As paranoid of bed bugs as we are, the first thing we did once we got to Singapore was wash all our clothes in and pack everything in plastic bags. Once we get to Sydney, we'll throw our backpacks in black garbage bags, and leave them in the hot sun (heat kills the little buggers). We doubt we actually have any unwanted guests with us, but we feel it's better to be on the safe side!
We've "only" been gone a month, which isn't a tremendous amount of time. However, I'm still very happy to say that there will be no more sleeping in sleeping bag liners for the rest of the trip. Hurray! The first night was spent at the Parc Sovereign Hotel, and the second night was spent at Link Hotel Singapore. Both hotels were 4-stars, but were pretty basic (more like 3-stars at 4-star prices). Both rooms were clean though, so we were happy as can be.
The currency in Singapore is dollars. One Singaporean dollar (S$) is 4,82kr/79¢. As expected, everything is much more expensive here compared to the other countries we've visited. A meal at a nice restaurant costs around S$20 (96.38kr/$15,86), while a meal at a hawker stall is about S$5 (24kr/$3,96). A beer at a restaurant costs a whopping S$10 (48.20kr/$7,90). Not the most budget-friendly place, but still cheaper than Norway, so we can't complain.
The city is divided in two by the Singapore River. Along the riverbanks are the trendy (and pricey) Clarke and Robertson Quays and the Boat Quay, with lots of dining options. South of the river is the Central Business District (CBD) and Chinatown, and north of the river is the Colonial District. Little India, Kampong Glam (the Muslim Quarter) are further north from the Colonial District.
A fabulous thing about Singapore is how extremely clean it is here. No trash on the ground - ANYWHERE! All the neighborhoods we've visited have been clean. I'm sure the insane fines contribute to the cleanliness of the city. This is a sign from the metro. We've heard that you can get even higher fines for littering, spitting, or chewing gun.
We have done a lot of walking while in Singapore (and not in shopping malls this time). It's easy to navigate around the city and get from place to place. For once I actually have an idea of where we're going (usually Isabelle, the one with a sense of direction, is the one that knows everything). There's a great metro system as well. We've only used it a couple of times. The price depends on how far you're going; our tickets have been around S$1,50 (7,23kr/$1,19).
The area around the riverbanks is great. Great place to walk around during the evening. The skyline is gorgeous. The Esplanade - Theaters at the Bay has free outdoor concerts, but unfortunately nothing was playing the nights we were there.
Gluttons Bay was also located here. Lots of hawker stalls with cheap food and drinks. This is the way to go if you want to save money in Singapore. Very tasty!
A short walk away was Merlion Park. Here we saw the famous Merlion, Singapore's tourism icon. It is a mythical creature that has a lion's head and a fish's body, which represents Singapore's humble origin as a fishing village. The statue is 8.6meters/28feet tall.
Chinatown was crammed with small shops, eateries, and tradition. Very similar to the other Chinatowns we've visited, but more shops with touristy souvenirs. Nice to walk around for a bit.
We stopped by the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum while in Chinatown. A sacred tooth of Buddha is supposedly housed here, though dental experts have expressed doubts over its authenticity.
We had to make a pit stop in Little India to eat some naan. Delicious! Little India was very unlike the places we've visited in India. Incredibly clean here!
Kamong Glam is known as Singapore's Muslim quarter. There were lots of shops selling clothing, raw cloth, and dry goods here. Walked past the beautiful Sultan Mossque, and stopped to buy some dates and Iranian pistachio nougat before continuing on. This was probably the coziest neighborhood we went to. If we had more days in Singapore, we would have loved to spend more time here.
The National Museum of Singapore is located in the Colonial District. Beautiful building and some interesting exhibits. Free admission after 6pm, so we visited in the evening. We walked through the exhibition "Total Defence 30: An Experimental Showcase". It was an interactive exhibition that presented insightful and honest perspectives on how Singaporeans from different walks of life make meaning of Total Defence in their daily lives.
Today is our last day in Southeast Asia. We leave for Sydney at 8pm. Sitting at the airport now. Nervous and excited at the same time! I can't believe we'll soon be in Australia!
Love,
Suzy
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