A week in the life….

Hello every one,  I just wanted to update you all on how things are going here in Singapore. It has been a busy yet relaxing week. I have been just doing the usual sightseeing, visiting my favorite spots as well as checking out some new ones that weren’t open when I was here last.

I started the week but heading down to the waterfront and just strolling around. Singapore has very nice water front board walks that are backed by it’s impressive down town skyline. I jump off the bus at an area named Raffles Place  and walk through the financial district and take in the hustle and bustle of  South East Asia’s financial hub. I grab an iced beverage from StarBucks and head down to the water. A statue of the Merlion spouting water stands proud as if guarding the city. This is a popular gathering place for tourists and locals alike to have lunch or just sit and people watch. I head off along the walk ways to Boats Quay which is dotted with restaurants along the canal. You can sit, enjoy menu’s from all around the world as you watch the boats pass by. A little further down, you will arrive  at  Clarks Quay where you find colorful restaurants and pubs. This is a must see area for anyone visiting Singapore for the first time or as a repeat visitor like myself. 

One of the newest attractions to open here is the Gardens by the Bay park. It has a massive indoor garden with sections of local fauna from all parts of the world. My cousin Lisa and I check out the gardens which leads into another area with a waterfall and a mountain of vegetation where we do the cloud walk. The big draw to the gardens is a forest of oddly constructed trees called Supertree grove. Several of them are linked by  a suspension bridge walk way  which offers a nice view of the gardens as well as parts of the city. I enjoyed this part much more then the rest and it was also the cheapest part of the gardens. It is supposed to be lit up with a very impressive light display at night so I will try to get back to see it at some point.

The next day starts with a nice early morning  jungle walk. There is a large section of protected rain forest across the street from my cousins condo that holds many great trails. After a quick walk on one of the short trails, Lisa and I head down to Sentosa Island to visit the new S.E.A Aquarium which is the worlds largest aquarium. I have to say we were both very impressed with this.  Massive aquariums filled with 100’s of different exotic fish and sea life make for some great viewing. Check out my pictures on Facebook however pictures themselves do not do it justice. Our next stop….Universal Studio’s Singapore.  Although a much smaller version of Universal Studio’s in Orlando Florida, it is still a great way to spend the day. The mini streets are impressive and hold many movie themed rides. Most of you know that I am not a roller coaster guy nor enjoy anything high speed that I am not in control of. However, Lisa insists that the Mummy ride is a short,  low key ride  and I really should experience it. Her sales  pitch sold me and we get in line. I quickly notice that there are many notices along the line explaining that this is a “high speed” ride and goes on to give a very long list of people who should not ride. I secretly start to panic as I am the first to admit, I am not a thrill ride seeker. I take stock of the other people waiting for the ride as well, they consist of older people, young children and so on. I then figure that said signs must be a little over exaggeration……boy was I wrong!  get on the ride and it starts off slow, stopping very abruptly for various visual affects. Then…..it takes off very quickly for a couple seconds, stops,  reverses and again stops abruptly. It then turns around and takes off and what can only be described as a suicide mission. I instantly realize that Lisa was trying to kill me, and she came very close!  The ride doesn’t last long, just long enough to reaffirm my complete distaste for anything I can not control however I survived and we moved on. They have the pictures of the ride for sale when you leave the ride, although incredibly overpriced, I had to buy it. The look on my face is appalling. I will transfer this pic later! We stroll around the park for a little while then head home.

That brings us to yesterday. I got up and headed out early for a day of exploration on my own. My first stop was Chinatown. Singapore has a beautiful Chinatown, very bright, vibrant colors  and offers tons of stores, markets, restaurants and even a temple. I spent quite a bit of time just roaming around, taking in the sites and smells. I visit the Buddah Tooth Temple and light a stick of incense for the offering. The sound of Monks chanting echo as some pray and others take pictures.  It is something one would have to experience to get  the full understanding of it. I then jump back on the MRT (train) and head over to Little India. Although interesting, I was far less impressed. It seemed to be the only part of Singapore that wasn’t clean and had a less comforting feeling. I watched a small local parade and then left again. I headed back to Sentosa Island and visited Palawan Beach, one of my favorite spots in Singapore. Overlooking the South China Sea, Palawan beach offers white sandy beaches, palm trees and lots of little restaurants and pubs. A little island connected by a rope bridge is a great place for photo ops. It is also the most southern part of  south east Asia, only 136 kms north of the equator. I spend a couple hours taking in the sun and sights then head back to the condo.  A great night of bbq, conversation and fun capped the day.

Today seems to be a day of relaxation, maybe some pool time before heading out this evening. I hope you enjoyed my quick recap of this weeks event. A combination of the standard tourist attractions and visits to some of my favorite spots. Tomorrow we get ready for a 4 day get away down to Bali Indonesia. This has always been very high on the list so to say I am excited would be an understatement. I will check in again from there. Have a great day.

“The World is vast and meant for wandering”