Singapore

My sister and I spent one week in a Singapore while waiting for our visas to Vietnam. It was a “fine” city/country but I never plan to go back. One week was enough time. We originally went to Singapore, needing the luxuries of a first world country after I had gotten extremely sick for the second time while in Thailand.

It is a high tech city with very modern infrastructure, including an impressive looking casino in the shape of a glass boat on top of a skyscraper! Singapore is also known for its supertrees that are man-made structures stretching 50 meters into the sky! The government keeps this city so well organized by giving it strict rules and regulations. You will be fined if you litter, J-walk, forget to flush a public toilet, or spit in the street. We also noticed that this city got quiet by 10pm each night, meaning it didn’t have a very lively nightlife. We spent as much money during one week in a Singapore as an entire month in Thailand. We made the most of this tiny modern country though!

One day my sister and I rented bicycles and toured the city. We biked to the Garden by the Bay and marveled at the super trees. A cement center is surrounded by a metal canopy that holds up real plants. There are solar panels on the trees providing them the energy to light up at night! Also on our bike adventure, we parked outside of a museum with a cloud forest and played in the sprinklers! These sprinklers were huge jets shooting up from the ground and made for a fun way to relieve ourselves from the heat.

One day, on our way back from the Vietnam Embassy, we stopped by the Botanical Garden. There were many peaceful ponds and interesting statues. We easily killed half an afternoon at this nature sanctuary inside of a bustling city.

While sitting at a restaurant on the Singapore River my sister and I treated ourselves to Singapore Slings! We passed my journal back and forth writing a short story, line for line. As we busted up as the story progressed, the classy adults around us looked at us in wonder. Sometimes in a boring city, you just have to create your own party! There is an eye catching bridge that crosses the Singapore River. At night it lights up in slowly rotating rainbow colors.

Singapore has a China town that was fun to explore. We ate delicious food, saw a dragon dancing in the street and went to the markets. There is also a little India in Singapore. Read my Time Machine article in the India section to find out why I wouldn’t recommend going here on a Sunday night.

When we finally obtained our Vietnam visas we were chomping at the bit and ready to continue our adventures in a more affordable and interesting place! Singapore has impressive ways of incorporating nature into their city. They are certainly progressive, though not such a fun place to backpack through.