This past Sunday,
the nation of Singapore paid respect to its Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew,
who died at the age of 91.
We happened to be at the airport when the moment of silence was announced,
and tears trickled down the cheeks of airport employees
and busy travelers,
standing, frozen in time.
For the first three decades,
Lee was instrumental, and the 'founding father' if you will,
guiding this nation to the status of an...
The celebrations continue throughout 2015,
marking 50 years as an island city state.
While there two weeks earlier,
we played tourist in order to fully encompass what Singapore offers,
and felt the Singapore Flyer,
was a good place to start.
Meanwhile...
to arrive,
we enjoyed the street market vibe of the food hall.
Did I mention we boarded just before sunset…
and sipped champagne…
as we ever so slowly…
made the thirty minute trip up…
around and down…
as the lights of Singapore came to life.
Haha!
My apologies for the jumpy GIF!
We made our way across,
to the Marina Bay Sands...
for a view from the fifty seventh floor.
While Ren Man was working for a livin'
I opted for the Hop On Hop Off bus to get a further lay of the land.
The first bus to pull up was associated with Singapore Airlines and much to my chagrin,
offered a VERY good discount to those who had not thrown their boarding pass away.
I clearly had not done my research.
Who knew?
Well, I'll tell you who.
Two very nice ladies from Australia who had all their paperwork paid $8
and tried to help me out to no avail.
The driver was having none of it and I forked over my $25.
I returned to Bangkok with balcony envy.
Incredible.
Chinatown…
is my favorite area of Singapore...
and fortunately Chinese New Year was still in full celebration mode.
On my way to Pagoda Lane, this Medical Hall with all of its curiosities,
drew me in and requires a return visit when I can linger and ask questions.
Like, "What are those tiny dried seahorses used for?"
Our hotel happened to be located across the street from the famous Raffles Hotel…
where the Long Bar is known as the birthplace of the Singapore Sling.
Its Key West vibe explains why Hemingway was a fan.
Reportedly, a tiger was killed at the Raffles in 1902,
and it continues to offer a very exotic stay, minus the tiger.
Singapore is loved by its expats as well as locals for the calm, civilised environment it provides.
Among the many articles written over the past week,
most focus on trade offs for the order and justice instilled in Singapore,
but this article gives another viewpoint.
In my opinion…
Singapore is a beautiful, vibrant city…
created in fifty years.
Impressive.
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