Singapore

Sat. March 3 found us in Singapore - Happy birthday to son Mike!Singapore's name comes from Sanskrit and means Lion City; the city is an interesting mix of Chinese, Malay, Hindu and British cultures.  In our 4 hour excursion we saw Buddhist and Hindu temples, a Moslem mosque and  Anglican and Catholic churches.

Skyline of Singapore - we were impressed with the modern & innovative architecture of the city.  Also, everything looked clean and neat; we saw none of the slums that were very apparent in Bangkok. (Yes, chewing gum is allowed in Singapore; it's good for the gums, so you buy it in pharmacies!).  Smoking is very much frowned upon; a pack of cigarettes costs $10.

This is the Merlion statue, the symbol of Singapore, with a lion's head and body of a fish resting on a crest of waves.

These photos are from a Buddhist temple in the Chinatown district of Singapore.  It was very different in style from the Thai Buddhist temples.  There was a service going on, with monks chanting and drumming and gonging.  Very interesting.

Our next stop on our tour was the Singapore Botanical Gardens, specifically the Orchid Gardens.  It was a beautiful spot, and very refreshing.

Sun. (today) and tomorrow we are at sea at the southern part of the South China Sea, heading to Brunei.