Singapore

On Saturday, October 18th, Emily and I boarded a plane and flew from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Singapore.  Singapore is a small, wealthy country, on the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula near Indonesia.  There are extremely strict laws in Singapore, which make it modern, clean, and safe. We saw the first sign of this on our arrival card:

Yeah, they're not messing around.

Singapore is the first place we've been in SE Asia where the tap water is drinkable.  Whhhaaaat?

Fines for the subway.  No durians.  For those of you who don't know, durian is a tropical fruit that smells strongly of stinky feet.  It's rank.  Therefore, no durians are allowed on the subway.

Hokkien mee, a noodle and seafood dish of Singapore

The Little India part of town was all decked out for Deepavali, the "festival of lights," which is an important Hindu holiday which celebrates the victory of light over darkness.

Clothes from a shop in Little India.

Little India

A Hindu temple in Little India

A Hindu temple in Little India

A Hindu temple in Little India

A market in Little India

The first full day in Singapore, we decided to treat ourselves and visit the Singapore Zoo.  The following are some of my favorite animals.  This one is the Cotton-Top Tamarin.

Pygmy hippo

Red river hog

Grey kangaroo

Nubian Ibex

Black and White Colobus Monkey

Orangutang

Komodo dragon

Mandrill

Flying fox

Ring-tailed lemur

Lesser mousedeer

White rhino

Tapir

Our second day in Singapore, we saw the sights of Singapore.  Here is the historic Raffles Hotel.

Raffles Hotel

St. Andrew's Cathedral

St. Andrew's Cathedral

St. Andrew's Cathedral - I loved that they had individual seats.  Comfy, too!

Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall

Old Supreme Court Building

New Supreme Court Building

Skyscrapers in Singapore

Very specific...

Marina Bay Sands

A panorama shot including (left to right) Esplanade - Theaters by the Bay, the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, and skyscrapers of the CBD (Central Business District).

The Merlion

Lacquerware at the Asian Civilizations Museum

Asian Civilizations Museum

Porcelain at the Asian Civilizations Museum

Asian Civilizations Museum

Porcelain recovered from a shipwreck in the Asian Civilizations Museum

The Fullerton Hotel, downtown Singapore

Skyscrapers in Singapore

A green wall in Singapore which is also a map of the world.

The Singapore Dollar is about 1.25 to 1 US Dollar.  So yes, these fines are quite steep.

Lau Pa Sat food center, Singapore

The Singapore subway was running these great campaigns to make a better subway riding experience.  This one and the next were some of my favorites.

In a Hindu temple

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - it was built in 2007 and cost 65 million dollars.  It houses an alleged relic of the Buddha - a tooth.  Hence the temple name.  It was beautiful and quite impressive.

Inside the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Hundreds of Buddha statues in the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Interestingly, we discovered that the Buddhism in Singapore is a combination of three different kinds from around Asia.

After the temple, I went to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  There were a few rules.

The next group of pictures are from the Botanic Gardens.

The Evolution Garden

Emily pointed out that the color of this orchid looks like a Christmas cookie with pink sugar sprinkles on top, when the color sorts of blends in to the frosting... Mmmm we aren't dreaming of baked goods and Christmastime...

Wedding photos at the Botanic Gardens

The next day, I went to another park - this one called Gardens by the Bay.  This one had awesome supertree groves.

The Singapore Flyer and a group of supertrees.

The Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay

A pitcher plant - insects fall in and drown, then get digested and eaten.  Yep, carnivorous plants.

The Cloud Forest walkway

They had a video showing the effects on the world when the temperature rises five degrees.  Very eco-conscious.

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay.

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Celebrating Deepavali in the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay.  Deepavali decorations.

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Interactive eco-conscious boards for kids.  Yes, I played on them.  Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Supertree panorama.

Supertrees

Marina Bay Sands

Walkway to the subway in KL.

Carrot cake, a traditional dish in Singapore.

Again, rules.

Maxwell Road Hawker Center, Singapore.  Good eats!

The Peranakan Museum.  Peranakan is the term used for descendents of the 15-17th century Chinese immigrants to today's Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

After Singapore, we headed north to peninsular Malaysia.  Another blog is coming your way soon!