We bussed for five hours further south from Melaka across the bridge into Singapore – a city, an island and a country. I had long envisioned Singapore to be one big ugly sweatshop, busily manufacturing plastic trinkets for kids to buy from gum ball machines. Expecting to stay just a few days, buy a post card and head back to Malaysia - I am surprised by my growing fondness of this country.
Beginning with the weather – a balmy eighty-five degrees, eighty percent humidity, warm ocean breezes and scattered thunderstorms are on the forecast everyday. Endless summer days require an umbrella in Singapore for the warm rays and the rain showers alike but I can't complain.
The budget accommodations are costly for backpackers at $20 for a dorm bed. However, the sheets are clean, the water is warm, the air con is flowing, the coffee is fresh, wi-fi is free, the book shelves are stocked and the kitchen is available for guest use. Sleepy Sam’s Bed and Breakfast in the Kampong Glam district near Little India is the place to stay if you must pay.
We watched turtles sunbathe at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and admired exotic blossoms at the National Orchid Garden. The local parks are highly trafficked but unspoiled, busy yet peaceful, well developed and tastefully landscaped gems burried in this urban jungle.
The world class Singapore Zoo is worth a visit with the free-ranging Orangutans among many other primates and home to over 400 species. I must say that the pygmy hippo was my favorite – swimming under water like a graceless whale.
One evening, we met Geoff, (my neighbor from Seattle) for dinner and drinks to celebrate his upcoming Microsoft relocation. We shared stories of our travels and sipped Singapore Slings on a rooftop bar. We ate Mediterranean food and drank Chardonnay followed by traditional Asian desserts of neon colored jelly balls, red beans and corn served on coconut milk drenched shaved ice. It was great to see a familiar face across the world. I look forward to visiting his family in Singapore when they arrive this spring.
We balanced the high cost of staying in Singapore with free camping at the national parks. We spent three nights tenting on the beach at East Coast National Park where we read our books, rented roller blades and rode bikes along the 10k stretch of coastline. At night, the glittering lights from the huge ships formed a distant city skyline on the horizon. In the park, Randy wake boarded around a lagoon rigged with a circular cable system.
Free camping and wake boarding at a National Park - when will this catch on back home?
