Singapore musings contd.......

The last time I bored everyone (NOT!! I hope :P) with the process of preparing to travel. This time around, I would like to share my impressions of Singapore. I know many of you have been to Singapore and loved the place. But I like to flatter myself that I had a slightly different perspective.
I stayed there for a total of 8 days, travelling not included. It was fun doing the exact opposite of what most people would do. No packaged tours, no tour guides, just a few internet references and occasional directions from the locals (one of the benefits of being a girl – we ask for and get directions very easily). Taking the local bus tours and using public transport not only saved me a lot of money, but also allowed me to take a close look at the people and their ways.
Singapore – and her people – both are extremely efficient and organized, which made travelling a pleasure. The weather is as pathetically hot and sticky as Mumbai at her summer worst, but the air is SO much cleaner. I didn’t find a layer of grime on me at the end of the day like I usually do in Mumbai. Being close to the equator, Singapore is prone to sudden showers though. And, as my life is governed totally by Murphy’s law, it rained on the only day I forgot to carry my umbrella.
Planning my sightseeing in Singapore was very easy, thanks to a little known gem called www.gothere.sg. It is a boon for the traveller on a shoestring budget, or any kind of budget for that matter. It tells you how to get from point A to point B in all possible ways. Bus, train, taxi, even the roads to take if you are driving a private vehicle. I used public transport, of course, but this precious site told me everything right down to how far I needed to walk before I found the right bus stop!! I swear if such a site is set up with Mumbai in mind, it will be a major boon.
The public transport system in Singapore is, quite simply, awesome. The trains, buses and taxis are air-conditioned, most processes are electronically managed and timings are precise down to the second. Of course, my own is my own – I missed hanging out of the door of the Virar local like I usually do; and there were no cheeky-faced street kids selling earrings and other sundry things on those air-conditioned marvels.
I loved it that Singapore and Mumbai are similar in so many ways. Both are melting pots where diverse cultures co-exist. I am almost afraid to add the word peacefully because it is a word that doesn’t seem to apply to Mumbai anymore. BUT, there are enough people to talk on what needs to be corrected. I of the rose-tinted glasses prefer to dwell on the positive things in life.
As I mentioned earlier, Singapore is very organized and efficient, but there are certain areas in the city where cultural chaos is evident. Chinatown was one such place. Smack bang in the middle of the city, it is a colourful assembly of shanties selling all things Chinese – most of which I couldn’t identify! Bright red decorations everywhere heralded the impending Lunar New Year. There were sweet stalls; typical Chinese desserts that looked like jelly mixed with Holi colours and made of God knows what. I didn’t have the courage to taste any. What I did have (and love) were Thai coconuts. Unbelievably sweet and refreshing, they were the highlight of the place for me. There were other things, aloe vera and wheatgrass juice, crabcakes etc etc. No more food mentioned here…..I plan to devote an entire chapter to that later.

Singapore musings…..

I figured I didn’t want to let this chance go. Third time lucky and all that. What am I talking about? I am talking about the chance to write about the experiences I had during my trip to Singapore. This is my third trip to a foreign country, the third opportunity I’ve got to explore a different land and culture.

My first trip abroad was Dubai, way back in 2003. The second was Egypt, in 2007. Each time, I have been lucky enough to get to explore the place in a slightly-off-the-beaten-track way. However, Dubai and Egypt merit entire chapters of their own, and this time I want to write about Singapore.

I still don’t know why, but the idea of taking a trip alone had been brewing in my mind for a very long time. I wanted to take off alone, and get to explore a place without the restraints of family, friends, or a tour guide. Maybe I was influenced by ‘The Lonely Traveller’ type of series, or maybe I just wanted to feel independent. At first, I thought of planning a trip to the U.S.A. A lot of friends and relatives are there, some who I haven’t seen in years. But somehow, it didn’t work out, and I was disappointed. Then opportunity knocked in the form of my uncle. Stationed in Singapore as part of his job, he offered me a visit. It was a nice middle of the road opportunity. I had a place to stay, a kind of safe anchor, and I also had the independence to roam about on my own. To add to that, Singapore is a very safe place and has a lot of sightseeing scope. The die was cast. I was going to Singapore.

It’s quite convenient to sign up for one of those packaged tours, pay the amount and let them take care of everything. I had a lot of fun running around for the visa and the tickets, arranging the foreign exchange (and getting slightly fleeced in the process!). Call it masochism or whatever, its something I wanted to do. Thankfully, the visa came through without much difficulty. The funniest part was when I had to apply for a bank statement – as proof that I had sufficient funds for the journey!! The expression on the bank official’s face when I told him I would be traveling alone was enough. Come to think of it, a lot of people expressed surprise that I was taking this trip alone.

The usual conversation would proceed like this:

“Oh, so you are going to Singapore!!”

“Yes”

“Family holiday?”

“No, I’m going alone”

“Oh…..which tour company have you joined then?”

“None……I am planning this trip by myself”

…………..Surprised silence………….

It bugged me a little……..and I think it was the fact that a girl was planning this trip alone was what struck most people as strange. A colleague even asked me “So I suppose you had to fight a lot with your parents to get permission for this trip?” Funnily enough, my parents were the most chilled out about this whole thing. Well, part of the reason may have been the fact that I was going to be staying at my uncle’s place.

More on this later.......