I am heading home after 12 days in Singapore. I has been a wonderful productive trip, but like all trips this is the best part – heading home.
This past weekend I slept late – well late for me: 8 AM. I skipped the usual buffet breakfast at the hotel and opted for a light and quicker breakfast at one of the many coffee shops near the hotel. Did I mention there are four Starbucks within 10 minutes of the hotel? I didn’t stop there, but I thought I’d mention it.
My destination today was a harbor cruise on the Imperial Cheng Ho. It leaves from the South Pier and the hotel concierge assured me that this was an easy walk from the metro station, so I would not need the complimentary shuttle advertised in the brochure. I should have trusted the brochure. The pier was 2 kilometers – about a mile and a 1/4 – from the station and a good 30 minute walk in the morning tropical sun. Great! The day is just beginning and I am already soaking wet. At least after this walk I will not feel guilty about breakfast or whatever they serve me on the boat (it was tea and biscuits – cookies).
We boarded about 10 minutes later for a 2 ½ hour cruise (just ½ hour short of having Gilligan fears). Most of my fellow passengers were Westerners – either European or Australian, and one other family I met were from India (including one charming little girl who liked to wave and high five). We cruised along the south coast of Singapore and the adjoining Sentosa Island amongst the scores of ships at anchor at what is one of the busiest harbors in the world. I checked my GPS – 1 degree and 16 minutes N – 9950 miles from my home and wife. After the rain we had had all week, I feared or the worst but the day stayed sunny and breezy. And I had plenty of suntan lotion.
The channel between Sentosa Island and the other Southern Islands is beautiful. The waters are blue and the islands are lush and green with white sand beaches and rocky shoals just off the shores. We cruised around this part of the channel for about an hour before heading for one particular island – Kusu Island. 
Kusu means “turtle” in Chinese and it got its name from a legend of two sailors, one Malay and one Chinese, who were shipwrecked and rescued by a large turtle who pulled them to the island.
The island is considered sacred to both and both the Malay and Chinese have built a shrine and temple, respectively, on the island. I visited the Chinese temple. At each entrance is a enclosed area that is home to dozens of turtles. A third enclosure is in the center of the island with more turtles. We had over 30 minutes to explore here, and it was relaxing to almost completely encircle the island among the palms, coconut trees, and other vegetation, and watch the large ships sail by.
When we had left the pier, most of the passengers had taken up spots on the deck. We left the island at around 12:30 and at the peak of the sun’s path across the sky – nearly everyone was in the air-conditioned cabin with their cold drinks. Mine was iced green tea. Once we returned to the pier I took advantage of the free shuttle back to the train station.
After lunch, I explored an area called Little India. Words or pictures cannot describe this section of town. Aromas can. As soon as I exited from the train station my nose was overloaded with the scents of incense, spices, jasmine, curry, and food. It was a sensory experience unlike any I can remember. The stores along the main sell clothing, toys, souvenirs, hardware, and all spill out from the store front right up to the curb. So walking down the sidewalk and arcades will take right amongst the goods themselves. A clever way to get you into the store before you realize you are already in the store.
That evening, while walking to dinner, I saw a humorous site. A young woman was walking her tiny little dog down the sidewalk. The young woman was so engrossed in a cell phone conversation that she didn’t notice her poor dog frantically trying to stop and being pulled along with all four legs dragging against the sidewalk and its poor little head almost pulling out of the collar (OK – it wasn’t humorous for the dog). I changed direction to catch up with her and let her know the little dog looked like it was desperate to find a patch of green, but there was no need. When I turned the corner, the woman was off her phone and the little dog looked quite content standing at her side. I guess she wasn’t as engrossed in the phone call as she first appeared.
The next day, I headed over to the Singapore Flyer after another quick coffee shop breakfast (the Starbucks lure won this time). The Flyer is currently the world’s highest Ferris wheel, although the Singaporeans prefer to call it a rotating observation platform. Whatever. It is taller than a 40 story building and takes nearly 40 minutes to make one complete revolution.
The wheel used to rotate counter-clockwise (as you are facing it from the island) until a Feng Shui master persuaded the company to change the direction to clockwise. Throughout the entire ride, the audio-guide explained the Feng Shui elements of the wheel – surrounded by gardens and water, rotating as the sun moves (view of the eat first then the west), and made of metal taken from one of earth’s natural elements. The views were great and you could see much of the south part of the island, the Singapore Straits, and the Indonesian islands in the distance.
On the way back to the hotel, I stopped and visited Chinatown. Most of the island’s population is now Chinese, but it wasn’t always so. This was the area where the Chinese laborers and shops were located in the late 19th and first ½ of the 20th century. The Heritage Center I visited is situated in a restored shop house where scores of Chinese would live and work in unimaginably small and cramped quarters. A 6 foot square room might be the home to a family of 10, or it might be the home and storage area for a worker. They shared a common kitchen which doubled as the toilet, because that was where the water was. It was hard to take in and realize that this was not just a movie but an actual house where people lived and worked and died in such close quarters.
Near the edge of Chinatown was a large Indian temple and th
ere was a wedding going on. As I passed by, the wedding party had gathered on the temple steps for video and pictures, and all we passersby were able to smile and wave at the happy scene.
ere was a wedding going on. As I passed by, the wedding party had gathered on the temple steps for video and pictures, and all we passersby were able to smile and wave at the happy scene.Such family scenes, even so far from home, are a reminder of what is waiting for me soon.
God bless.
Pictures of the trip are at http://scottshots4.shutterfly.com/593
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