Day 17 (Mar 22 2013): Singapore Day 1

The Quick Facts:

* First day in Singapore, spent walking around and exploring
* Saw Chinatown, including the Chinese Heritage Center Museum
* Went to the Botanical Gardens
* Drinks at Level 33 (a microbrewery on the 33^rd Floor of the Standard Chartered building in the Marina Bay Financial District)
* Dinner at the outdoor food court in the financial district

The Good:

* The Botanical Gardens are immaculate, with a beautiful orchid garden
* The outdoor food court in the financial district is not to be missed – mass chaos, and a very real Singaporean experience

The Bad:

* It is really hot in Singapore – being near the equator really does heat things up!

Being a Friday, our hosts Akiko and Mathieu both had to work so Carrie and I were left on our own to explore Singapore.  Armed with a map of the city, we first set out for Chinatown to get a sense of the history of a major source of immigrants at the beginning of Singapore’s rise.  We stopped at a Buddhist temple which was kind of neat:

 

Then we went to the Chinese Heritage Museum which was a fairly detailed and realistic view into the lives of the Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s/early 1900s.  At $10 (Sing$) admission, I would recommend it.  No pictures though.

After Chinatown, we hopped on the immaculate subway to head over the Botanical Gardens.  Admission is free to the gardens, however you must pay $5 to get into the Orchid Garden, which has some really beautiful flowers.

 

 

 

 

After a quick nap, we walked around the Marina Bay area to see some of the newer buildings and skyline of Singapore:

 

 

 

And then we met up for drinks/dinner with Akiko, Mathieu, and a friend of mine CK who proved to be an outstanding and generous host that made sure we sampled all of the true Singaporean cuisine there was to be had.

 

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214