Back to Singapore

I'm at a free Internet kiosk at Changi Airport in Singapore. No pictures yet.

Today we spent a beautiful day exploring new parts of Singapore. I know it's cool to bash Singapore. Maybe if I lived here for a year, I might grow to dislike it too.

But I'm sorry - I like Singapore.

I like the conveniences of having a wealthy, modern, highly Westernized city sitting right squat at the center of Southeast Asia.

I like the array of cheap and remarkably authentic Asian food. I doubt you'll find a better selection of absolutely authentic by-Indians-for-Indians Indian food outside of India. Or perhaps the UK.

I even kind of like the modern architecture, even if many of the residential areas I've seen bear a certain resemblance to housing developments in suburban Florida.

Today we took the cable car up Mt. Faber - fun, though a much shorter ride than you get (or got, I suppose) at the Maokong Gondola in Taipei. Views from the top of Mt. Faber are quite nice, and we were there on a beautiful if hazy day.

After that we decided to head to the National Botanic Gardens, despite the fact that they are not located close to an MRT station. We braved Singapore's public bus system for the first time, and then found that the gardens were located a long (but pleasant) walk from the main road. But the botanic gardens themselves are very nice once you get there, and the orchid garden is worth the $5 you must pay to enter, especially if you like orchids. The gardens themselves are free, and this Sunday they were full of people.

Now, on to Bangalore...