Day 39 So Much to Explore in Singapore

“Singa Pura, the Lion City” ~ What a 14^th century Sumatran prince named the island after seeing an animal he believed to be a lion. There are no lions in Singapore and probably never were, but the Singaporeans have chosen a mythical mer-lion (half fish, half lion) as their national symbol.

We arrived in port promptly at 7 AM after a slow sail in. It was early enough for us to see the city at night. The Brits came here in 1819 and transplanted their culture, architecture, and trading acumen to snag a strategic foothold. In 1965, it became an independent republic. This young country is a major economic player in Asia, and is growing like crazy. Its population is a mix of ethnic Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and Eurasian. This tightly regulated society seems happy, productive and at peace with themselves. Even though the traffic is heavy, no one lays on their horn. There is very little poverty, beautiful government subsidized housing, and a mandatory 20% savings program for all citizens.

And you can bet the trains run on time.

Even though English is the official language of Singapore, we elected to take a Princess tour. It takes away all worry, guarantees a good experience and we’re sure the ship will wait for us if we’re delayed. But before we could join our tour, we had to go through a face-to-face meeting with Singaporean immigration officials, give them our thumbprints and get a stamp in our passports. This was the first time we’ve had to go through the process. At previous ports, Princess handles things with customs for us. Apparently, that wasn’t adequate for the Singaporeans. We were also subjected to a TSA style search, but when they saw that the DH and I were attached by my 7 foot cannula, they waved us through for a quick pat down without making him take off the backpack. One gentleman said to me that I have a very good husband. I assured him that I know. I chose extremely well and every day I’m thankful.

The DH just told the fellow, “We have lots of fun together.” 

And we did.

The first stop on our tour was Mt. Faber. Years ago, Singapore was very hilly, like most islands. However, the industrious citizens cut the hills down (as they did in early Boston, which was originally called Tremontaine, for its 3 big hills) so they could build a city. From the top of Mt. Faber, we enjoyed some wonderful views and a chance to see what the island must have been like before it was developed.

This island accessible via cable cars is home to Universal Studios Singapore, luxury hotels and pristine beaches.

Our next stop was the Singapore Botanical Gardens for a tour of the orchid garden. It boasts a section of VIP orchids, named for famous political leaders and it is considered a diplomatic honor for a new strain of flower to be named for someone. The one for Michelle and Barak Obama was a bit puny-looking—obviously still under development—but these white ones in honor of Princess Diana were lovely.

As we drove through the city, our guide pointed out the presidential palace, the historic Raffles Hotel, and civilian WWII memorial (50,000 non-combatant Singaporeans died during the fighting.) Our next stop was Chinatown where it was the final day of Chinese New Year. (Note to Mack and Charlie, our two pups: Happy Year of the Dog!)

Oddly enough, the oldest Hindu temple, Sri Mariamman, is smack in the middle of Chinatown. After being admonished that once inside, we should move about the temple in a clockwise fashion, we removed our shoes and went in. There was a gentleman seated near the entrance to make sure visitors complied with the expected dress code. We were nodded in and he smiled when the DH removed his hat.

Respect for someone else’s sacred space doesn’t diminish us one jot.

I can’t say I was enlightened by my visit to the temple. The collection of bewildering statues of sometimes half-human, half-animal gods was confusing to my western mind. I’m sure there’s a reason for some of them to have more than two arms, but no explanation was offered. Worshippers moved from one shrine to the next, sometimes prostrating themselves with their foreheads on the floor, sometimes just ceremonially washing hands and giving the statue a “Namaste” bow.  

In my favorite novel, The Far Pavilions, the hero adopts a prayer as his own. I don’t have the book with me to look up the exact quote but it goes something like this:

Thou art without form, but I worship thee in these forms.
Thou art everywhere but I worship thee here.
Thou needest no praise, but I offer mine now.

The temple also called to mind a line from the movie Jesus of Nazareth when the Zoroastrian magi says, “There is only one God. All others are false...or only parts of Him.”

The point is, whatever belief system we accept, beyond every holy book, there is God. Greater and purer, more loving and more terrible than we can imagine. I guess that’s why St. Paul says we see through a glass darkly.

After a quick wander through a few stalls in Chinatown, we reboarded the bus and returned to the Pacific Princess to shower and relax in our lovely air-conditioning. Our tablemates are all meeting in Vicky and Craig’s Owner’s Suite at 5:30 pm to watch the sail away together. They are so generous to share their space with the rest of us and we have a great time together.

In fact, we’re getting a bit of a reputation. The Captain’s Table is near ours each evening and he reportedly remarked to one of his invitees, “That’s a rowdy table, isn’t it?” referring to us. In fairness to the captain, we do laugh a lot! The people we’re getting to know are the cherry on top of this voyage.