DAY 78 - SINGAPORE - APRIL 15, 2010

SEGMENT THREE ENDED WITH THE PORT CALL IN SINGAPORE FOR APPROXIMATELY 250 PASSENGERS. THANKFULLY WE WERE NOT AMONG THEM. WE ACTUALLY DREAD THE DAY THE CRUISE ENDS A MONTH FROM NOW IN ROME. THAT HOWEVER IS A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.

WE WERE UP EARLY TODAY AND BEFORE GOING TO BREAKFAST WE CALLED GRANNY FROM THE CABIN PHONE. WE HAVE AVOIDED USING THIS MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE FAMILY BECAUSE OF THE COST...$5.00 PER MINUTE. IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE LAST TALKED TO ANYONE, SYDNEY I THINK, AND WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO LET GRANNY KNOW WE WERE OKAY. WE ONLY TALKED FOR A FEW MINUTES TO LET HER KNOW WE WOULD CALL HER BACK AFTER WE FINISHED OUR TOUR. IT WOULD BE NOON HERE IN SINGAPORE AND MIDNIGHT IN PITTSBURGH. WE DIDN’T WANT HER TO BECOME ALARMED IF WE JUSTED CALLED OUT OF THE BLUE. FIRST THINGS FIRST, HOWEVER.

WE HAD TO COLLECT OUR PASSPORTS YESTERDAY IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE SINGAPORE CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATIONS AUTHORITIES. SURPRISINGLY THE PROCESS WENT VERY QUICKLY AND AS WE CAME THROUGH THE CUSTOMS DOORS, TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, WE WERE GATHERED IN GROUPS BY TOUR NUMBER. WE WERE IN THE SECOND BUS FOR OUR CITY TOUR.

THIS IS GEORGIA’S SECOND TRIP TO SINGAPORE AND MY FOURTH AND WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO SEE PLACES NOT ON OUR PREVIOUS TRIPS. THE TOUR SERVED OUR NEEDS QUITE WELL.

OUR FIRST STOP WAS MT FABER, THE SECOND HIGHEST PEAK IN THE CITY. DON’T LET THE MT. IN MOUNT, OR MOUNTAIN, FOOL OR MISLEAD YOU, AS THE PEAK IS ONLY 105 METERS OR 325 FEET HIGH. I THINK BROOKLINE QUALIFIES AS A MOUNTAIN AND WHO KNOWS WHAT TERM WE SHOULD USE TO DISCRIBE MOUNT WASHINGTON, OR EVEN BEECHVIEW. BUT, I DIGRESS AGAIN.

THE BIG ATTRACTION ON MT FABER IS THE CABLE CAR RIDE THAT TAKES YOU TO SENTOSA ISLAND. TWO THINGS WRONG HERE, FIRST, IT WAS NOT PART OF OUR ITINERARY AND SECONDLY, IT IS CURRENTLY IN A LARGE RENOVATION PROGRAM. THERE ARE NEW CABLES BEING INSTALLED AND LARGER CABLE CARS WILL REPLACE THE OLD CARS.NEVERTHELESS THE VIEW FROM THE PEAK WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. WE TOOK PICTURES IN ALL DIRECTIONS, THE CITY, SHIP YARDS, MALAYSIA, INCLUDING A FEW WITH MERLIN, THE MYTHICAL HALF MERMAID, HALF LION, SYMBOL OF SINGAPORE.

THE COUNTRY, SINCE GAINING ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1965, HAS BECOME VERY PROGRESSIVE, MODERN AND A LEADER IN MANY ASPECTS OF BUSINESS AND COMMERCE. THEY CLAM TO HAVE OVERTAKEN HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI AS THE BUSIEST SEAPORT IN THE WORLD.

FROM THE “MOUNT” WE MEANDERED THROUGH SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE CITY, INCLUDING A DRIVEBY OF THE FAMOUS RAFFLES HOTEL, ON OUR WAY TO CHINATOWN AND THE INDIAN HINDU TEMPLE THAT SITS VIRTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHINESE DISTRICT. WE WALKED ALONG THE NARROW, CAR FREE STREET, OCCASIONALLY STOPPING TO LOOK AT THE MERCHANDISE. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT MOST OF THE SHOP OWNERS WERE NOT CHINESE BUT INSTEAD INDIAN. LIKE MOST OF THE STREET SHOPPING EXPERIENCES THIS ONE RANKS RIGHT DOWN THERE WITH THE REST OF THEM. (I DON’T LIKE THIS STUFF BUT GEORGIA ENJOYS IT)

THE TEMPLE WAS UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE. I BELIEVE, EVEN WITH OUR TRIP TO INDIA IN 2005, THIS IS THE FIRST HINDU TEMPLE WE HAVE EVER VISITED. ORNATE MIGHT BE A GOOD WORD TO USE IN DESCRIBING THE ARTIFACTS AND STATUES. THEY WERE EXTREMELY COLORFUL AND ALTHOUGH NOT LIFE SIZE, LARGE ENOUGH TO BE FILLED WITH LOADS OF DETAIL. PICTURES COULD ONLY BE TAKEN INSIDE BY PAYING A $3 FEE, YET, YOU COULD TAKE MORE THAN ENOUGH PICTURES OF THE OUTSIDE, THROUGH THE DOOR OR IRON FENCES. BOTH GEORGIA AND I ALTERNATED ENTERING THE FACILITY TO LOOK AROUND. THE BEST PICTURES WERE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND WE SAVED $3. (NOW HOW MUCH WAS THIS CRUISE?)

THE FINAL STOP OF THE DAY WAS THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, SPECIFICALLY THE NATIONAL ORCHID GARGEN. THE DISPLAYS WERE EXCELLENT. THERE WAS A WIDE VARIETY OF ORCHIDS, IN VARIOUS SHADES AND SHAPES. WATERFALLS AND FOUNTAINS WERE STRATEGICALLY PLACED THROUGHOUT THE GROUNDS ADDING TO THE BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SETTING. OUR STAY LASTED FORTY MINUTES.

GEORGIA AND I SHARED AN ICE CREAM CUP, WAY OVERPRICED, IN AN EFFORT TO COOL DOWN. IT WAS NOT QUITE NOON AND THE TEMP WAS ALREADY OVER THIRTY CELSIUS, MID NINETYS, AND IT WAS EXPECTED TO GO EVEN HIGHER. THE HEAT WAS DRAINING ALL OUR ENERGY AND WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK ON THE SHIP.

FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN’T GET ENOUGH SHOPPING COMPLETED IN ANY ONE EXCURSION, OUR BUS STOPPED AT SCOTT AND ORCHARD ROADS AND LET A FEW HARDY SOULS OFF THE BUS. OF COURSE THEY HAD TO GET BACK TO THE SHIP ON THEIR OWN. FOR GEORGIA AND I THIS CORNER BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF OUR TRIP IN 2005. THE MARRIOTT HOTEL IS LOCATED ON THIS CORNER, IT WAS OUR HOME FOR FIVE DAYS.

TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER WE WERE UNLOADING AT THE SHIP TERMINAL AND ALTHOUGH THE SHIP WAS THE DESTINATION, SEARCHING FOR A PUBLIC PHONE IN THE TERMINAL WAS OUR GOAL. AFTER TALKING TO GRANNY FOR FORTY-FIVE MINUTES WE CALLED SCOTT. IT WAS ONLY 10:00PM IN SAN FRANCISCO AND WE KNEW HE WOULD BE UP. AFTER THIRY MINUTES OF TALKING TO SCOTT, THE SHIP WAS IN SIGHT, BUT SHOPPING WAS ON OUR AGENDA.

SINGAPORE, LIKE HONG KONG AND SYDNEY, AND UNLIKE EVER OTHER PORT OF CALL, CATERS TO THE SHOPPER IN ALL CRUISERS. EVERYTHING CAN BE FOUND WITH MINIMAL EFFORT, CAMERA SHOPS, RESAURANTS, FINE DINING, FOOD COURTS, CHAIN STORES LIKE TOY R US, 711, AND MINI SUPERMARKETS. WE NEEDED MORE LISTERINE AND SO THE SEARCH BEGAN. SIXTY MINUTES LATER AND S$93, SINGAPORE DOLLARS, WE HEADED FOR THE IMMIGRATION CENTER AND THE SHIP.

BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE. THE SUBJECT OF EATING. HOT, SWEATY AND TIRED WE USED EVERY BIT OF ENERGY WE COULD MUSTER TO CLIMB ONE FLIGHT OF STAIRS TO SEEK NOURISHMENT. WOW IS THAT HEAVY. ACTUALLY IT BECAME DINNER, WE DO HAVE LIMITS YOU KNOW.

ALTHOUGH GEORGIA WANTED TO GO TO THE POOL THE EYES WERE SHUTTING AND SLEEP WAS IN ORDER. SO AFTER A SHORT NAP, ONE MUST DEFINE SHORT, GEORGIA HEADED FOR THE TREADMILL AND I FOR THE LIBRARY TO CREATE THE TEXT FOR THE BLOG. IT IS ALMOST 11:00PM AND IT IS CURRENTLY POURING CATS AND DOGS. THE RAIN IS PELTING THE LARGE PICTURE WINDOWS OF THE LIBRARY, FLASHES OF LIGHTENING AND THE ROAR OF THUNDER CAN BE SEEN AND HEARD. SURPRISINGLY THE SHIP IS NOT BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE FINISHED THE NIGHT BY WATCHING “HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE” ON THE TV. WE ALSO ENJOYED SOME MILK AND COOKIES AS WE WATCHED.