Singapore

Jennifer and I started planning our Southeast Asia trip mainly as a joke. After deciding to graduate in December, I knew I would be going somewhere this spring but didn't think I would be so lucky to explore this area of the world with my roommate from Spain! Luckily, Jen is always down for an adventure and she hopped on to the idea instantly. For 36 days, we will be traveling throughout Southeast Asia by plane, train, and bus. Afterwards, I will be exploring China, Dubai, Brazil, and Costa Rica for another month and a half. Thank you all so much for your support and best wishes!!!

January 9: Southeast Asia is a go.

Flight 1: Knoxville, TN to Chicago 
Flight 2: Chicago to Hong Kong. Via the Arctic Circle Route (Canada, Russia, Mongolia, China) 
Flight 3: Hong Kong to Singapore (2:00 AM Arrival on 1/11)

Total Travel Time: 34 Hours

After loads of traveling, Jen and I arrived in Singapore in a bit of a delirious state; our flights went smoothly but as all travel goes, we didn't get much sleep. During our pre-trip planning, we decided that we would figure out what to do about our 2:00 AM arrival when we got to Asia. You probably already guessed it...bad idea! All the hotels in the area were booked or absurdly overpriced. Instead, we waited in the airport until the metro opened to get to our hostel in Chinatown. 

Luckily, our hostel was so nice and let us check in early!

Our savior on our first, slightly dazed day in Singapore was my friend and fellow Rice student, Ben, who was introduced to me by Duo, a fellow Rice student/Deloitte coworker/Singapore high school grad.

Ben is a walking guidebook of the city! He informed us about the current state and goals of Singapore and how they came to be through the country's history. What a brilliant representative of his country; he can speak English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Malay (from serving in the army), Hawkian (an older mixed language of Singapore formed by its initial settlers), and Singlish (an incredibly efficient form of English that we couldn't understand). In a country that is approximately the size of Houston, it is quite impressive to have so many languages so widely spoken!

During our stay, we spent the majority of our time eating lots and lots of food. Ben kept feeding us - what a good man! Due to the mixture of Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian populations in Singapore, the food is out of this world! Most of the best food can be found in tin roof covered hawker centres (small food stalls) throughout the city. Thanks to the impeccable health and sanitation standards in the country, eating at these open air markets is very cheap, safe, and delicious. The signature dish of the country is chicken rice and wowzers is it delectable; the chicken is eaten with a chili sauce (very popular), thick soy sauce, and flavored rice, which gets its taste from multiple broths and secret flavorings. Beyond that, the dish names are all a blur! Most are served with a soup or broth of some sort that often includes seafood such as prawns. Two of the most popular juices are pure sugar cane juice that they mechanically squeeze and bandong, which is a rose juice very pink in color. As a coffee lover, I must add the kafi there is so delicious. So so so so good. They pour it from insane heights back and forth to create a thicker texture to the drink.

One of our most adventurous food quests was tasting durian, the king of all fruits. Some say it is the best thing they have ever tasted while others have been known to get sick upon contact. Some cities ban the sale of it due to its strong odor that has a tendency of wafting where people do not desire for it to waft. I would put myself in that category; after tasting it, I kept smelling it everywhere. It was like it was haunting me for not liking it! Jennifer thinks it tastes like seafood, and Ben loves it! He really enjoyed watching us eat it.

If I could sum up Singapore in one word, it would be efficient. Their MRT metro system reminded me of Denmark's with its clean and timely trains and prepaid card system that is now being implemented citywide. For example, you can use your MRT card to buy something at a McDonalds or take a cab; all with a tap of the card. Beyond that, they are constantly developing the city. Ben had not been back in a year and a half and he said that he does not recognize many buildings in town! And these buildings are massive!

Beyond that, we enjoyed walking the streets around our hostel in Chinatown. With the new year approaching, the neighborhood was alive with booths, snacks, and people from allover. There is something alluring about the Chinese new year whether you celebrate it or not. There was an energy in the air with the excitement for the year of the dragon. I couldn't get enough; even with the sea of people!

On our third and final full day in Singapore, we ran errands around the city, packed up our backpacks, savored our last few drinks of iced (mmm) juice, and met up with a native Singaporean, Aaron. I was virtually introduced to him through my friend from Rice, Mary, who met him in a cafe in India last summer. Needless to say, he was so cool.

On our fourth morning, we got up bright and early and made our way to Malaysia by bus.