Day 3: Singapore

There's a really crazy-intense public safety video shown on the Singapore MRT about terrorist bomb threats. It begins with graphic footage of the bombings in Madrid, London and Mumbai. Really, the last thing the humble commuter wants to see is pictures of bloodied corpses followed by the message that "we could be next!"
But anyway. Today I circled a stack of things on my map and Death Marched around the river and Chinatown. In short: Raffles statue, Merlion, Chinese temple #1, Chinese temple #2, pretty street #1, Sri Mariamman Temple, pretty streets #2 and #3, hawker centre lunch, bloody-spectacular-yet-not-on-the-map Chinese temple, market streets, boring mall #1 and #2, pretty street #4, and the Asian Civilizations museum. Phew.
I think there's three kind of streets in Singapore: modern and anonymous; colourful yet bland residential; and ethnically-aligned with old colourful shopfronts. I like the last one best.
Sri Mariamman Temple was beautiful, and there was some kind of prayer going on that involved pouring lots of milk on a statue of a god (couldn't tell which one) and some spectacular pipe / tabla music.
Hawker centres still rock.
I like Singapore a lot. On the downside, it has pretty oppressive public conduct laws, and it's still technically illegal to be gay, but on the plus side, it's beautiful, lush, successfully multicultural, exciting, safe, and full of Cool Stuff.

Day 2: Singapore

Singaporeans are more fashionable than the Japanese. They think about what they wear, and there's none of the crazy over-the-topness.
The Sultan Mosque is still beautiful.
Went to the bird park, but it wasn't quite as amazing as last time. Saw almost nothing but starlings and doves in the waterfall aviary, and the Southeast Asia aviary was closed. Still, I saw a red bird-of-paradise, so yay.
Went to Little India, which is colourful, loud, and smelly - especially the covered food market, which reeks, and that's sort of why I love it. Walked in search of iced coffee, and ended up all the way back in Bugis, near the hostel, before I found one.
Went to Suntec City, and its associated Fountain of Wealth, which is exceedingly silly and very impressive. The fountain - world's biggest, apparently - is a bit of a monstrosity, indeed.
Stumbled across Raffles on the way to Suntec - sadly couldn't afford a Singapore Sling.After Suntec, walked to the river past lots of grand colonial buildings, much like the Victoriana in Australian cities.
Walked to Clarke Quay, which is very pleasant and very trendy, but suffers from a glut of loud Americans.
Walked miles and miles today, and am bloody tired, but saw lots of Stuff, so all is well.

Day 1: Singapore

Singapore was the first place I ever went to outside Australia, so it's somehow appropriate that I start this journey here.
I'm staying on probably the nicest street in Singapore - a pedestrian plaza of colourful shopfronts leading to the Sultan Mosque. I look at one of the minarets whilst brushing my teeth. Lovely.
Went to the zoo today, which is every bit as good as everyone says it is. Best landscaping and enclosures I've ever seen. First-time animals: babirusa, saki, manatee, giant squirrel, and three kinds of mouse deer!
Took a long MRT ride around to Orchard Road, and found that all Singaporeans really do live in giant housing estates, but at least they're colourful, look different from each other, and have bits of forest in between them.
Not much to say about Orchard Road - it's one giant mall after another, and lots of gaijin. Bugis Street market was more interesting - absolutely nothing I'd want to buy, but noisy, jam-packed and heaven for trendy Singaporean teenagers.
Hawker centres are brilliant - had a filling vego dinner for S$2 and fresh pineapple juice for S$1. Yum.