Singapore, a metropolitan city and a country, melted into one
I wanted to visit a small country, so I could stay in one place and not have to travel much. Therefore I thought I got two things at once, a metropolitan city and a whole country, Singapore.
The arrival
You are up for a treat when you arrive at Changi airport in Singapore. The airport is big, but it is not so unique as long as you are in transit. It is when you get outside you get the surprise.
The pandemic was still on, so I had to fill out quite a long list of questions and scan Corona pass, etcetera online before leaving home. This made me nervous about whether I had filled out everything right because somebody told me that if not everything was ok, they just put you straight back on a return flight. Thankfully it was ok.
When you are through customs, you discover what this airport has to offer. Next to the airport, you have the Juwel. A six-story shopping mall with at least a hundred restaurants from all over the world. A theme garden for the children, and ample open space in the middle, filled with plants, so you feel you are in the jungle. And a vast water column coming down from the ceiling. At night it is lit up in several colors.
Singapore is very modern.
The city has a very distinct skyline, and the most dominant building is the Marina Bay Sands fronting Marina bay; this was finished in 2010. You will always know where you are when you see this building. At the same time, Singapore is an immaculate city; in some streets, it is not allowed to smoke, and all over it is forbidden to chew gum.
It is shopping heaven for those that are looking for that.
The small villages
The older parts of the city have many small villages and distinct neighborhoods. You find the Arab quarter whit Mosques and Arab and Turkish restaurants. You also have Little India, with the typical markets and restaurants.
No city is probably complete without a Chinatown, so they also have that in Singapore. Many restaurants and also some gay bars and clubs are situated in this area. In the picture, you can see the rainbow flag at Dorothy’s bar.
Emerald Hill Road
Emerald Hill Road is a small conservation area featuring Chinese Baroque architecture. Former home to many members of the city-state’s wealthy community.
In future posts, I will write about the Gardens by the Bay and my excursions in the wilder part of Singapore. After many days of Asian food, which I love, I wanted to feel a bit European and went to this hip burger restaurant called The Potato head.
If you want to visit a very cosmopolitan Asian city that also is very clean and well organized, Singapore is absolute for you!
