(OCTOBER 1st TO 7, 2019)

Photos of SONGAPORE (Click on the photo below and then, on the arrow on the right)

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TUESDAY,OCTOBER 1st (Continuation)

HONGKONG – SINGAPORE (Pop: 5.6 million / 34 degrees C)

We arrived in Singapore on a Boeing A380, the largest aircraft in the world. My four-hour flight passed quickly, busy writing and managing my photos. At Singapore’s large and luxurious airport, I bought a SIM card for my cell phone, took out Singapore dollars (they are almost the same value as the Canadian dollar) and bought a transit pass. We then took the metro (called « train » or « MRT » here) to Bugis station (40-minute ride). As we left the subway station, we walked 5 minutes and arrived at the Cozy Corner Guesthouse Backpacker, which we quickly renamed « the bunker ». Our room is tiny, windowless and bathroomless. Fortunately, we have air conditioning in our room because otherwise we would die of heat! We went to dinner at the small Indian restaurant around the corner (naan bread, dal and curry chicken) before returning to our bunker for the night.

We liked our first glimpse of Singapore. The city is clean, very modern and includes several tourist attractions.

Here is some interesting information from Wikipedia on SINGAPORE:

« Singapore   is a  city-state  in Southeast Asia. It comprises 63  islands, the main one being  Pulau Ujong. This island is densely urbanized, but the lush vegetation – even in the city center – has earned Singapore the nickname « garden city ». This abundance of greenery is due in part to an equatorial climate, which is uniformly warm and stormy throughout the year. Its population density is  the highest in Asia and the second highest in the world.

The state of Singapore is located in the extreme south of the Malay Peninsula, from which it is separated to the north by the Strait of Johor, and borders the South of the Singapore Strait. It is known and often shown as an example for its extraordinary economic success. After the independence of the British Empire in 1958, the connection to Malaysia in  1963,then independence in  1965,Singapore was able to become, with very few natural resources and significant socio-economic problems – race riots, mass unemployment, housing and access difficulties – one of the most developed and prosperous countries in the world, in terms of economy, education, health, security and urban planning. The city, a sovereign city, is a Chinese city in the very heart of the Malay world: the population is predominantly Chinese (74.3%). From this ethnic confrontation came partly the unrest that accelerated his withdrawal from  Malaysia on August 9, 1965.

In the 1980s,the country, along with Hong Kong, South Korea  and  Taiwan, was part of the four Asian dragons, states in transition and unbridled economic development. In  2011,Singapore was the third largest country in the world in terms of gross domestic product  at purchasing power parity  (PPP) per capita after  Qatar  and  Luxembourg. A commercial and financial hub between the Pacific and Europe, the city owes its growth to its exceptional maritime location at the eastern end of the Strait of Malacca, which earned it the nickname « Market  City on the edge of the East ». It has the second largest port in the world (after  Shanghai)in terms of exports and maritime traffic. The Singaporean population has a very high standard of living and the City-State is often referred to as  « Switzerland of   Asia ». In 2009, Singapore had the highest concentration of millionaires reported to the total population, ahead of  Hong Kong  (China),  Switzerland,  Qatar  and  Kuwait.

With remarkable political stability, Singapore is now regarded as an « authoritarian democracy » or « benevolent dictatorship », with the same family in power since independence. The city-state is therefore considered a country practicing economic liberalism without political liberalism.

The city center is located in the south of the island of  Pulau Ujong, at the mouth of the Singapore  River. It includes a business center that has made the city the fourth largest financial center in the world, as well as various ethnic districts (Chinese, Malay, and Indian) and a large commercial area around Orchard Road. »

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2

Singapore

At our hostel, breakfast is included: white bread, peanut butter, jam and coffee. It’s not extraordinary but it does the trick! We then took the subway to Chinatown. We walked around the neighborhood: pedestrian streets, Sri Mariamman Temple, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (huge and truly beautiful temple), mosque, etc. We dined at the Chinatown Complex renowned for its economical Chinese food stalls.

In the afternoon, we took the subway to Bayfront station visiting the luxurious and gigantic Marina Bay Sands Hotel, The Shoppes (casino and luxury boutiques: Cartier, Guggi, Celine, etc.), Sands Expo and Convention Centre and Sands Skypark.

We ended our tours with the beautiful and huge Gardens by the Bay site with its iconic Supertree Grove and OCBC Skyway. The gardens have several sections. The ones we visited were: Floral Clock, World of Palms, Indian, Chinese, and Malay Gardens. How well landscaped the gardens are! Getting out of the sweltering heat of the city and finding yourself in nature in the shade of the foliage has done us good. The rain at the end of the day forced us to stop a bit. I drowsy under a small shelter and it was finally hunger that made us take the way back at nightfall.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3

I got up tired and with my headache the day before, despite a long night’s sleep. So, we took our time before we started our day.

We took the bus to the Golden Mile Complex where we purchased our bus tickets to Malacca in Malaysia ($22 each for 4 hours bus). We then took the opportunity to visit the nearby Arab quarter.  We discovered the beautiful Sultan’s Mosque and Kampong Glam, an enclave in the pretty Malay-Muslim district with several exotic restaurants and shops. We passed the small Malay Heritage Centre museum but skipped the tour. Instead, we headed to the subway station to get to the Little India area. As soon as we got there, we were bewitched by the typical Indian atmosphere that we love so much with its smells, colors, saris, incense, carpets, spices, jewelry, pashminas, etc. We started with a taste of samosas and chai tea before strolling through the busy streets of the neighborhood. We discovered the Tekka Centre and Little India Arcade with their Indian restaurants and shops full of items of all kinds. I let myself be tempted by a blouse and beautiful Indian pants. (I’ll have to get rid of a piece of laundry that I already have so my suitcase can close!)

We took a picture of the residence of Tan Teng Niah, cute little house recognized as one of the most colorful in Singapore. Its owner was a Chinese businessman who flourished in Little India.

The Hindu temple Sri-Veerama-Kaliamman, finely carved and colorful, charmed us.

We finally returned to our place of accommodation, happy to finally be able to stop walking. Our bunker suddenly seemed like paradise! We only came out about 30 minutes to go to dinner around the corner. For $4 CAD each, we ate like princes!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast with an Indonesian woman, we left with our little backpack for a day at the beach at Sentosa Island. We took the 80 bus to Vivo City. From there, we boarded the Sentosa Express Monorail and then the Free Beach Tram. We chose to start with Siloso Beach, the most popular of the island’s three beaches (All three are artificial.). Despite the oppressive heat, we refrained from swimming in the sea because the water quality seemed doubtful. Waste was floating on the water and 34 liners were anchored just across the street, just a few kilometers from the beach, which was not very reassuring! The beach is beautiful with its white sand and palm trees. We walked to the Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa, a beautiful luxury hotel with a very inviting pool and heavenly décor. As a joke, it was said that this « resort » was comparable to our « bunker ». (Ha! Ha!)

We took over the Beach Tram to the last beach: Tanjong Beach. Quieter and cleaner, we bathed in its warm waters. Claude then stole a little nap while I was chatting with an Italian woman living in Singapore and speaking very good French. Claude joined us when the rain started and we had a good time with her, the weather as the rain passes.

We then walked to Palawan Beach. We returned to the water, took a nap in the swings, crossed the suspension bridge and climbed into the two observation towers to enjoy the magnificent panoramic view. We took one last swim before going for a nice chai tea at a small Indian restaurant in the square.

We took over the Sentosa Express Monorail and returned to town with the 61 bus. The driver misjudged where to disembark, and we ended up in the Arab quarter. We found our way back and walked the rest of the way. Hungry, we stopped eating at the budget buffet restaurant around the corner before returning to the hostel.

We enjoyed our beach day at Sentosa Island. It is possible to do several activities such as: bungee jumping ($199 CAD), giant swing ($79), Sentosa Merlion (Giant Statue of a lion with observatory on top: $18), Universal Studio Singapore ($96), iFly Singapore ($119), Skyline Luge Sentosa ($29), etc. The site is attractive and beautifully landscaped.

In the evening we took the subway to Bugis Station to Bayfront. We went to see two shows of sounds and lights. The first was held at the Gardens by the Bay at Supertree Grove. magnificent!

The second was behind the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The jets of water danced to the rhythm of the music and the laser beams of color formed elegant and impressive figures against the backdrop of the high buildings of the business center. What a colorful show! 

Our return to the metro went well. For once, we didn’t go the wrong way! We are finally starting to unravel and take the good subway exits.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 (34 degrees C)

My excellent night’s sleep did me the greatest good. How good we sleep in our bunker! I had lunch with three really friendly Vietnamese. Claude and I started our day around 10am, under a bright sun and almost unbearable heat. We did the « Walking Tour » of the city center proposed in the Lonely Planet Singapore guide. We drove down our street, North Bridge Road, to St. Andrew’s Cathedral. On the grounds of the cathedral, a pro-life Christian festival was underway with musicians, kiosks, inflatable play, etc. Next door we entered the magnificent National Gallery Singapore building housing City Hall in one wing and the Supreme Court in the other. We climbed to the6th floor to enjoy a great panoramic view of the downtown buildings and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

We then discovered with wonder the magnificent Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall and the pleasant walk along the Singapore River.

We continued our journey, overwhelmed by the burning rays of the sun. We passed old Hill St Police Station (a colorful building with art galleries) to reach the Clarke Quay. We crossed the bridge and took a break in the shade while devouring our tuna sandwich bought at 7Eleven, a very popular convenience store in Asia.

We then walked along Boat Quay, popular for its upscale restaurants and bars overlooking the river. Behind the magnificent Fullerton Hotel, former Post Office in Singapore, we passed under the bridge to reach the iconic Merlion statue (giant lion spitting water and facing the Esplanade Theatre and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel).

We took a break while quenching ourselves with a good oolong tea and hoping to regain strength so we could keep walking!

We went to Take the subway to Raffles Place to get to the famous Botanical Garden. The site is huge and really well laid out. Map of the garden in hand, we followed the recommendations received on arrival and made our visit in this order: Collection of bougainvillea, Foliage Garden, Raffles Building (We had an economical and excellent dinner), Healing Garden, Rain Forest, Orchid Plaza ($5 per person; UNESCO site), Ginger Garden, Bonsai Garden and Sundial Garden (with pretty bodies of water).

Exiting through Tanglin Gate at dusk, we took the No. 7 bus to Bugis station. Heavy rain forced us to take shelter. We discovered a large bazaar spread over three floors where we sell everything. We went around it by the time the rain stopped. As there were cheap clothes and well to my liking, I preferred not to linger because I would certainly have made purchases that I cannot afford to do because of my small suitcase.

We had dinner at our favorite little restaurant around the corner, Jin Jin Eating House ($6.50 for both). Our big bowl of vegetables sautéed on rice noodles was exquisite. A good cool shower did us the greatest good and we then greatly appreciated the basic comfort of our quiet bunker.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

We spent our last day in Singapore at its famous Zoological Garden ($37 each) recognized as the most beautiful in the world if you include its Night Safari ($42) and river Safari ($28). In a peaceful and lush rainforest environment, the zoo is home to more than 2,400 animals belonging to more than 300 species moving through different geographic areas. We spent many great hours exploring the various themed areas:  Wild Africa, Tropical Crops, Fragile Forest, Reptile Garden, Rainforest, Primate Kingdom, Australasia, Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia and Free Ranging Orangutan Island. Seeing the orangutans in the wild above our heads was the favorite of my visit. Monkeys are the animals I have always found most interesting to observe; I was well served!

We returned with the 138 bus and the metro to Bugis station, the closest to our hostel. We took a short break to enjoy a nice chai tea at the small Indian restaurant next door to our accommodation and returned to rest at our bunker.

We returned one last time to our favorite restaurant: Jin Jin Eating House. We enjoyed an excellent curry chicken. We then took a walk to the business center to see this area of the city with its impressive night lighting on its bridges, boats, skyscrapers, museums, luxury hotels, Concert Hall, etc. We stopped for a moment on the promenade that runs along the Singapore River, admiring the busy boat quay street on the other bank. Passing past the chic Fullerton Hotel, we went back to see the show sounds and lights but this time, on the other side of Marina Bay. Located close to the gigantic Merlion statue, it is with renewed wonder that we witnessed again this impressive spectacle of water jets.

On the way back, we bought some provisions in anticipation of our planned trip to Malaysia early the next morning.

SEE THE CONTINUATION OF OUR WORLD TOUR IN THE ARTICLE « MALAYSIA. »