Jeremy's Cool Travel Blog: We Sail Tonight for Singapore

"Nobody here says 'last winter' or 'next spring'. There are no such seasons. Every day, the year round, is like New York in a heat wave; people estivate the year round, but are healthy." - "Behind the News in Singapore", National Geographic, July 1940

Singapore: "the only mall that has a seat at the UN" - my friend Sumit Gupta

For my last night in Thailand, I stayed in the town of Krabi (pop. 25,000). I was flying out of Krabi airport the next morning and would not have to get up so early to catch my flight. Also, my friends Ashley and Kevin, whom I'd met in Ton Sai, lived in Krabi and agreed to show me around a bit.

To get to Krabi from Ton Sai, it was necessary take a short boat ride to the town of Ao Nang and then catch a ride to Krabi itself. It was only in Ao Nang that I realized that I'd not been in any proper civilization (i.e. a place with proper roads, shops, etc.) for a month. That was a first for me, the city boy that I am.

A game of sepak takraw

In Krabi, I stayed at the same non-touristy hotel / residences as Ashley and Kevin (the two of them have been living in Krabi for the past couple of months while Kevin works remotely at the job he was doing back in the States). It was nice to be in a place that had A/C and wifi, but for cheaper than I was paying in Ton Sai. That afternoon, Kevin and I played some sepak takraw with some local Thais and then joined Ashley for a dinner in town. It was a good night and nice to spend time with these two quality people.

I landed in Singapore (pop. 5.4 million) early the next afternoon. I'd only booked my accomodations the night before and only managed find a bed in a 6-bed dorm at a decent-looking and not-too-expensive hostel in Chinatown. This wasn't ideal, but I wasn't interested in dropping $100 / night just to get my own room. Like Mumbai and Delhi, Singapore is expensive when it comes to accomodations, so cheap+decent options tend to get snapped up quickly.

Upon my arrival at Changi airport in Singapore, the first thing I did was to get a hamburger at Burger King. This is unlike me, but I'd not had a beef burger in three months and simply could not resist the ridiculous temptation. So I got the biggest burger available (which ran me $10!) and devoured it. Being Burger King, I regretted my decision immediately after and wished that I'd just waited til London or Toronto. Duh.

I got to my hostel (the too-cutely-named Pillows & Toast) at around 3:00 pm and settled into what would be my home for the next four nights (room #8, bed #2, top-bunk - nice). Over the course of the afternoon / evening, I quickly learned that Singapore is very expensive, very clean and orderly, and very hot and humid. More on these below.

That night I explored Chinatown a bit (it's fine; nothing spectacular), went for dinner at one of the many hawker food centres (i.e. a big food court with many cheap dining options), and strolled around the high-end and touristy Marina Bay area with one of my roommates.

Hawker food centre

Day 2, Saturday, I visited the National Museum of Singapore (excellent) and then made my way up to Little India for a long-needed fix of Indian food. I got it, but almost fell down when I got the $18 bill (for what would have cost me $4 in India). I hadn't paid that much for lunch all year! That night I ate at another food centre in Chinatown and called it an early night.

Day 3, I decided to take a break from tourism and go bouldering at a local rock climbing gym. It was good to get some exercise and to climb with the locals. After a few hours relaxing at the hostel (to the weary traveller, A/C and steady wifi make for great company), I dined on delicious Chinese dumplings and then, following my friend Darran's advice, went to the cinema to see The Grand Budapest Hotel (excellent!).

Day 4, I dragged myself up to the famous Botanical Gardens, but only lasted about 30 minutes because of the heat. News flash: strolling around gardens at mid-day in humid, 35 degree weather is miserable. I then went to the Arab quarter, Kampong Glam. There I had an excellent lunch (I saw some guy eating something delicious on the street and he told me where to go to get some) and enjoyed exploring the narrow lanes and groovy shops. This was definitely the hippest neighbourhood that I visited in Singapore. That night, I tried unsuccessfully to find a hidden dim sum restaurant recommended by the Guardian and instead had an unremarkable, overpriced dinner at the same restaurant I'd eaten at the night before. Blah.

Day 5 - April 1, the day of my departure - I opted for another bouldering sessison and later enjoyed my first good meal at a hawker stall (more dumplings!).

And there you have it: Singapore in five days. I found the whole experience underwhelming, though I attribute much of this to the oppressive heat and fatigue after four months of travel.

Some things I didn't like about Singapore:

I found the city too sterile for my taste. Yes, I enjoy cities that are cleanand orderly are good, but in Singapore it's almost too much and there are too many rules. It feels like the city lacks grit and attitude that helps give other big cities their charm and appeal.

I didn't realize how expensive Singapore is. Normally this wouldn't bother me so much, but it was extra shocking after having spent the past three months in India and Thailand. The only things I found that aren't significantly more costly are transit fares and the food at hawker stalls. Of course, it's the high tax rate on consumer goods, etc., that helps pay for the city's high-functioning infrastructure.

The heat. I could never live in a place that is constantly hot and humid. As a result, air conditioning is ubiquitous, but it's also cranked up to the max so that you can actually get cold when indoors. This I don't understand.

You can't buy gum anywhere! After a coffee, Tic Tacs ain't cutting it for me.

Things I liked:

The MRT (the subway). The extensive network is super easy to navigate, modern, clean and efficient. In comparison, Toronto's subway system seems completely prehistoric.
The architecture. Many of Singapore's buildings are very original and impressive, as is its skyline in general.
Singapore is a very safe city.
Because of the many ethnic groups living in the city, a huge array of food options are available.

Some photos: