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Published: November 8th 2009
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We cruised into Singapore on Halloween—one of the few places in the world where it is not a big celebration yet. The ship’s staff had a pumpkin carving contest on the pool deck right before we docked at the container pier. The cruise ship terminal was fully booked but since Regent provides free shuttles in most ports, it was not a problem getting into the city. Later that evening the Mariner moved to the passenger terminal which is located between Sentosa Island and the main island of Singapore.
We like Singapore a lot and feel it gets kind of a bum rap as being boring. Some say it is like one big theme park. Everyone has heard the stories of strict gum chewing laws and caning for minor infractions. We have found it to be a fascinating mix of Asians, Indians, Malaysians and Westerners with very diverse cultures and religions living in harmony in this peaceful oasis on the Equator. While many of the old ethnic quarters have been demolished in a rush to modernization, there is still plenty of charm and character to be found throughout the city. Things work here-- like the public transit system. It is clean, efficient
and easy to use. We bought an all day pass on the MRT and started exploring via the subway. No sooner had we boarded our first train when a small Chinese man, who looked like Ghandi, started chatting us up. We told him what we were doing and he opened his bag and showed us his stethoscope. After we had talked for a few minutes, Dr Sing (maybe short for Singapore) asked if he could look into our eyes. Upon close inspection he told me that I was a Viking (Norwegian) and that Kevin was a mix of Celtic and German. He was right on all counts. Then he asked if he could feel our pulse. He also checked Kevin’s heart and back. Based on that, he told us about our state of health and made several recommendations for improving our well-being. Now mind you, all of this was taking place on a crowded subway with curious riders staring at us. Dr Sing has his medical practice in Singapore instead of China because he feels it is a healthier environment in which to live. He said that many doctors treat the wallet instead of the patient and that vegetarianism is
the answer to most medical maladies. We didn’t have the heart to tell him about Prime 7--the fabulous steak house on board ship or about the open bar policy. Once we completed this impromptu physical it was time for us to change trains. Dr Sing bid us farewell, good health and safe travels—just another humdrum day on the subway!!
Singapore is not a very large island, but it has played an important role as a strategic crossroads of the world. Captain Dag always says that at some time or other every ship in the world will pass through Singapore. The port is thriving and there are ships anchored out as far as the eye can see. We visited a marina on the northern edge of the island. We knew some folks who used to live there on their Krogen—a boat like ours. We always like checking out marinas—you never know when you might want to buy a boat and live some place exotic like Singapore.
We got back to the ship in time to have a Halloween farewell drink with Heather and Chef Mike. Since it was the end of a segment there wasn’t much in the way of costume
parties or trick or treating. Everyone must have been packing or resting up for their journeys home.
We bought another day pass on the metro and went to Little India. It felt like a whole town in India had been picked up and moved to Singapore. The sounds and smells and sights were right out of Bombay—with one exception—there were no street urchins begging for food or money. There were sari shops and spice shops and gold bangle stores and Hindu temples and incense burning. Many of the two story buildings designed by Sir Thomas Raffles (of Raffles Hotel and Singapore Sling fame) have been restored and the bottom floors are shops and the upper stories are the residences. Just like Pacific Grove, CA. It just that the products sold in this Chinatown are a bit different from Orlando’s Shoe Store offerings.
Our next stop was Chinatown—which has the best shopping outside of Shanghai. As with Little India, Chinatown seems so authentic and teeming with energy, that it could just as easily be a neighborhood in Kowloon or Beijing. The Temple of Heavenly Happiness with its gilded carvings and roof topped dragons can be found here. Friends on the ship
wondered why, after just having spent about two weeks in China, we would be hanging around Chinatown. It must be the oodles of noodles!!
We got back to the ship in time to greet our newly boarded passengers. There was a sail-away party on the pool deck and we realized we were halfway through the Grand Asia Pacific Cruise. We had already been to so many interesting places in our first 51 days aboard and now we were getting ready to cross the equator and head into the Southern Hemisphere and enjoy all that part of the world has to offer for the next 51 days.
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