Singapore Reprieve

flying Air Asian from Bandung

Yesterday we flew to Singapore (about 1.5 hour flight) to treat ourselves to a weekend getaway from Bandung! It feels GREAT to be back in “civilization” again!! The first thing we did after checking into our hotel was head to Hard Rock Café for some nachos and bbq ribs! It was nice to walk down the street and not be stared at! And I thrilled to see the beautiful Christmas decorations on the streets and in the stores - and talk about the stores!! It’s truly a feast for our eyes to be in a clean, modern city after spending several months in Indonesia.

                                                   

the shopping is incredible - and incredibly expensive!

Christmas is everywhere!

stores decorated

On our drive in from the airport yesterday, we got our first glimpse of the famous Marina Bay hotel, a 200 meter high sky park which looks like a cruise ship poised atop 3 tall towers.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands (for more info)

I’m hoping to get a better view of it from the ferris wheel later today if the weather allows.

view of Marina Bay Hotel through ferris wheel

Our cab driver was a hoot! He gave us an overview of the city during the 20 minute drive from the airport, speaking about 10 decibels above what was needed with us just a couple of feet away in the back seat. I commented that he should have been a tour guide and he said “NO! If I did that, I would have to scream too loud!” Later when I told him his English was perfect, he replied with a high pitched “Whooo! My Engwish is rubbish!!” (this is exactly how he said it)

no durians in cab - thank you!

 

But he did tell us some interesting things about Singapore. For example, foreigners can enter the casinos here for free, but locals must pay $100 per visit. This is to discourage the citizens of Singapore from developing gambling addictions. No foreigners can drive cabs - only Singaporean citizens. This is a government rule and to my way of thinking, protects jobs of its local citizens. He was also quick to warn us that smoking is prohibited within 5 meters of office buildings, restaurants, etc.

Singapore is often referred to as a Fine City with a double play on the word “fine.” There are some very specific reasons why Singapore is such a safe and clean city. Much of it has to do with the government imposing fines on citizens who engage in behaviors that are not allowed. I found these on the web.

* Jaywalking is not allowed - $500 fine.

* Bringing in or having chewing gum is entirely forbidden in Singapore.

* Littering fines are  $500 to $1,000 for first time offenders.

* Smoking in undesignated areas carries a fine of up to $1000 while the throwing of cigarette butts on the floor will be construed as littering and carries a fine of up to $300.

* Spitting can carry fine up to $300

* DO NOT IN ANY WAY GET INVOLVED WITH ANY DRUGS. Being caught with the smallest amount of drugs will face death penalty.

We'll definitely need to watch our "p's & q's" while we're in Singapore! We plan to take the hop on/ hop off bus tour today and do a little sight seeing. The Botanical Gardens are supposedly awesome and we hope to visit those this afternoon if it's not raining. And even if it rains all weekend, it’s just a pleasure to be in such a CLEAN city for a change!