Singapore In One Day

There really is a lot to see in Singapore and I have tried to see it all in one day.  At least I have been able to get a taste of this vibrant city. The city is all about the water and has one of the busiest ports in the world.  In fact, it is open 24 hours a day.  The river in the city appears to be its heart.  The banks are crowded with lively restaurants and bars.  You can stroll down the banks to get a sense of the city and even more fun you can decide to ride on a bumboat that once jostled for space around boat quay but now offers a leisurely trip down the river to view the important sites.

It's fun to see the sights close up, but Singapore offers a great alternative and that is the Singapore Flyer.  This is the largest observation wheel in the world.  From the wheel you can see the Marina, the Colonial area as well as the financial district and the ships coming into or going out of the area.

Singapore is a city of contrasts and a mix of cultures.  We visited the Chinese Thian Hock Keng Temple which was built to celebrate the successful arrival of Chinese immigrants coming to make their fortune.  While visiting this Temple I learned that bats are considered good luck and a happy bat family has their run of the Temple. The Temple features green and gold to signify health and wealth.

There is a significant Indian population in Singapore.  We visited Little India, called Little, because of the various nationalities represented in this city the Indian population is the smallest.  The market was as colorful as any seen in India and the animals were on hand as there is a current harvest celebration. 

 
 

The most beautiful part of the day was at the Botanic Gardens.  The orchid is the national flower of Singapore and I have never seen so many beautiful ones as are on display here.  There are even the celebrity orchards which are hybrids that have been named for famous people such as Lady Di.  I will just add a few of my favorites.  The first is the "bat orchid".  Who knew?

Singapore is amazing and I haven't even touched on the food and the warm hearts of the people.  This is a destination of beauty, mystery with a mix of cultures that is fascinating.  For example, Chinese New Year is coming and instead of the Christmas tree that we put out they put out kumquat trees.  Who knew that if you are into Sports there is Formula One here.  I understand that you can even visit Universal studios but with all that is unique I am not sure that I would move this to the top of my list.