Singapore

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Singapore

What a study in contrasts from Viet Nam to Singapore. The port where we docked is modern and clean. Ocean Terminal is connected to three huge malls, much like Hong Kong. It seemed we walked for miles just to leave the terminal. Other passenger ships were tied up across from us, and we could see ferries coming and going from an adjacent pier. As we looked out, we saw cable cars crossing over our ship, high speed rail running not far ahead, and buses and taxis and a subway station are right in front of us. People scurried every which way in and out of this busy port. The cargo port is in another place and is the largest port in Asia, we were told. Whether or not that’s true, it is miles long and full of cargo ships loading and unloading almost constantly.


First of all, I have to say that I made a mistake in my last blog saying we went to a tea service in Viet Nam. This took place here, in Singapore and that makes much more sense. Singapore has many different ethnic cultures within its borders. We visited Chinatown, Little India, and a Mosque, all within a few blocks of each other. The laws are very strict, as you probably know, and the city is quite safe at all times of the day and night. No littering, spitting, or gum chewing is allowed, and fines are handed out for these offenses. In fact, no gum is sold in the whole country. Anyone caught with large amounts of gum is heavily fined. They are also extremely hard on drug dealers.

The city skyline is outlined with skyscrapers - office buildings and new condo buildings. Yet, beneath the surface there is poverty. Not everyone is financially secure. Many still struggle to make a living and there is a big gap between the wealthy and the poor - not much of a middle class yet, anyway. There is much land being reclaimed from the sea, as when we reached the highlight of our tour, Raffles Hotel, our guide told us that the sea used to be right near the front door. Now, roads run around all sides of this gorgeous building.

We were escorted through the courtyard and up the stairs to the Long Bar. Once inside we headed up the circular stairs to another large bar where we were served a famous Singapore Sling. It is a gin drink with fruit juices, according to the recipe we were given. I can understand it is a refreshing drink on a hot day and has a wide appeal. The room was large and felt very relaxing with large fans on the ceiling, wooden blinds on the windows, and a British feel to the place. When we finished, we went to the Long Bar Steak House down the hall for a most delicious steak lunch served by attentive waiters. There on the wall in front of me were several photos, and there was Somerset Maugham sitting in one of the rattan chairs looking very happy.


After lunch we had a chance to look around this beautiful British Colonial building and take some pictures before leaving to return to the ship. The next day, as you know, we went to McDonald’s and got on the internet to print the blogs of Viet Nam. We basically spent the rest of the day shopping in the huge complex adjacent to our ship. The sail away was impressive as we left the city of Singapore with lights blazing and headed into the straits of Malacca, across the Bay of Bengal, the busiest shipping channel in the world, to the sub-continent of India and the city of Chennai.

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