June 29th, 2019
Today our first stop was Chinatown. I realized we actually were not in Chinatown last night, just an area that resembled it. There is a very big temple here called the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. We walked around the outside and took photos, but we did not go in. I couldn’t dress for another day in long pants in the intense heat.
After skimming some of the booths and endless street vendors, we made our way to the Marina Bay and central business district (CBD) area of downtown. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is much more impressive in real life than in pictures. It is a three-tower hotel with the world’s longest cantilevered platform on the top that has an infinity pool. I remember thinking the same about the Sydney Opera House.
We walked around this nice area of the city and it was very clean. The most noticeable area of cleanliness was definitely in the subway. It didn’t smell of urine or having people sleeping like most major city subways. It was actually spotless, and a lot of stations are attached to big shopping malls.
Eating or drinking is not allowed on public transportation here. I knew this rule, but Brendan and I were standing on a subway platform waiting for the train and without thinking I took a sip from my water bottle. I literally didn’t even think twice because I was thirsty, and we just came from the intense heat outside. As soon as I took a sip, a worker rushed over and told me ‘no drinking’. I was thankful for the warning and not a ticket because I realized all the signs said it is a $500 fine for drinking.
We took the subway to Singapore’s Botanic Garden. It is a huge place covering 60 acres and the only tropical garden to be honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are miles of walking paths, restaurants and even an outdoor amphitheater for the symphony here! The symphony was practicing while we were there, and I thought it would be a beautiful spot to have a picnic. I was impressed that it was a free entrance to explore such a beautiful site. While walking around, I couldn’t imagine how much upkeep the gardens take as every inch was perfectly manicured. They must employ hundreds of workers and gardeners.
After the Botanic Garden we made our way back to the hostel and found some lunch. I opted for garlic naan which was great.
We had to break the day up and rest at the hostel for a little while before going back out because it was so hot. I would be at a crosswalk and feel the sweat running down the back of my legs even while I was just standing there.
After resting and cooling off, we went back out to go to the Marina Bay Sands laser light show. It is a free light show they have every night. When we got to a good spot to watch, there were hundreds of people ready with their cameras and tri-pods. Then to my surprise a big firework show happened! It was really cool and beautiful. I don’t know why they had fireworks, but it was awesome we happened to be there for them. The laser light show followed, and then we walked over to where a live band started playing. The band was super good, and we ended up staying for two of their sets before we made our way back to the hostel.
One thing I noticed is that there are not any homeless people or pan handlers. I’m sure begging for money is probably illegal here. Even in the dirtier areas of the city like Little India, I have not seen one person asking for money or sitting on the street.