Singapore - a little Wonderland

So my dears,

after a good 8 hours flight, I landed in Singapore.

In Sydney, I felt lost after landing. However, here in Singapore, I felt immediately comfortable from the beginning.

I also love the airport, with plants and cool attractions at every corner.

After realizing that there is no Uber in Singapore, I grabbed a taxi, as I didn't feel well enough to take the bus or train.

After arriving at my Airbnb, I tried to pay the taxi with a card, but unfortunately, the payment device didn't work. After a short try, we went to the ATM with the taxi because I didn't have any Singapore dollars in my wallet.

The first ATM told me that it was not possible with my Mastercard, and the Visa card also didn't work, which made me nervous because I didn't have any cash at all. So we went to another ATM that luckily worked.

The taxi driver apologized to me continuously for his payment device not working, and I also apologized continuously because I was stealing his time and he had to make unpaid detours because of me, although he offered it voluntarily.

Finally, I arrived at the accommodation and saw the sign at the door that shoes must be taken off, which made me feel very comfortable. I love walking in socks or barefoot.

Back to the taxi ride for a moment. My taxi driver kept a very small distance to the car in front (e.g. 80km/h - 5 meters), which made me take a closer look at the other drivers, and I noticed that everyone drives like that.

So, the first thing I googled was the accident risk compared to Germany and came across an "amazing" website. In Germany, there are 3,540 traffic deaths annually, while in Singapore, there are only 197. In relation to the number of vehicles, there are 2.97 times more fatal traffic accidents in Singapore than in Germany. (As of 2013)

To be honest, the numbers didn't surprise me much after my little experience, but I was still a little shocked.

After just googling whether it is really called "Bezahlungsgerät" (payment device), I had to smile because although you say "Bezahlungsgerät," "Kreditkartenlesegerät" (credit card reader) is also a common term.

Within the past year, I have been asked several times about the German language and one point I like to mention is that you can string together many individual words and create a word that makes sense. For example, Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung (motor vehicle liability insurance), Lebensversicherungsgesellschaft (life insurance company), Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (ordinance on the transfer of competences for land transport approvals)....

Have you ever dealt with official German language? Somehow, it is also shocking how "normal" these compound words have become because, to be honest, they don't sound nice, right?

Okay... I got off-topic again. I am in my Airbnb accommodation and I find the place mega cool because it is so extraordinary.

When I was looking for accommodation in Singapore, I thought, "Oh, they will surely have some more crazy overnight options to offer," and finally, I came across this capsule accommodation.

I am very glad to have some time for myself. I love getting to know new people, but when I only see them for a few days, it sometimes drains me to meet new people. Once you know each other better and go beyond mere familiarity, then it's no problem at all, and I enjoy having contact with people. So I am really glad to have a retreat, which I usually don't have.

Okay... wow, guys.

It's my first day here in Singapore, and I am simply impressed. Singapore is incredibly beautiful, and I like the various facets that Singapore has to offer. On the one hand, there are these small run-down side streets that are full of shops, and on the other hand, there is this modern overwhelming metropolis.

Singapore feels like a little Wonderland to me. The first thing I wanted to visit was the "Gardens by the Bay," and after five hours, I finally arrived there. It definitely wasn't because of the distance that it took me so long, but rather because of these small places, temples, side streets, and so on that made the way so long.

When I arrived at the Gardens of the Bay, I was impressed by this Wonderland that Singapore hides. Marina Bay Sands is even more beautiful and bigger in real life, the Helix Bridge there is incredibly beautiful and very creative, the Ferris wheel, the so-called Singapore Flyer, also looks impressive, and the Supertrees complete the picture and make this place somehow magical.

When I saw this walkway up in the trees, I grabbed a ticket and rode the elevator up. When I reached the top, I realized that it was quite high, but I love to ignore this fear of heights that has crept in over the years and to face these "challenges" anyway because it always gets better that way.

Anyway, it was a nice walkway with an amazingly beautiful view.

Singapore is not as expensive as everyone always thinks, so I would like to dispel this myth.

Let me give you a little insight into my finances.

I mostly ate in food courts because I'm just enthusiastic about them and you always find something you like. You pay around 6 S$ (3,80€) for a meal.

The ticket for the metro usually cost about 1.50 S$ (96 cents). These expenses, of course, add up, and overall I spent about 15 - 20€ on transportation.

I paid 6 S$ (3,80€) for the walkway in the "Gardens by the Bay".

One of the more expensive expenses I had was visiting the Sands Skypark / Observation Deck of the Marine Bay Sands Hotel, which cost 23 S$ (15 €), and even this price I find very reasonable for the incredibly beautiful view I was able to enjoy there.

I pay 28 S$ (18 €) per night for my bed, which in my opinion is also completely fine.

Laundry and dryer cost me 10 S$ and it was 100% worth it. You can't imagine how happy I was about clean laundry. In New Zealand, the laundry was washed afterwards, but you couldn't really call it clean. The laundry was mostly full of lint, and sometimes there were new stains for inexplicable reasons. (I know you wanted to know this information 😜)

I mean, of course, you can always spend more money, for example, for a room at Marina Bay Sands, but in principle, you can also classify Singapore into the category of "Asia is cheap/normal".

Out of interest, I looked at the prices of the Marina Bay Hotel and you can easily spend 6,000 SGD per night.

A quick addition to New Zealand:

Price-wise, New Zealand is comparable to Germany. Fruits and vegetables are a bit more expensive, but otherwise, it balances out in my opinion. Alcohol and cigarettes are expensive, and it is not unlikely that you pay 15 $ (8.70€) for a 0.4 beer in the pub, and a pack of cigarettes costs around 20 - 30 $, and for tobacco, you even pay 50 - 60 $.

—

OMG, guys,

I'm on cloud 9.

I hope you all know the series "Friends."

No? ...then shame on you, grab some popcorn and a drink, cuddle up on the sofa, and turn on your Netflix. 

Anyway, here in Singapore, there is a Central Perk... 😍😍 I am just thrilled.

I ordered a Monica Geller, a Banana Split, and enjoyed two episodes of Friends.

Inside, I was totally freaking out because everything was just so perfect, and my little fan heart started to shine.

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That Singapore is quite strict is no news, but I find the rules in my hostel quite funny. "Remember to put on your clothes when walking in the common area" and "No Durians are allowed in the Hostel."

I actually find number two very important because the smell is terrible. Jason once decided in Auckland that he had to buy a whole Durian, and we had to endure that smell for days, and it didn't taste that good either. Even on the subway, there are signs prohibiting Durians.

By the way, the subway is really great. You can't imagine a better means of transportation here in Singapore. A train usually comes every few minutes, it is clean, cheap, and fast. It is often said that there is a very well-developed subway network, and I can only agree. There are red seats right next to the doors... (see picture)

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I am at the airport right now and am a little shocked by the security military walking around with machine guns. In general, I am a little afraid of doing something wrong in Singapore, as everything is very strictly regulated.

•Homosexual intercourse is illegal in Singapore.

•Anyone who throws garbage on the street carelessly may face high fines. (500 to 5,000 SGD)

•Vandalism (graffiti) is severely punished (also with corporal punishments)

•In Singapore, trading, manufacturing, importing, or exporting and possessing certain quantities of drugs is punishable by death.

I find it really shocking, but well, that's just how it is.

Conclusion: Singapore is definitely worth a visit. Three days are enough to see "everything". 

Singapore is awesome!

Take care, my dears

Feel hugged

☺️😘