Singapore > Still in Singapore

On the plane I am seated next to a girl from Sweden. I estimate her to be in her early twenties. She is traveling with a friend and is going backpacking in Asia for two months. It seems to be her first destination outside Europe. Nice that she is doing this. Right after the meal I close my eyes. I regularly drift off for short naps. This makes the flight of more than ten hours pass quite quickly. As we approach Singapore, breakfast is served again—actually the tastiest meal of the two flights. Originally, we planned to take the metro to our hotel. This would mean changing trains and then walking a short distance with our luggage. We decide to just take a taxi. The driver tells us in somewhat broken English that he was born in Singapore. He also says that he speaks Chinese and English—at home, it is probably more Chinese. Along the way he points out some districts of the city. I also see the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel appearing on the horizon. This means we are getting close. At the hotel we are able to check in immediately. The room has already been reserved since yesterday. I had already received a message that they had charged the credit card due to yesterday’s no-show. After a short break in the room, we want to walk to the Singapore River. Outside, a heavy downpour breaks out. We wait for a while in the lobby. When it dries up, we head out after all. On the corner we visit the small Taoist Tan Si Chong Su Temple. By the river lies Clarke Quay, a busy area full of restaurants and bars. In the past, warehouses stood here and there were workshops in this area.

Singapore - The luxury hotel Marina Bay Sands

When it starts to drizzle again, we decide to order a beer at a terrace—a local beer from Singapore. It is happy hour and we get two beers for the price of one. The prices already seem to be adjusted accordingly: a beer costs over ten euros. Further along the river there are many more restaurants. From time to time we have to take out the umbrella because of the rain. We notice that the local Singaporeans do not carry umbrellas with them. They know exactly how to stay under covered walkways. We follow them and end up in an underground shopping mall. On the other side we come back above ground near the harbor.

Singapore - The Makansutra Gluttons Bay food court

Fortunately, it has practically stopped raining. In Merlion Park there is a statue of a lion spouting water. The lion is the symbol of the country. However, there has never actually been a lion in Singapore. Presumably, a tiger once swam over from Indonesia. The lion stands by the Marina Bay harbor. On the opposite side is the Marina Bay Sands hotel. The luxurious five-star hotel has three 55-story towers connected by the SkyPark and the world’s largest infinity pool at a height of 200 meters. It is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. How special it is to be standing here. Along the shore of the bay is the Makansutra Gluttons Bay food court. Several small eateries are located next to each other. We choose two dishes to share. At another stall we order a drink.

Singapore - The Marina Bay shopping center

After dinner we walk around Marina Bay. Various joggers pass us by; they run a lap around the harbor after work. I estimate that we are passed by hundreds of joggers. In Singapore, traffic drives on the left. This also implies that pedestrians pass each other on the left side of the sidewalk and stand on the left on escalators. I really have to get used to this. At the Marina Bay Sands hotel we enter the luxury shopping mall. There are several floors. Everything shines and everything is large. All the luxury brands seem to have a branch here. In front of the mall there is a wooden platform by the bay. There is a light show here at eight o’clock. That is still an hour away, and we no longer have the energy for it. We complete the loop around the bay and walk back to the hotel. In the room we have another glass of wine and go to sleep quickly. It has been tiring days so far.