Singapore 4/24/24

Singapore 

Another welcoming committee as we disembarked the ship.  And a picture from our balcony as we arrived in port in the morning.

 How we wish that we had more time in Singapore! What an amazing city!!  And such a short time here 6.5 hours but you will see we packed it in...We rented a small minivan for 10 people, and followed the advice of a fellow passenger who was from Singapore.   

We started out at the Singapore Changi Airport terminal.  Mickey had been reading about what a fabulous terminal it was and how much he wanted to see it, so the group was all in.  It was a fabulous building, featuring an indoor waterfall that was magnificent.  Problem was, we got there at 9 am, and the fountain did not turn on till 11 am.  So, we had to come back later to see it in action.  It was worth the 2nd trip and thankfully it was close to the port - we cut this one close.  

Our next stop was Garden's by the Bay.  I cannot say enough about this fabulous park area.  We visited the Cloud and Flower Domes, and it was remarkable as you can see in the pictures.  The famous trees entering the park were amazing.  You will see pictures from the ground and also from an observation deck at Marine Sands Bay hotel. 

Some basic facts about the Garden:

· Man-made mechanical forest consists of 18 super trees which vary in height from 25 to 50 meters

· The super trees generate solar power, act as air venting ducts for nearby conservatories and collect rainwater, 11 of the super trees were fitted with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into energy

· The large tree canopies operate as temperature moderators by absorbing and dispersing heat, as well as providing shelter from Singapore’s hot/humid temperatures.

THE 2 left pictures are mine, the 2 on the right are from Matti Chan, a fellow passenger on the ship.  The trees from Gardens by the Bay and the Marine Bay Sands hotel.  Look at the lower right picture - you can see the trees in the lower right-hand side with the hotel in the background.  Spectacular.

We did not get to see this as it was in a different part of the Garden.  Charles and Sheila Nemes took these pictures and said I could use them.  It really looks like it is amazing and sorry we missed it.  

I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  I could have posted hundreds more!!!  A must see if you are ever in Singapore.

We were told that another must was to experience a SingaporeSsling Where it originated, of course) at the Raffles Hotel.  We went, but the wait time for the 10 of us was 45 minutes, and with our short time in the city, we just took pictures and then headed to our next stop.

Next up, is the Merlion Park.  The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore.  It is depicted as a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.  

Marine Sands Bay hotel was our final stop and where we spent almost an hour. You will see the phenomenal views from the observation deck of the Marine Sands Park, our ship, and the downtown area.   We were in Tower 1 and 2 of the building and got a terrific view of the city.  The lobby area was very modern and enticing - I could stay at this hotel in the future.  All in all, we packed in a ton of sightseeing - remember, we had to double back to the airport to see the fountain working!!

Some of the views from the observation deck.

Just an amazing city - one we definitely want to get back to....

Singapore is a beautiful city, and extremely clean.  The people were so nice and polite - crime rate is nonexistent, no homeless, no drug problems.  They have strict laws for criminals, and they enforce them.  Most Singapore residents (over 90%) own their own homes that they purchase through public housing, there is no reason for homelessness. However, if they discover someone is homeless, they confront them to find out the reason. They will assist them in remedying the cause including training them in a vocation and assisting with job placements and placing them in a shelter until they are able to secure housing. If they still persist in being homeless, they will be incarcerated.  Drugs are equally addressed and severely punished.  

An evening shot of Singapore....On to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tomorrow.