Solotrip Part 3: Singapore (24th-31st July)

My flight from Saigon started at 7 o'clock in the morning, so I was already checked out of the airport by 10 o'clock and could drive into the city. If I had stayed at a hostel for this week, I would have been able to store my luggage there, but before my trip I found out by chance that Bene, the nephew of a friend of my mother, is currently living in Singapore and was kind enough to accommodate me, even though we didn't actually know each other. I was very happy about that and judging by his nice messages, it was going to be a cool week. But first I had to spend the day before I could show up at his place, as he works until 6 o'clock. Despite my luggage, consisting of a backpack, a gym bag, and a terribly impractical tote bag with straps too long to carry with my arm, I wanted to get a first impression of the city-state that had been on my bucket list for quite a while. So I took the train from the airport to the city center to see what awaited me there. Fortunately, my feeling was right and I got off at a suitable stop, where I could already admire part of the skyline and also the Marina Bay Sands hotel. I walked up a river towards the skyline and discovered a promenade at the Marina Reservoir, where I promptly discovered the symbol of Singapore, the water-spouting Merlion, where numerous tourists were having private photo shoots. So I didn't stay there very long, walked up the promenade and turned right into the high-rise jungle, which was quite impressive. There I found one of the famous food courts, a large pavilion with countless food stalls and seating areas. I couldn't resist taking a break here, especially since the stupid tote bag was driving me crazy. (Well, I don't want to complain too much, after all, this bag belongs to the dormitory and is only used to exchange dirty bed linen for clean bed linen, but since I didn't have any other bag, I took it and used it a little differently.) My first dish in Singapore was fittingly Singapore Noodles and they were really good. After eating, my tour continued to Chinatown, where there were already a lot of tourists, which made strolling around a bit more exhausting than it already was. One should not underestimate how much of a difference it makes and how much slower one is. But in the end it wasn't so bad, especially since I had already gotten used to the unbearable heat and humidity in Thailand and Vietnam. After a little ice cream break, it was already 5 o'clock and I could make my way to Bene, who was visibly surprised that I had found his apartment without internet, as he had actually planned to pick me up from the train station, but I beat him to it. I put my things in his room (he lives in a shared flat), took a shower and then we went back into the city, as Bene had asked me if I wanted to come along. We went to Clark Quay, the famous bar district, which is covered by white pavilions illuminated in colorful lights, creating a beautiful atmosphere. He showed me around a bit and eventually we ended up in a club that had no cover charge and gave free drinks to women, where we met two of Bene's friends and had a fun evening.

The next day I went to the cultural districts, Little India and Arabia, whose Arab Street is really nicely done, with palm trees framing the small street full of restaurants, at the end of which stands a magnificent mosque. It is also really interesting to see that there are still colonial buildings standing in various colors everywhere, which give the cityscape a touch of coziness. Overall, the city feels relaxed as it is spread out by the water and presents many different facets with its different neighborhoods. After that, I went to Marina Bay, where I walked along the promenade and could admire the skyline and the Marina Bay Sands in full size, and finally reached the Gardens by the Bay, where another symbol of Singapore can be found: the Supertrees, which are actually just giant steel structures used for growing plants. Nevertheless, they are very impressive and I couldn't resist riding up the bridge that connects two of the largest Supertrees to enjoy the view. After that, I walked around in the gardens for a while until it got dark and then I walked back towards the bay where a light show takes place every evening, which I wanted to see right away and it was really great. With music, colorful lights, and water fountains, beautiful images were created in the night sky in front of the skyline, which were quite goosebump-inducing. When the show was over, the crowd that had gathered rushed towards the train station, so I decided to walk a little in the other direction, especially since the evening temperatures were pleasant. I walked across the Helix Bridge and enjoyed the great view of the skyline from one of the wooden deck chairs before I walked through the now empty Gardens by the Bay, which provided really great photo opportunities as the Supertrees and water fountains were beautifully illuminated, before I made my way to the station.

The following day, I set out to visit the botanical gardens, which Bene had recommended to me and they were really beautiful. That's one of the things I really like about Singapore, it's a bit green everywhere, even if it's just a few trees on the roofs of the skyscrapers. After spending several hours there and being able to observe several monitors, I drove to the Katong district in the east, which I discovered by chance, as it is not a tourist place but rather sleepy, but could present beautiful, colorful colonial houses. I walked to the east coast, where I discovered another beach that was very empty and radiated a lot of tranquility, and decided to stay here for a while before I started my journey home and met up with Bene in the city, whom I wanted to treat to a beer in a sky bar. On his way to our meeting point, he met someone he knew and gave him coconuts, so we already had a nice drink on our way to the actual bar.

I started the next day with the Skywalk, a metal bridge through a jungle in the middle of Singapore. Huge trees, plant coverings, and a cacophony of sounds like in the deepest jungle, it's incredible what can grow and live in the middle of the city! I spent some time here, walking through the large park, further and further uphill, until I finally reached the top of the hill, where I found a cable car that shuttled across the valley. I would have liked to take this cable car down in a relaxed manner, but 30 dollars was too much for me for a ride, especially since the path down continued through the forest, which I really liked, so it wasn't that bad. I followed the cable car downhill and across a long bridge, and finally arrived at Sentosa, one of Singapore's southern smaller islands. It was very crowded here and everything was very artificial. Not that it was ugly in any way - quite the opposite, everything was very elaborate and beautifully designed, decorated, and polished, but for my taste, it was too much. When you put metal flowers on an artificial meadow, that's just incomprehensible to me, especially since the most beautiful plants grow in the tropical climate. I walked to the beach again, but it was relatively crowded too, so I soon turned around and made my way back home.

The following day was the weekend and Bene and I went to the beach on Sentosa together, to a dog beach that he knew, which was also pretty empty, so we could soak up the holiday feeling properly. It was too hot for me on the towel, so I spent our beach day in the water and did my laps, which I really enjoyed because I love swimming and the water was the perfect temperature. After that, we went for a beer before Bene went home as he had something to do. I decided to go to the Gardens by the Bay again to watch the light show at the Supertrees, which was also very impressive. After that, I went home too.

The next day was already the last day, so I had to carry my stuff around again, but the boat tour on the Singapore River came just in time, which I took before making my way to the airport and flying back to Osaka.

My three-week solo trip may not have been perfectly planned, but I have definitely gained self-confidence and met an incredible number of new people, and I can definitely imagine traveling alone again because now I know: I'm doing just fine and I am perfectly capable of being alone. That is an important realization, I think.