Singapore

  

I had a sixteen hour layover in Singapore so I was able to leave the airport and get a quick look at the country.

Singapore is a country made up of one small main island, plus smaller offshore islands. The entire country is almost one large city! It was another country that was ruled by England, and it gained its independence in 1963. For a short time after, (less than two years), it joined Malaysia, then became its own independent nation. It has a very high standard of living/good quality of life.

I arrived in the late afternoon so I didn't have a lot of daylight hours. So the first place I ran off to was the botanical gardens, which I'd heard were amazing. Inside is a special orchid garden, which are delicate flowers that like a lot of humidity. That's why they grow so well in Singapore, a very tropical climate.

The orchids were absolutely stunning, and I loved seeing the hybrids that they had created by breeding different kinds of orchids together.


After dinner, I walked down Orchard Road, which is a street with lots of expensive shops and hotels, and I looked at all of their Christmas displays. After five months away from Canada, it felt weird to see familiar stores and restaurants. It was the first Starbucks I'd seen on the trip!

Unfortunately, that was all the time I had in this small country. I would love to go back again to see the harborfront, zoo, and other attractions. The people were exceedingly friendly and the country values being considerate (they don't allow you to drink water or eat on the subway because you might make a mess for the next person, or spill which could cause someone to slip!)

By the next morning, I was back at the airport and on my way to Malaysia!