Singapore's Changi Airport is an amazing accomplishment in retail therapy and relaxation. I disembarked yesterday at 6pm local time and snooped around before checking into the transit hotel at the airport.
Last night I was on sensory overload -- drawn to the shops like a moth to the light. Perfume, cosmetics, liquor, and electronic gadgets galore -- this place has it all! Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Coach, Omega, Tiffany...and 7 Eleven! Not to mention beautiful gardens and green space in and out of the airport. Plus, a swimming pool, saunas, workout facilities, napping beds, and free internet (XB0x 360 too!). There's something for everyone and their credit card.
After walking around for a while I realized I was turning into a zombie, so I headed back to the transit hotel and fell asleep to some Asian TV.
My Singapore Airline boarding pass holds many perks -- one of which is the free city tour which was noted as "the only free thing in the city" by our hilarious tour guide. We stepped into a huge air-conditoned coach with leather seats (and seatbelts!) and worked our way through the diversity of this budding city.
Singapore is a small island country with lots of people and not enough room. Therefore, there are lots of highrises and the country buys 50% of its water from Malaysia because there is no more physical space to add to the existing 15 resevoirs. Singapore has an equatorial climate, thus there are no dramatic seasonal shifts and the temperature remains near the 30 degree mark year-round. It's also really humid because it rains a lot. Chewing gum is illegal and the crime rate is 0.007% -- and considering the diverse mix of cultures and religions, Singapore has been without political, racial, or religious riots for over 20 years. Despite the 4.6 million people who live in this city the traffic wasn't as diabolical as I was anticipating...and it seemed as if there was a suspicious lack of people out in the city.
I'm just waiting to catch my flight to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with Erin...so check back in a few days for some Malaysian memoirs!
Thanks for reading,
L.
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