singapore slingin'

Hello from Singapore!

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, but thought I'd do a quick update to catch up on the last few days before I go to sleep.

Singapore has been nice, though nothing too overly exciting- i think it was a good entry to Asia, but very very western/european. It's the cleanest city I've ever been in- no smell, no trash, even the money is clean! I haven't shopped at all here although its a shoppers paradise- I didn't want to carry more crap around for 7 weeks than I already have! The best thing here is the street food- there are street hawkers and streets full of all different cuisines being cooked in carts - i'm staying in the arab quarter on the same street as the biggest mosque in singapore. Interesting because it is Ramadan, so during the day it is pretty quiet and at night everyone fills the street to eat after fasting. There's also little india and chinatown with great food and great people watching. I'm here at apparently a good time-there are 3 different festivals(Chinese Mooncake/Lantern Festival, Ramadan/Muslim Festival and a Hindu Festival) coinciding for the first time ever, so there are tons of lights and decorations up for each one! I took a free night tour that went to each area to see all the lights and decorations which was cool.

Starting back at the beginning of Singapore- I met a guy named Richard from the UK outside my hostel on my first morning here who had also just arrived- we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens together and ended up shlepping all over the city afterwards- we got lunch in a random mall food court recommended by someone on the street, then walked around Orchard Road, famous for its shopping. There are no lack of malls here, and it seems like even when you're trying to avoid one you are sent through from the street on a walkway to get somewhere else. When we got back I met a girl named Hayley also from the UK who had just checked in and invited her to join us for the night. We hopped on the free tour bus again and they dropped us off close to an area called Glutton's Bay, which is along a really nice Esplanade with a beautiful concert hall and area displaying art. We ate dinner outside there and then walked along the water admiring all the Chinese families out celebrating the festival with lanterns, sparklers, and candles. From there we walked to the other side of the River to the Clarke Quay/Riverwalk area for a drink at a brewery. We barely made the last MRT (subway) back at midnight to our hostel to crash. I decided to stay an extra day in Singapore, as I heard there wasn't too much to do in Kuala Lumpur and figured it would be nice to hang out with these great people I met for one more day.

*they are shutting down the internet at the hostel, so I'll continue this post in the morning for day 3 of Singapore. Tomorrow its off to Kuala Lumpur just for the night, then one night in an airport hotel in hong kong and then figuring out my china trip! I'll try to post a few pictures in the morning as well.

Goodnight!
-KP

ps- please leave comments and remember to tell me who you are leaving the comment!! :)