Our trip to Bhutan took us through Singapore. We had about 22 hours there, an evening and 2/3 of the next day. We made the most of it taking the hop on hop off buses and spending much of the off time at the Botanical Garden.
Singapore is an island nation. It is a thriving, wealthy, modern city, but beneath the modern façade are thousands of poor laborers. In the financial district a flat will cost at least $ 9 million U.S. Away from the river and thriving financial district are Indian and Chinese sections, much more densely populated and poorer.
Four major cultures dominate Singapore: The ethnic Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western. It has the third highest population density in the world. As a result of the cultural diversity, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. There is a variety of religions as well. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism are the main ones.
When you leave the downtown shopping, designer, and financial areas, the cultural differences become apparent in clothing, restaurants, shopping venues, and building construction. It seems that these groups provide vitality to the nation. From our short tour, it seemed that the cost of living was exceedingly high even for government-subsidized housing.
Singapore is a land of rules. As people exited their planes and proceeded into the airport, men wearing hats were asked to remove them. Men may not wear hats inside. At the hotel, we were given a list of “rules” for Singapore. For example, these are some things that are illegal: chewing gum; smoking; no noise after 10 pm; feeding pigeons; and not flushing the toilet. Of course, graffiti and drugs are on the list too.
The response to the Coronavirus was interesting in both Singapore and Kathmandu. Both airports had heat-sensing areas that we passed by. Also, both had medical stations where people who did not feel well were encouraged to stop. Aboard both airlines, passengers were encouraged to “do the right thing” and report if they did not feel well. But it was mostly self-report (who would self report if it meant a 14-day isolation?)
The Singapore Jewel Changi Airport is world renown. The arrival terminal welcomes you with a beautiful garden complete with dragonfly topiaries. Then there is the Orchid Garden, a hidden gem that provides one with a moment of tranquility. The kinetic rain sculpture with bronze lined up in formation is amazing. There are a water lily garden and the tropical Rainforest Vivariam. There was so much to see and absorb after our long flight. We couldn’t take it all in.
In the center is the Rain Vortex, an Indoor Waterfall that is 130 ft high. A sound and light show accompany it and you can walk a canopy bridge around. The vortex is surrounded by a lush Siseido Forest Valley where you can sit and feel the mist from the waterfall. This was amazing and all inside an airport.
In the morning, we boarded the hop-on-hop- bus that would take us to the National Orchid Garden with over 1,000 orchids and 2,000 hybrids. It was so lovely. They had over 200 orchids dedicated to dignitaries who had come to visit; Queen Elizabeth and Barach Obama were two. This is just one part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. We could have spent the whole day here, but wanted to see more
The one to the right is the Queen Elizabeth II orchid.
We left the Orchid Garden to ride through the Financial District, then on to the various ethnic districts.
The following pictures will give you a sense of the variety in Singapore. First we passed the financial district with its tall, expensive flats, then to the shopping area along the canal. We went through the town, to the various “cities” within Singapore.
Hong Lim Park is the Country’s Speakers’ Corner. People may came to voice their opinions as long as they remain civil. Zhongshan Mall Park is beside a huge mall. This shows how they include green spaces throughout the dense city. The U>E> Square Mall is downtown and has all the designer shops.
This is a street in the Rochor District. Rocher includes Little India, Malay Heritage Center, and the Sri Krishnan Temple.
These are pictures from the Tanjong District. Tanjong is a “foodies” paradise with several Michelin Bib Gormand Awarded restaurants. It is also known as the “Little Korea of Singapore.” The diverse and colorful buildings are typical of the district.
This is all we got to see on our short visit. Perhaps we will be able to return.