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Published: January 26th 2007
As plans changed in our travels through Southeast Asia, we ended up with a mere day in Singapore. Though we were able to see a lot, it would have been really nice to have had more time. Looking back, this city really packed a punch. It is a beautiful, clean city with loads of culture and an abundance of things to do and see.
We headed first to the downtown area, where we were instantly attracted by the shopping. Would you believe that I found a pair of pants that not only fit me, but look good and didn't cost a fortune! Singapore swept me off my feet with one swipe of the credit card! And it only got better.
We went to the Esplanade Theatre which is the arts hub of the city. We had some lunch in a little cafe there, checked out their little shops, and were even lucky enough to be able to come back that evening for an open operatic performance by an amazing local singer. That along with the surrounding art decor... it was definitely a great place to see.
From the Esplanade, we set out to see the infamous Merlion, tourist
War Memorial2
These Japanese really seemed to have taken a toll of their Asian neighbours.symbol of Singapore. Seriously people, the thing was pretty small, water stained, and it's a friggin lion head on a fish body spitting water into the Singapore River. Looking into it a little more, I've discovered that both the lion and the fish have historical significance for the changing names and periods of the city. Still though, I really don't know how this strange little statue became such a tourist icon. It's just wierd.
As we were leaving the Merlion tourist area, the looming clouds that had been threatening us all day finally followed through and dumped the rain. I don't know if this was a monsoon or what, but the downpoor was incredible and I've never heard such intense, crashing thunder in my whole life. There was about an hour of amazing storm, and then we were left to trot the rest of the evening through the mess of water that was left behind on the streets. Feet so cold.
We had dinner that evening at Clarke Quay. A fun little mariachi band played tunes and snickered as I tried to sing along. The weather by then was perfectly moderate, the food was great, as was the
ambiance of the whole area. And of course, we couldn't have ended this great day with anything other than a Singapore Sling. Mmmmm, yummy!
As our flight to Seoul was leaving early the next morning, we opted for a night in the airport, as opposed to paying for a bed that would only be slept in for a few hours. Changi airport actually offers a fair bit by way of evening entertainment and relaxation, so aside from a strange encounter with six very armed guards requesting our passport information, it was a quick and decent night. Bright and early, off we went to Seoul, South Korea.
To be continued...
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