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Published: January 12th 2006
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The flight to Singapore was uneventful and I basically moped the whole time while trying to convince myself that there are still good things ahead.
Upon arriving, I checked my huge suitcase into the left luggage room and tried not to think about how it would be unattended for two days and written in huge capital letters on the entrance card is "DEATH FOR ALL DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN SINGAPORE".....Hui and Clara, my hosts, picked me up from the airport. I had arranged this through an online hospitality website. Stepping out of the airport was even more of a shock than it had been in Cairns...the humidity was UNREAL. I knew it would be bad since it's so close to the equator but again, I guess you're never really prepared for it. We went back to his house for me to drop my stuff off and then they took me out to dinner to a very typical sight in Singapore: an outside food court. We had traditional food including samdal stingray (very spicy), sugarcane drink, fried hokkien mee (noodles) and chicken satay. I was so exhausted from staying up most of the night before and the three hour time difference between
Sing. and Aus. that I hit the sack pretty early.
The next day, I woke up to rain. Hui and Clara dropped me off at the train station and I took the train into the main part of the city. I took the bus around most of the day, stopping off at places of interest. It was difficult to truly enjoy myself because the rain never let up. And when I say rain, I don't just mean rain....I mean torrential downpour. It didn't stop until after 10 pm that night, no joke. I definitely experienced typical monsoon season weather, that's for sure. I walked around Chinatown, Little India, and Orchard Rd., Singapore's famous shopping street. Lots of nice things to buy there but not for a backpacker on a budget...Later, Hui had a commitment so I attempted to take the bus back to no avail. I got off way too early and then didn't know where I was. Ended up taking a cab back and was thoroughly entertained when the driver started saying he was going to sell me to the mafia and was I scared? I told him how I had been thinking about Sing's policy of execution
for drug traffickers and he said I had nothing to worry about there but in the back of my head I thought "you're just the kind of person I should be worrying about." Later though, I think he felt bad and when I got out he said if I decide I want to marry an Asian guy to give him a call; he would gladly marry me. Ahh, I love it when they start talking about marriage. It reminded me of Egypt...
After my first day there, I thought the most interesting thing about Sing. is the diversity; the people there are mostly Chinese but there are also Malays and Indians. English is one of the official languages but most all signs are written in four languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. It truly is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures.
The next day, I got up really early to go across the border to Malaysia. I met the bus with no problems, (unlike my experience in Melbourne for the Great Ocean Rd.) and within an hour we were over the border and I had been through Sing. and Malaysia's immigration and had two beautiful and unexpected
passport stamps. I had thought I wouldn't go to Malaysia because I had such a short time in Singapore but it is so close and easy to do that I couldn't resist. I was just there a few hours and didn't see much but I definitely want to go back. Like Singapore, the people there are very diverse. I can't put my finger on it but I would be much more interested in going back to Malaysia than Singapore. Perhaps it is the sheer size and diverse of terrain...jungles, beaches, mountains, Kuala Lumpur...or perhaps it is the fact that it wasn't raining there! When we came back down into Singapore it started pouring again...Anyway, we saw a batik demonstration, typical music and dance, the national mosque, and a bit of the city, Johor Bahru. After a few hours it was back into Singapore, two more stamps, a bit more walking around in the rain, then back to Hui's house.
Got my stuff together, sorted out pictures online, then they took me out for a last dinner where we had more typical food: carrot cake (not a dessert; actually white radishes with fried egg) and fish ball soup. The food
there is incredible and there are so many restaurants and places to eat all over the place; it is unreal! Oh and I have never seen so many high rise apt. buildings but since there are 4 million people crammed into such a small space that's how it has to be. Then they took me to the airport and it was off to Tokyo after successfully smuggling on several carry-ons to avoid an excess baggage fee...
Anyway, Singapore is a nice place but I enjoyed it mainly because of my incredible hosts. They didn't know me at all yet they did so much for me and I really appreciate it! Like I was in Australia, I am just blown away by how much people have bent over backwards for me on this trip. Again, I hope I can repay the favor sometime!
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Iris
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GOOD
Thank God you made it out of Singapore with no problems. I am scared to visit that region only because of the fear of drugs being snuck in my baggage. That sign in the airport is straight to the point and scary. Great photos! Can't wait to read more!