We did get to venture out a little in Singapore. We went to the beach at Sentosa Island. It’s like a generic Disney world and they even have a mascot that resembles one of the fishes in the little mermaid or  Finding Nemo….one of those!  The beach was gorgeous and it looks like a great place to vacation except for the view. If you look out into the ocean all you see are freighters and tankers by the dozen and oil refineries. Apparently they are a constant fixture, and the tourist and locals that I met didn’t seem to mind. I thought it was really bizarre, I guess I’m spoiled with the Miami beaches!

Mass transportation was very easy in Singapore. We traveled by train and cabs and we had no problems at all. In fact, the train stations amazed me. The trains also had special doors protecting people from falling into the tracks and from debris flying around. To exit or enter the trains you would need to buy a card similar to a credit card that would have a balance and allow you to enter or leave the terminal. Prices are averaged by how far you travel, and you need to swipe your card when you enter and when you leave the station. When your balance is down to zero you can hand in the card and receive a dollar. The train stations were so clean you could eat off the floor. No one litters and in fact, chewing gum and spitting are illegal. 

We also made it to Chinatown which was a great experience. I was able to get a picture of what it looks like now (in China) and a pic of little china form the Chinese museum so you can compare. We visited a beautiful Buddhist temple and we got to watch dozens of people chant. I was told they chant for up to 8 hours with breaks every half hour. The museum in the temple was gorgeous and the interior of the temple was breathtaking.

 Below: China town in Singapore. Yeah I know, our next stop was Beijing but we had to see what Singapore had to offer!

  Below: the first pic is of housing in China town and the next ppic underneath is from the Buddhist temples museum. Its great to see the comparison of how it has changed.

Below: the Buddhist temple 

 Below: a model of the temple from the museum

Below: entrance to the temple  

Below: Chanting/prayer room  

Below: inside of the temple 

Below: Inside the museum 

Below: Pics of an Indian temple 

 One night I was able to venture out into Little India. That was a culture shock. I was the only fair skinned individual around yet no one stared at me or even acted like it was out of the norm. In fact I was treated very well. I enjoyed a great vegetarian meal in some hole-in-the-wall joint where everyone ate with their hands. The food was amazing and I made friends even though we had no idea what we were saying to each other.