Singapore, Republic of Singapore (day 25)

 Day 25 - January 31, 2023

It has been a long 48 hours. Didn't sleep much on the plane ride over to Singapore. I think the beauty of this new place helped ease that pain though. Arriving at the airport, I left the airport area into a nature themed entertainment and shopping section. Vibrant green plants surround you in the humid air. Apparently there are some pretty cool spots to check out in there, but after the long flight, I wanted to drop my bags off at the hotel and get some food. Check in at the hotel was not until 2pm and I left the airport at around 9am. That left me with some time to kill, so I spent a few hours aimlessly wandering the streets near the hotel after leaving my luggage there. There are lots of interesting things to see around the hotel. There is a university campus and business school nearby. Different museums and all kinds of building styles around. Walking 10 minutes in any direction from the hotel, you see all sorts of different interesting places. The temperature was in the low to mid 70s, quite humid, and it was also raining fairly steadily.

Central Fire Station

The Singapore River is also nearby. Lots of empty tourist boats on the water. Nice area to walk around and it's a good spot for people who enjoy running or biking.

Along the sidewalks in a few of the blocks near the hotel is an area dedicated to the First Botanic Garden. All kinds of fruit trees and flowers line the sidewalks, labels tell what type of plant they are and where they originated. At different points in history, many different varieties of plants were brought in from all over the world.

There is a park nearby also, Fort Canning Park. Over the years, the hill the fort now sits on was used by different countries as a defense and lookout point. The British most recently used the area in World War II, after which it became a museum. There are nice brick pathways winding through the park around lush rainforest plants.

After getting quite soaked from the rainy walk through the city and a section of the park, I headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap. The hotel is located above a shopping mall, it's no Dubai Mall, but there are lots of electronic stores and food options. I went back out around 5pm and thankfully the rain had stopped. I walked further through Fort Canning Park as the sun went down around 7pm.

There is so much intricate detail in the plants around us. I don't always take enough time to appreciate the amount of craftsmanship God placed in his creation. It was nice to take things a bit slower paced today and observe the little details.

This puppy's body was about and 1" long

My first impressions of this place are quite positive. Who knew giving someplace a chance would turn out alright :D People here seem to be friendly and everyone I have interacted with has spoken English. I've also noticed that here, more than any of the other places I have been so far, the local people smile and greet you as you walk by, and not because they are trying to sell you something :). Compared to the seemingly cold looks I got in Kazakhstan, this was a nice change. Another thing I learned, as I happened to glance at one of the signs leaving the airport, chewing gum is illegal here :D Guess they really take pride in keeping things tidy here, and gum littering was an issue they squashed. Till next time, goodnight! 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Singapore, Republic of Singapore (day 24)

 Day 24 - January 30, 2023

Finished packing up and ironed out a few details for the next step of my trip by 12pm. Took a taxi over to the Palm Jumeirah and the View at the Palm, a tower that overlooks the palm below. It was a bit smoggy today, so the views weren't quite what they could have been, but still quite the site to see. The palm was built using rock brought in from quarries nearby and then sand was added which they pulled from the Arabian Gulf around it. The sand was compacted overtop of the rocks to dramatically accelerate the natural sand settlement process. They started with the outside ring first to use as a seawall to protect the palm leaves they added next. On each side of the outer seawall, they left openings to allow the water on the inner part of the ring to keep fresh. The entire project took six years to complete.

The View at the Palm brings you to the 52nd and 54th floors. The 52nd has a glass screen in front of you, but if you pay extra you get access to the 54th floor which is the top of the building open to the air all around. Definitely worth paying the extra to go to the very top!

Spot of cappuccino at the top 

Sun is setting on my time here in Dubai. I am writing this one from the airport, ready to leave for rainy Singapore in about an hour. If all goes well, I should be landing in Singapore after a seven hour flight. Dubai has been really great! I would really recommend this place as a travel destination. Friendly people and lots of wonderful architecture to explore. Different culture here, but it is easy to get help if you need. Rove Hotel was a great place to stay, right in the heart of the downtown. Talking with my taxi driver today, he said the hottest months are June, July, and August. Do not come here then, most of the attractions are shut down because the temperatures can get to 45-50 Celsius! Peak tourist season is October to January 2 and then again in March. Early January after New Years to mid February were recommended as there are less tourists, but still good time to be here. Most attractions close at the end of March for the summer.   

In case you missed it from yesterday (I added after I posted), here is a link to my scootering through the streets of Dubai :D

An Afternoon Scoot in Dubai

Also the light show at Burj Kahlifa Lake:

Burj Kahlifa Lake - Light Show

See you on the other side!