Singapore: Chinatown

After breakfast (with some rather peculiar dishes on the buffet, I do like Dim Sum, among other things...) we set off for Chinatown. Only about 15 minutes away from the hotel, but 30 degrees and high humidity are quite unfamiliar when you come from the northern German winter. The neighborhood is exciting, with unimaginable variety and quantity of Chinese trinkets, but also art, street food of very good quality and very reasonable prices, Chinese pharmacies (I can't name about 80% of the goods on offer... and they don't like being photographed so much), tailors who can make suits or costumes in 5-8 hours, there's a lot to see!!! In between, you can find temples, Hindu, Chinese, and mosques. Places of calm and prayer amidst all the hustle and bustle. You can visit almost everywhere (dress code!), sometimes even take photos. Everything looks very grand, almost kitschy to our eyes.

Then we went to the Chinatown Heritage Center. Here, the life of Chinese immigrants is portrayed in one of the shophouses. The conditions were, to put it mildly, cramped! Up to eight people lived in tiny rooms, cooking was done in communal kitchens, with the toilet right next door (a bucket...). A fully furnished tailor's workshop can be visited. It also tells the story of the Four Evils: opium, gambling, prostitution, and secret societies.

The old, small houses of the neighborhood are overshadowed by futuristic and architecturally very creative buildings and skyscrapers. They know how to hold onto the old and the new here. The abundance of greenery, the shade-providing trees, and small parks create a pleasant atmosphere. The people are multicultural, with China, India, Malaysia, Cambodia, as well as other foreigners from all over the world living and working here. The culture is just as diverse, the food, everything is possible here.

When we return to the hotel in the late afternoon, we have walked 10 km. Time for the pool! The fun lasted only briefly, then a thunderstorm with heavy rain broke out, but an hour later it was sunny again ☀️. Time for seafood at the Singapore River 😊