The difference was quickly apparent when I started talking with a tourist service desk employee (keep in mind it was 5.45am). She was so helpful in calling over ten guesthouses to find a good rate with a private room. The hotels in Singapore are quite extortionate, even the eventual private room with shared bathroom I found was $35 a night! After eagerly assisting me for over an hour, as I was her only customer, she sent me on to the impressively designed main terminal to catch a downtown shuttle.
Sparkling street lights, squeaky clean sidewalks, bustling restaurants, overflowing markets, an abundance of wealth, all the best hotels, retail outlets, cars and a waterfront centre that would shame most any city ... Where could this be, New York? Milan? London?... no it was Singapore. As One of the bustling financial centre’s of the east (Robert Frieman - renowned mining investor calls Singapore home), you feel it, see it, smell it, taste it and if you dare spend in some of the higher end hotels such as the Ritz Carlton or shop in one of the many of the ultra boutiques like Armani ... You may even be privileged enough to share in the wealth that flows through this cosmopolitan centre.
Friday night in Singapore, I had checked into my hostel and thanking my lucky stars for my private room, I wondered why some backpackers seem to loose their sense of smell. Imagine curling a wet towel in the corner of a dark, cold room for a week and then using it again to dry yourself after a shower... That pretty much sums up what the majority of people I was running into in this property smelled like. As I walked by a dorm room (sleeping six) the smell was so strong I had to hold the neighboring wall and take a moment... I looked for a sick bag just incase. Alas there was none in this barbaric haven for he weary, so I took a deep breath almost tasting the stench of the magical room and staggered to mine. A pleasant room with no windows...picture a cell in a nice prison and you'll get the idea. Not really wanting to relax on the “hotel grounds” (there was no rooftop pool here), I dropped my stuff and headed to the centre. I would find myself a hop on, hop off tour, the best way to see any city in my opinion.
Some shopping???
Arriving at one mall in the centre I was instantly impressed. Imagine our best Canadian malls with even better shops and the crowds of Christmas. A very reasonable $23 later I was off on my tour. China town, Little India, churches, temples, a world-class convention centre and a busy waterfront area called Clarke quay... These guys had thought of everything. Come the evening I wandered to Clarke quay for my night cruise on the water, as it was included in my tour. This had to be the highlight of my short and sweet visit. This bustling city had captured the beauty of Vancouver’s’ cityscape, the night lights of Hong Kong and a calmness you could find in a spa... This was Singapore...WOW.
Clarke Quay Open Area
Walking around the quay area I started to wonder how anyone afforded $16 beers (thanks to an applied sin tax) and $40 meals. Keep in mind the Canadian dollar only gives you $1.30 Sing dollars. I and a thousand other tourists had the same idea, we all headed for a tiny little, centrally located 7-11 to buy whatever liquor was for sale there. Even here the beer was $5 a can! Judging by their line up, this 7-11's sales per square foot would put Bloomingdales to shame. Drinking in public is quite accepted here and everyone seemed to hang around a main bridge area overlooking Clarke Quay and got silly drunk. I of course added to the madness.
Wasn't Drunk enough to try the reverse Bungee!
Watching so many young and beautiful people have fun, walking by eateries that had taken so much time to design only the most fashionable and perfectly crafted environments and just feeling the energy that pulsed through the very core of this epicenter, I had decided that when I have amassed an abundance of wealth...Singapore would be a great place to spend some time and money!
