Wait! Are we in the Big Apple?

We did not come to southeast Asia to see Singapore. It just happens to be the port city for our cruise ship departure. That said though, it’s been a nice break from the rough and tumble Laos and Thailand. After too much time in various airports, we entered Singapore and immediately noted the increase in temperature, the increase in crowds and the hurried way people rushed about. It truly had the feel of New York City. It was already dark upon our arrival so we got a free night tour from our taxi driver as he whisked us away across the waterfront and through the heart of Singapore to Little India. Albert Court Village Hotel is s gem right in the heart of Little India It is situated on a walking street with plenty of opportunities to try new and tasty foods. We did!

We have no great tales to give you from here. The hop-on-hop-off bus proved a great way to see the city. It was a bargain amidst the ridiculously high prices in the city. Incidently, the currency here is Singapore dollars and a Singapore dollar is equivalent to approximately .75 US. Singapore is one of the most affluent countries in the world yet its citizens are discouraged from driving cars. It seems to be working. The import tax doubles the cost of the car. Then, you must obtain a permit for car use that can cost 50K. That’s all before you enter a dealership. Housing is astronomical, too. The government provides assistance to couples buying a house. Singles are not given assistance. Hmm. Dicrimination??? A dinner here is an average restaurant will easily cost $60/couple and a glass of wine will add $10.00 – $17.00. It’s quite a shock after our Laos bargains!

The food was like no where else and the scenery was amazing. We ate Malaysian, Indian, and Italian. We watched all of those folks in Little India eat with their hands off a mat on the table. We did eat off the mat but the staff there was kind enough to give us eating utensils. Spicy, spicy, spicy! We drank lots of water! After little India, the waterfront was the place to hang and people watch. We grabbed front-row seats for dinner and a fine view of the nightly light show on the water!

Tomorrow we embark on our next segment of the trip! Let’s see what that brings!