Singapore

Wednesday, October 26 – Singapore
It was early up, enjoy our last breakfast and meal on the ship then catch a bus for a city tour before going to the airport. Singapore is an incredibly safe and clean place to visit. The consequence for breaking the law is swift and harsh so there is virtually no crime in the city. We are within one degree of the equator, so to say that it is a tropical destination is an understatement. The first stop was at the Orchid Gardens. One of the species is the National flower for Singapore. There were thousands of hybrids and countless colors and sizes of orchids. It was a wonderful way to begin our tour of the city. We then headed to Chinatown. Our guide made it clear that they are very proud of being so open-armed and inviting to all cultures and religions. The various areas within the city are clear evidence of this. On our way to Little India, we passed by Hindu Temples, Buddhist Temples, Christian Churches and Muslin Mosques, just to name a few. We also enjoyed a river cruise that had great views of the Merlion and the most expensive building in the world (6 Billion to make a 2,500 room hotel). We also saw the 165 meter high “Ferris Wheel”. Each car can hold up to 28 people and you can have a champagne dinner served on it as it takes 30 minutes to go just one revolution. We also stopped at the famous Raffles Hotel where I found a small jeweled purse for $3,200. It was a place that is definitely above my lifestyle, but it was still fun to look. We then took the 30 minute ride to Changi Airport where we had several hours to wait before catching a Qatar flight to Barcelona.