Singapore

Singapore is a small country. Very small: 26 x 10 miles, and 23% of that area has come through land reclamation! Singapore (population 5.6 million) has the second highest population density (after Monaco) in the world. It is immaculate (they jail you for chewing gum), safe, and beautiful with incredibly innovative and artistic buildings and infrastructure. There are four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil; English is the lingua franca. Singapore has no natural resources – its success has come from making itself a tech center and a trading center. The people are highly educated, healthy and visionary – and at the same time, very socially conservative. Filial piety, discipline, respect, and a strong work ethic are important. We really like everything about this place except its immigration procedure. Long lines and few personnel gave us a 45 minutes wait to get off the ship and an hour to reboard. We think immigration officers may deliberately cultivate an ominous aura to scare would be smugglers, etc.

Once off the ship, we travelled to the Fullerton Hotel, a monumental many-columned lovely building built in 1919 as the General Post Office. The Fullerton’s lobby is lined with huge vases that look like silk but feel like colored stone. On the roof is an attractive garden with an infinity pool through which you can see the swimmers’ bodies – a little peculiar. Also peculiar was the Singapore Slings we were served as welcome drinks at 11:05 am.

Along Singapore’s streets we passed the Fountain of Wealth, the largest bronze fountain in the world. The Asian countries we have visited are serious competitors in the "whose is bigger" game. The people also seem to be serious believers in the auspicious. The fountain pictured below is definitely auspicious for if you drive around it three times (we did) you will achieve great prosperity. Just you wait! We also saw the largest peacock (we are sure) to decorate a street corner.

Then we were pedaled in a trishaw through Little India and Chinatown. We didn’t feel too guilty that our driver was pedaling in the 98 degree heat when we discovered the power assist attached to the wheel. Back on the tour bus we passed by the Marina Bay Sands, a resort complex with a huge ark on its top, on our way to the Singapore Flyer, the world’s largest (what else) observation wheel. During our thirty minute rotation we “flew” over the city, and it was absolutely magical. We could see way out across the Singapore Strait and right into the Botanical Garden domes. We also discovered selfies (see below).