Message on cartoon cat in park
Singapore: Clean Singapore. I could literally count the amount of litter I saw on one hand (maybe two). Not bad for a modern city in Asia. Nothing hugely surprising in the way of architecture or culture. Just a lot of polished urbanity. Sparkling shopping mall after shopping mall. Amusing signage on buses, trash cans, and other public places, kindly reminding its citizens to be kind and helpful to one another.
The airport was probably the highlight, since we stayed overnight in the movie lounge on the second floor. Cushy, comfortable, relatively quiet (despite the movies), dark, and best of all….free. Also, there are no bugs.
What we probably enjoyed most about Singapore was that despite its lack of character, it was a refreshing reminder of things we hadn’t experienced in the last month. Western comforts and sights that under normal circumstances, we take for granted, or sometimes even try to escape. Flush toilets and toilet paper. Air conditioned buildings. Signs in English. Recycle bins. Food courts and Coffee Beans. Multi-plexes. People who actually wait in lines in an orderly fashion or for the light to cross a street.
While we made it to a temple or two and a museum, I’m still not sure what would draw people to travel here other than for business or a serious addiction to shopping. But it is definitely pretty, especially by the river and when lit up at night.
