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Our Granddaughter and her husband had been living in Singapore for almost two years and we decided it would be nice to visit with them as our vacation trip for 2007. We were a little slow in making our decision and by the time we got our new passports and reservations, we had to schedule our trip for March 2008. Leaving from San Francisco, we arrived in Singapore via Hong Kong around midnight. A driver was waiting for us and we were taken from the airport to our Granddaughter's home. After hugs and kisses, meeting their dog Boomer (a labradoodle) we finally fell into bed around 2:00AM. At breakfast the next morning we started to make our plans, where to go and what to see. We decided to make Singapore our base and take side trips to Bangkok, Bali, and Darwin Australia. The first thing on our agenda was to attend Boomers first Birthday Party. I was use to giving our kids Birthday Parties when they were little and with four kids we gave quite a few, but this was our first "Dog's Birthday Party". I think the dogs in attendance enjoyed the party and the treats including a Birthday Cake but I know the people in attendance enjoyed the finger food and the cold Mojitos.

One of our first stops in Singapore was at the Botanical Gardens. It had rained during the morning but stopped in time for our visit. Beautiful flowers everywhere complemented with fields of grass and majestic trees. We had an interesting surprise at the Gardens. They were having a meeting of the leaders of the International Boy Scouts. It was interesting to see the different uniforms from countries around the world. Another day we took a "Duck Trip" for a tour of the Bay and the waterfront. From the "Duck-Bus/boat" we had a waterside view of the Merlion fountain, the Singapore Flyer, the Esplanade Theaters on the Bay and the floating stadium. We were also able to see the site for the new Casino that is under construction.

After our trip on the bay, the next stop was at the historic Raffles Hotel. While the hotel has been restored and enlarged, it is still a grand old hotel with lots of old world charm. It was here that the famous Singapore Sling cocktail was created sometime during the early 1900's. It is here where reputedly the sole surviving wild tiger in Singapore was shot and made extinct. Some stories place this event in the Long Bar. Raffles itself claims the tiger had escaped from enclosure at a nearby "native show" and chased underneath the hotel's Bar & Billiard Room (a raised structure) and shot to death there on August 13, 1902. I think the story about shooting it in the Long Bar is more exciting. We were also introduced to a couple of Singapore "must try" foods. If you are ever in Singapore, be sure to try some Kaya Toast , Chicken Rice and the Chili Crab at the Long Beach Seafood.

Be sure to tour the ethnic side of Singapore. Visit Chinatown and the Red Chinese Temple, Little India and the Temple there, and the Malay Quarter. We did not get a chance to visit Kampong Glam. Named after the Gelam tree which used to grow in the area, Kampong Glam was the historic seat of Malay royalty in Singapore. Today, the former Istana Kampong Glam (Sultan’s palace) has been converted into a heritage museum, the Malay heritage Centre, to showcase the rich history and culture of Singapore’s Malay community. The building and architecture has been meticulously restored to retain its flavour and authenticity. Be sure to spend some time at the Zoo and for evening enjoyment try the Night Safari at the Zoo. We did not make the Jurong Bird Park but I understand it is quite impressive. Take an evening walk along Clark Quay to take in the sights and sounds of Singapore at night. If you like ice cream, seek out the Turkish Ice cream stand and order up. His performance as he scoops is worth watching and the Turkish Ice Cream is great in the Singapore climate because it doesn't melt as fast as regular ice cream.

After our visit we decided that Singapore is a very beautiful and exciting city. We did not see it all but really enjoyed our time there and hope to go back again. From Singapore we made side trips to Bangkok, Bali, and the Northern Territory/Darwin area of Australia. I will cover these trips in seperate Blogs.

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