A week in Singapore...

We entered Singapore by bus from Malaysia, over the 1km-long causeway bridge that separates the two countries. With the border formalities relatively simple, many people cross over on shopping trips and the causeway seems in a perpetual state of gridlock.

Singapore is for many practical purposes like a western city - clean and efficient with modern facilities, as well as western prices. There are about 4 million people crammed into an area less than greater Auckland, which means that the island is pretty much covered in apartments and housing development blocks, although being the well-organised city that it is there are also many green areas and parks scattered around.

The culture of the city remains eastern and multi-ethnic with a mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay residents as well as a relatively small ex-pat community. Despite this the main language is english (with some local variations, known as "singlish"). Many people seem to eat their meals out at hawker stalls / foodcourts and spend relatively little time at home.

We were able to experience a different side of Singapore, staying with a friend of Kristal's (thanks, Amy) in "landed property" - a house, which is quite unusual in Singapore. The "landed" bit consisted of the carport, and a sliver of lawn. It was great to stay like a local for a change.

We spent our days doing the touristy things that stand out in a city like Singapore. The main highlights were:
- The zoo, which is meant to be world class and includes white tigers, polar bears and probiscus monkeys (which look like old men with their big noses and small eyes). Click here for a picture.
- The "theme-park" island of Sentosa, complete with resorts, artificial beaches and a range of pricey tourist activities. We went to underwaterworld on the island where you can touch some of the sharks and stingrays, and saw a pink dolphin show.
- The Changi prison museum, quite a personal display of local accounts from the Japanese occupation of Singapore during the second world war.
- Ironically, the first snake we've seen in asia was in Singapore at the national park which is surprisingly large. (What do you do when you see a snake? - according to Nic and Amy, you grab your camera.)
- Our stay wouldn't have been complete without a drink at the famous Raffles Hotel (named after Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore). The hotel is like an island of colonial atmosphere in the middle of the CBD.

We left Singapore the same way we entered, back into Malaysia by bus, heading north towards Thailand. It was interesting to arrive back in Malaysia where everything seems ramshackle in comparison, but is itself clean and organised compared to Indonesia.