Singapore, Singapore Mar 15th

Our first day in Singapore!
We took the usual tour to get acquainted with the city / country. It has a very different history than most countries. Actually it's the Republic of Singapore and is a city / nation / republic all in one.
Today's morning tour was Peranakan Culture. The Peranakan (which means native born) came from the Chinese people who came to this city in the 1500's and married with the native Mayla.
We did a drive and walk of the city. Many of the buildings are from the early 20th century and look like English and French design. With very colorful exteriors that have to be maintained in their original design. We stopped at a little museum with antique furniture and clothing. Also had a chance to taste local food. Had a gelatin kind of desert and rice filled with pork and wrapped in a leaf. After a quick stop at a herb/spice garden we made our way back to the ship.
Since we were going to the Garden by the Bay in the evening, we just stayed on land rather then go thru the passport check and security to get back in the ship.
We went to the mall next to the cruise terminal to buy some shirts for our African Safari. The difference is the the Under Armor, Nike, etc. stores are very small compared to what we are used to. We were able to find one shirt each, however the 'sizing' is different. Scott's medium turned into an XL.
After the mall we took the free shuttle to Gardens by the Bay. It is a park full of man made superstructures that look like trees. Some are actually dome covered and contain plants, flowers and trees from all over the world. There is an indoor water fall. We did not go into them, but enjoyed the sound and light show that they have twice each night. We saw it twice, first showing we were down in under the "trees" so we could hear the music and see the lights from below. Then after grabbing some yummy noodle meals from the food court and doing some shopping, we made our way back towards the shuttle and stopped at an elevated walkway to watch the second light show from above. Nice to see it from both vantage points. Then caught the last shuttle of the night back to the ship. Amazing day!Read more