Edventures with The Moon: Singapore

In the news: Our travels took us from Bangkok to Vietnam before returning for the New Year’s Extravaganza in Bangkok. Thailand allows Americans and citizens from some other countries to stay visa-free for 30 days, but extending the stay requires complex documentation. As we were on day 29, we had to leave. To manage this, travelers often do a ‘VISA run’ by exiting the country, getting their passports stamped in a nearby neighboring country like Cambodia or Laos, then returning to Thailand, granting another 30-day stay. This can be as easy as entering Laos, having you VISA stamped and walking right back over the Thai border. But our plan was to spend time a week in Vietnam, particularly on the island of Phu Quoc.

Unfortunately, I fell ill a couple of days before heading to Phu Quoc, and upon arrival, I tested positive for an illness. You know the one I speak of. I can tell you what the thread count was in the sheets, pillow cases, and comforter and how many geckos crossed the ceiling each evening but that’s about it for my experience in Vietnam. Terry spent the week repeating the Mantra, “stay away from me”. I tested negative just in time to return to Bangkok. What a trip.

Our New Year’s night in Bangkok was surreal, spent on the 23rd floor of the Sheraton Hotel by the Chao Phraya River, where the fireworks dazzled us. A spectacular start to the new year. We said our goodbyes to our friends Maxx, Kay and Aim and headed to Singapore.

Singapore is a very modern high tech city state at the end of the Malay peninsula and a busy financial and maritime heavyweight. On the west side is the Strait of Malacca, which from the air looks like a busy opening day on the Mountlake Cut in Seattle, but instead of runabouts, sail boats and the occasional 60. foot yacht there are container ships, barges of every kind, cruise ships and tankers. To the south is the Strait of Singapore and to the east is the South China Sea. All in all a bustling shipping area .

Singapore boasts a diverse population - a blend of Singaporean, Indian, Malay, Chinese, and other smaller Asian groups. The official languages here encompass English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese Mandarin, reflecting the incredible diversity. Religious diversity is also prominent, with Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism coexisting harmoniously. The unusual experience is walking to a predetermined place like Chinatown, but on the way you walk through Muslim town, or a Malay section of the city or other areas where there are different cultures, foods and peoples.

Singapore, despite being the world’s second most densely populated place, surprisingly offers numerous parks and green spaces. Greenery adorns buildings, medians, malls - virtually every possible spot.

Each country has its unique way of presenting food and Singapore is no different. For instance, Japan has huge takeout kiosks in the basements of department stores, while Thailand offers street vendors, restaurants of all sizes, and vibrant markets of every kind, day or night. Singapore’s preference is food malls. Good luck finding a place to sit because it’s always busy and there is usually one person sitting at the table warily eyeing anyone who might be thinking a of sitting down. They give you “the eye” as if to say don’t even think about sitting here. The food in Singapore reflects the fusion of all its varied citizenry. We ate at Italian, Greek, and Indian restaurants, each with their take on Asian food. Deliciously decadent.

I didn’t take many pictures in Singapore, for some reason. It rained quite a bit, which kept things cool. Here’s a picture of Moon in a Shrine