Singapore By Bus

Below is the link to the full album

https://www.facebook.com/leni.hester/media_set?set=a.10207513028805032.1073741851.1268439103&type=3&uploaded=91

It doesn’t matter how many times I board a plane; there is always a little thrill of excitement; kind of like stepping onto a transporter pad. I decided years ago to never become jaded and complacent about the opportunities I am given to see the world. My weakness is that I have always felt that if I didn’t need my passport, I haven’t gone far enough. Derek has chastised me about this philosophy and made it his mission to show me just how many wonders there are within the borders of the United States and he's done an admirable job…but still…my heart reaches out for borders beyond.

I’ll share a secret with you. Every time the plane takes off, I dedicate its departure to my mother. She had the travel bug as well and would get nearly giddy with excitement as we headed to each new destination. She died in 2007 and since then I pay silent homage to her each time we go wings up. “Here’s to you mom”.

So even though it was for mundane reasons that I was going, when the plane took off for Singapore I honored my little ritual and thought mom would approve of the ridiculousness of flying off to Singapore just for a doctor’s appointment.

One word struck me as I entered the gleaming Changi Airport. Clean. I love my little Bangladesh, but clean is the last word you could use to describe it. Singapore glistened. As I stepped outside, I saw no rickshaws or CNG’s. There was no honking, only an orderly line of passengers standing in a taxi queue quietly waiting as each pristine taxi moved forward for the next person.

Driving down the highway, there was absolute order. I was amazed that this had once been a third world country. I believe that some of the strategies for restructuring the country may have been harsh, but Singapore is a stunning city now. 

On the downside, one of the reasons for this orderly traffic environment is that it costs roughly $60,000 USD to procure permission to own a vehicle. The certificate is good for ten years and then you must renew. Needless to say, when your paying that much just for the luxury of owning a car, public transportation starts to look very enticing. The city has a fabulous structure of buses, trains and taxis.

The taxi driver delivered me to the luxurious Regent Four Seasons. The service probably deserves another post entirely, but I’m behind so we’ll skip most of it. Suffice it to say that the staff anticipated my every need, knew my name and called me Mrs. Hester the entire stay.

What matters is the city. There was a palpable sense of community pride for this beautiful metropolis. In the week I was there, I never saw a single piece of trash. Someone in Bangladesh needs to talk to someone in Singapore.

My mobility was limited during my stay, initially by my knee injury and eventually by my post-surgical recovery, but a very clever hostess in the Regent lounge told me about their open deck city tour buses. This was the perfect solution for a frustrated, mobility challenged photographer in a new city. Once I was released from the hospital I found the bus and off we went.

Each city I visit leaves a specific impression. In Colorado Springs it is the incredible landscape. In Dhaka it is the faces of smiling beautiful people (okay, yes…and garbage). In Singapore it was the buildings. The cityscape vibrated with energy and stunning examples of creative architecture reached towards the sky. You will probably notice that most of my pictures are of the buildings. Someday I’ll go back with Derek and we’ll explore so many more aspects of the city, but from my seat on the bus, with my knee propped up in front of me, I saw buildings. Buildings so beautiful they should have been in an art gallery.

I won’t go on here. But I encourage you to browse the pictures, understanding, of course, that they were taken from the roof of a moving bus;-)

I saw only the buildings, but next time I will see the museums, botanical gardens, zoos, harbor and so much more! If you ever have the chance, don’t miss the opportunity to explore it for yourself.

I am linking my blog to more pictures on facebook.