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Singapore

At Singapore, our ship, the Volendam, stopped to disembark 1200 passengers departing the first 2-week cruise and to upload 1200 for the remaining 2-week Indonesian trip, on a vessel carrying 1400 guests.  At 241 square miles, the official population of this city-state is 5.7 million, but the actual number may be quite a bit higher.  Population density is the third highest in the world with roughly 18,645 people per sq/mi.  Driving and walking around, it was hard not to notice it is clearly the cleanest city we have ever visited.  Strict regulations on litter, even spitting on the sidewalk, are enforced with significant fines.  No food or beverages, even water, are allowed on any public transport.  Singapore is perhaps what could be called a benevolent police state.  Countless regulations with harsh repercussions for not following the law are in place.  I spoke with a Dutch couple living in Singapore.  Their 14-year old son was arrested for reading a Playboy magazine in a public park.  He wound up being released due to his age, but they said he would have served time in jail if he had been 15.  Kinda scary stuff! 

Luckily, for us, English is the primary language and is the one used for government transactions,
business, publications, and finance.  Singlish, not one of the official languages, is an English slang used by most Singapore residents on a daily basis.  

During our brief overlay, we hopped on a tour, which headed first to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, but specifically to the National Orchid Garden.  At over 60,000 orchid plants, it is considered the largest display in the world.  Thousands of varieties are grown and they all seemed to be in bloom, gorgeous. 

Next, we continued to Arab Street for a stop at the gold-domed Sultan Mosque.  Here we had a chance to wander the streets filled with Turkish restaurants and a number of textile and carpet shops. The food we saw being served at the street-side cafes looked incredible, but time restraints of the tour didn't give us an opportunity to stop.

Moving on to the Esplanade Walk, we had a view of the Marina Sands Resort, for $23, they provide an overview of the city from their observation deck.  For an additional $27 you can enjoy a beer with your view.  This walk is also home to the Merlion, a water-spouting, half-fish, half-lion creature that is the iconic symbol of the city.  It also provides a view of Lau Pa Sat, the heart of the financial district, with this entity being the 3rd largest financial market after New York and London.  

Finally, we made a stop in Chinatown.  This enclave was in riotous, high gear for the upcoming celebration of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dog.  Red and gold banners, flags and kites were everywhere.  Herculean feats by the tour bus drivers in all large cities are common  and moving out of Chinatown was a challenge.  Generally, though, the traffic in the city moved very smoothly.  A fast and inexpensive mass transit system moves residents and visitors efficiently throughout the city.  And, unlike other SE Asian countries, drivers follow the rules of the road due to heavy penalties for infractions.  Car ownership is very expensive, with a basic Toyota Corolla selling for $110,000 according to our guide.  Also, car sales are strictly controlled in a complex system.  Old cars must be retired for new cars to become available.  

Interesting city but time to move back to the ship.  Now on our way to Java.
In Chinatown

Sultan Mosque


Financial district

Marina Sands




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