Singapore Day 2!

Day 2:

On this day Johnny, Jules, and I headed out to explore the different parts of Singapore. First we headed back to Little India which made us feel completely at home. It was so crowded in the market place that you couldn’t move more than a couple of inches left or right which is key to feeling like you’re in India. The bright colors were everywhere as the smell of incense filled the air and the sounds of the traditional Indian music filled our ears. Buddhas and Shivas were all being sold and as we walked the streets outside of the market shrines were everywhere whether it was on the sidewalk or in a shop.

As we crossed the street a man approached us about checking out his tailor shop. The only reason we complied was because he used the phrase “check that out” every other sentence. “Where are you from?” “New York.” “CHECK THAT OUT!” “What are you guys doing here?” “Students.” “CHECK THAT OUT!”  Needless to say we didn’t buy any of his overpriced cloth, but it was completely worth it to hear him say “check that out.”

We continued down the street to a food market where we ate at some stalls. I ended up with braised duck and rice which was delicious. All of the locals ended up staring and laughing at the sight of three Americans trying to eat with chopsticks. At one point, the waitress came up, smiled, and handed Jules a fork.

Next came China Town which gave us a little preview of what we’ll see in future ports. On the way in the cab we tried to explain that we will be traveling to the BIG China Town soon, referring to Hong Kong and Shanghai, but he didn’t really understand us. All he kept saying was “yes, yes. This is the big China Town. The little one is back there.”

Everything suddenly turned… oriental. Shocking, right? That’s the only way I can really describe it at the moment. Everything was so brightly colored and the shops went from selling souvenir Merlion shirts to zodiac symbols and silk robes.

Continuing along the streets of China Town we discovered an enormous Budhist temple in which worshipers were chanting inside. We were unable to enter due to all three of us wearing shirts, but the architecture on the outside was so intricately done and just absolutely incredible. The roof of the temple had the different tiers to them as seen in traditional Chinese architecture. Right next to the temple was an outdoor theater that was currently showing a play. A man with a face painted white and wearing a bright red robe was on stage at the time and was telling a story to the audience. Unfortunately I do not speak Mandarin so I had no idea what he was saying but it reminded me of a grandfather telling the stories of his ancestors to his grandchildren for whatever reason.

Eventually we wandered around the city for so long that we magically made it back to the ship and called it a day after spending our last Singapore Dollars at the Cruise Ship Terminal on cheesy souvenirs.  All in all Singapore was great and reminded me a lot of Mauritius in that the country is a melting pot of religion and culture yet there are little to no conflicts. I thoroughly enjoyed the extremes of the area whether it was the city life or the jungle. The people are friendly, the food is delicious no matter what ethnicity produces it, and the area is beautiful. The possibilities are endless in Singapore… or at least endless until you break one of their strict and specific laws. Then you get caned.

Next up is Vietnam!

 

 

Singapore Day 1!

Day 1:

We were told that Singapore is essentially a manmade island as the country imported sand and piled it up. There’s a population of around 5 million people that consists of mainly Chinese, Hindus, and Malays, You’d think traffic would suck, but in the end cars are so expensive there that it’s very difficult for people to afford them. We were also warned of the government’s penalties. For example, littering is a $500 fine, peeing in an elevator is a $500 fine, public drunkenness is jail time, and possession of drugs is automatic death. Singapore has such a low unemployment rate that many of the workers there are from outside areas and commute in every day. There is a very low homeless rate due to the massive amounts of public housing and most people are in good health due to their effective health care system. No wonder the country is kept in such good order.

As we stepped off the ship, Jules, Sam, Johnny, and I were back to that “no taxi” mentality that we had taken a break from in India since rickshaws were available to us. The rule that was hardest for us to follow was no jaywalking. It was incredibly difficult to stand at the crosswalk and wait for the green light, especially after places line India and Morocco where you’ll never make it across the street unless you just go for it. After taking a left, and then a right, and then another left, and walking for quite some time, we hit this area of town with heavy Chinese influence. We started passing colorful Buddhist temples with music coming from inside as people performed their daily worships. Then we stumbled upon a mall. However, a mall here means a market. As we continued to walk past all of the American clothes and stuffed animals, we started to hit the food area, which was completely opposite of what we’d see back in the states. Instead of thinly cut lunch meat, whole pigs and ducks hung by their feet from the tops of these stands. If you needed something, the butcher would then bring the animal down and start hacking away.

All of us thought we were heading towards the city, but little did we know we were strolling away from it. Eventually we walked straight into this little jungle area on the outskirts of all of the buildings. We decided to walk along the elevated pathway and were suddenly engulfed by foreign flowers and trees. A group of people formed at one corner of the walkway and as we approached a family of monkeys came into view. We observed them for a couple of minutes and snapped some pictures. Johnny decided he wanted to take a picture of the tiny baby monkey and as he’s about to snap the picture, the dad gets up on his hind legs, reveals his teeth and hisses, and starts to take a flying leap at Johnny. Needless to say, Johnny took off faster than we’d ever seen him run down the walkway all the while screaming. The best part about the whole thing was that Johnny did end up taking a picture, but it was at the exact moment that the Dad monkey went to attack him so he has a pretty awesome picture.

Continuing to walk along the outside of the city exposed some differences. As we walked through suburban neighborhoods, signs were posted saying “There are currently six cases of Dengue Fever in your neighborhood” and others promoting good health. It was a completely different atmosphere than what you’d find in the states. It seemed like every child was holding the hand of a parent on the way to school. My favorite part was the “playground.” There was one station for log lifting and it had three logs with different weights to be lifted up and down. Another one had pull ups with the next being sit ups. There was even a push up station. This entire area was designed like a playground and appealed to both young kids and old adults. These definitely need to be adopted back in the states. I think it would thoroughly aid in raising morale and would serve as an easy way to get kids and even adults to start to exercise.

We headed over to Little Thailand for lunch, which was quite the experience. I ordered some kind of pork with a side of lime juice (which was delicious). For the record, if a menu has two chili peppers next to the item, expect it to be incredibly hot. Just smelling the pork made me cough, let alone eating it. My lips became numb upon contact and sweat began to drip down my forehead. At one point I put a piece into my mouth and I must have had a horrified look on my face as all three of my friends slid their drinks across the table towards me. All in all, it was a Man v.s Food lunch and Man came out on top.

After lunch, we strolled along the waterfront for a while enjoying some Ice Cream sodas which were surprisingly delicious. I then became witness to the greatest thing on Earth; a soccer field that is built out in the water. It was like heaven.  Anyways, we continued on back to the ship and after dinner on Clark’s Quay, we called it a night.