Singapore

As I write this post, my first stop, Singapore, is coming to an end. The first thing I noticed about Singapore is how clean the city is. I do not think that I have seen a single piece of trash since I have been here. In fact, it is illegal to sell gum here in an effort to keep the city clean. That being said, there is also and IMMENSE amount of culture and life to be found in this city.

The first day, I headed to the old "Colonial District" that is the center of the former British Rule. There are lots of old buildings that have a British type of look and it was very interesting to see such buildings in the middle of an Asian city.

The next day, It was off to Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam also known as the Muslim Quarter. Chinatown was the first stop and it is very similar to most Chinatowns that I have been to, (Oakland, San Francisco, New York, etc.) There are infinite little shops and restaurants all crammed along little alleys that are really neat to walk down. The most interesting that I found in Chinatown, however, was Singapore's most famous Hindu Temple. I had never been to a Hindu Temple before and upon entering, I was completely blown away by the intricacy, detail, and colors of the statues and artwork. The Hindu religion has many "Gods" and each one is represented by a statue. For those of you who have never been to a Hindu Temple, I highly recommend checking one out to see for yourself all of the colors and details that they put into the design of their temples.

Next up was Little India. This part of the city is obviously the "Indian Quarter" and much like Chinatown, it has tons of shops and restaurants crammed along little alleys selling all sorts of traditional "Indian" goods. There wasn't anything particularly special about this area but it was neat to see a specifically "Indian" area for the first time.

Finally, I went to the Muslim Quarter. By far the most distinctive thing in this area was the massive Mosque. The whole time I was there, I could hear prayers being chanted over the loud speaker. This was very interesting to hear and although I couldn't understand what they were saying, it was cool to be immersed in that culture for a little while.

That was all for that day.

The final day I was in Singapore, I went to an Island off of the coast of Singapore called Sentosa Island, which is the next "big thing" in Singapore's tourism industry. The island has a bunch of sandy beaches full of imported sand and by 2010, will boast a Universal Studios theme park and a casino to go along with the currently existing resorts and attractions. The coolest thing that I saw however was this MASSIVE statue that is called the "Merlion." It is a statue that is half fish and half lion and is supposedly the "tourist" symbol of Singapore.

Well that pretty much covers Singapore and its off to Indonesia tomorrow. Be sure to check back soon!