallest country in the world, has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.   It is one of only three city/states, the other two being The Vatican and Monaco.

The next morning we were greeted by our Singapore guide, Desmond, a native Singaporean both full of pride and well informed about his beautiful city.  We drove around the city agawk at the glittering steel and glass and noted that not so much as a stray wad of paper litters the sidewalks.  

As you may have heard, Singapore has rules--lots of rules.  Graffiti is not allowed and of course no littering.  The rule about not being allowed to chew gum is apparently true, lest an errant blob of gum should end up on the sole of someone's shoe.  And he reminded us of the young American who was caned for spray painting several cars back in the nineties and how the incident received international attention, including pleas for lenience from President Clinton.   It became quite a cause célébre, threatening to ruin the diplomatic relationship between Singapore and the U.S. and in the end the boy's caning was reduced from six strokes to four.  But he still got caned.  Rules are rules.

Hearing Desmond tell the story, Tom and I kind of lost the sympathy we had felt for the boy at the time.  It's not only the rules that keep Singaporeans in line; it's pride--pride in the beauty of their city and the smooth way in which it operates.  Traffic moves politely and methodically, without the typical horn honking and lane switching which is the norm throughout the rest of Asia.  The government requires the repainting of government housing every so many years which explains why everything looks so new.  Singapore dazzles and glows.

Desmond took us to three areas of the city which differ dramatically from what I've just described.  First we went to Arab Street, which is more than one street--it's the whole area which celebrates Muslim culture in the city and is dominated by a huge mosque with a golden dome.  Very colorful and interesting.  And clean.

Arab Street

This shop sells only saris.

The approach to Sultan Mosque

The Mosque sits in the center of a large plaza with cafes and shops lining the periphery.  

Several blocks are covered with Street Art.  NOT graffiti, Desmond was quick to emphasize.  This is one of the only areas of the city where painting on the building walls is allowed.


Next we went to the Indian quarter, which has a completely different character, and finally to Chinatown with a very old Chinese temple--right in the middle of the city.

The next day for a change of pace, Desmond took us to a small island, about a 7-8 minute ferry ride from the mainland.  Called Pulau Ubin, it was a granite quarry, now a lake with mangrove jungle and boardwalk for walking through it and viewing the many varieties of trees and plants.  We saw a large monitor lizard just hanging out and a wild mama boar with her young'un wandering through a sea of parked bicycles.  Pulau Ubin is a popular spot for hikers and bicyclists escaping the atmosphere of the city.  At the end we stopped in a small cafe for a fresh coconut with straw and spoon.  It was so delicious I was ready to scrape at it with my hands after eating as much of the flesh as I could extract with the spoon.  Nothing like the brown, hairy coconuts I've had in the past. 

The approach to Pulau Ubin.

Mama boar lost among the bikes.  Baby is right behind but I didn't want to irritate her.

And a Buddhist temple right in the middle of the jungle.  They were preparing to celebrate something and the roast pig garnished with crab was the centerpiece.  The styrofoam container spoils the mood somewhat but it all looked delicious.

The world's most divine coconut.

That creamy stuff is actually the first layer of the coconut meat.  You scrape it with the spoon and eat the top tender layer. I could eat one right now.

And now we are home after six hours and then twelve more in the air.  Thank you for accompanying us on our fascinating cultural exploration of Australia, Bali and Singapore!