Singapore
I had an amazing experience on my last day in the last of six countries visited in Southeast Asia - Singapore. I was able to see Singapore with a new friend.
A couple of weeks before, while I was on a cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam, I met two guys who work for a major U.S. conglomerate. One of them, Mario, was from Singapore. My first encounter with the fellows was when I was getting onboard the tender boat and I stumbled a bit. Mario came forward, asked if I needed help and assisted me to get on the boat. I remember thinking, “What a nice young man!”
Anyway, we ended up at the same dinner table and I mentioned that I would be coming to Singapore for two nights on my way back to the U.S. Mario said, “Allow me to show you my country.” Of course, I said yes because I’m all about connecting with local people when I travel. We exchanged contact info. Fast forward two weeks - we connected and he said he had put together an itinerary including lunch at a restaurant in Marina Bay Sands, his treat. He asked where I was staying and when I told him, he said that the place was more like a hostel than a hotel and at $200 per night he thought it was overpriced. He suggested another hotel more central to the main attractions.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The Quincy Hotel- modern hotel, excellent service, within walking distance to Orchard Rd. and the most exclusive mall in Singapore for locals. The hotel was about S$600 for two nights.
EXPLORATIONS
Mario picked me up at 10:30am to begin my custom “Singapore with a local” tour. We head to Singapore Bay to see:
the Merlion- the symbol of Singapore
Marina Bay Sands- made famous by the movie, Crazy Rich Asians.
the Grand Prix racetrack
We have a reservation for lunch at Koma, a funky Japanese restaurant that seems more like a lounge than a restaurant and have a three course set menu lunch with an amazing dessert. Lunch was pricey at about S$200. Unlike other countries in SE Asia, the Singapore dollar is strong against the USD, so the country is quite expensive by American standards.
At the Gardens by the Bay, we visit the Cloud Forest - a must see IMO. We want to visit the Supertree Grove, but due to the rain,the elevated walkway is closed.
At night in the Supertree Grove, there’s a great light show with music from around the world. Although it’s raining and we don’t have umbrellas, we stand and watch. It was mesmerizing. Confession: when I first became aware of the Supertrees, I didn't understand the concept. Now I see it as a massive art installation in a fairy tale setting.
Don’t miss it when you go. The entrance fees to the Gardens by the Bay is S$53 for adult tourists.
For souvenirs, we go to Little India to Mustafa’s, a four-story shop that reminds me of a combo of The Dollar Store, Big Lots and COSTCO.
The place is famous and sells everything from high-end jewelry and watches to cheap plastic Merlion keychains and everything in between. When we asked where the souvenirs were, the clerk said, “over in chocolates”. LOL.
Little India looks like the rest of Southeast Asia- chaotic, loud, with shopkeepers hawking their products. It seems worlds apart from the pristine Singapore I had seen earlier in the day.
Chili crab is famous in Singapore, so for a chili crab dinner, we go to Singapore’s night market which has at least 50 stalls selling every kind of Southeast Asian food. The place is super clean with picnic tables.
Mario says the spot is really for tourists and the average Singaporean couldn’t afford to come here. The crab is okay, but I prefer the bbq stingray which is delicious and unique to Singapore. We also had prawns the size of the plate, and a few sides. By the time we finish dinner, it’s 11:15 pm.
I estimate the street food dinner to be about S$150. Not a typo. For street food. It was all seafood and the quality was excellent, but as I said, Singapore is expensive.
Mario treats for dinner as well - he says this is my last night in Asia and he wants to demonstrate true Asian hospitality. He says in Asian culture if someone shows hospitality, it dishonors them to give them money or try to pay. I accept his hospitality and thank him for a truly amazing day in Singapore experienced with a local.
CULTURE and CONNECTIONS
In terms of connection, I spent more than 12 hours with this wonderful human because of a random act of kindness. We talked about racism in America, Singaporean culture, overcoming disabilities, the huge wealth gap in Singapore and so much more. I am forever grateful for the connection.
What a perfect end to my Southeast Asia adventures.
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