Singapore Day 2 and the Walking Tour

We completed the first day in Singapore at the Long Bar, home to the Singapore Sling. Back in 1915, a creative bartender at the Long Bar at Raffles named Ngiam Tong Boon created a cocktail that looked like plain fruit juice. Actually, it was spiked with gin and liqueurs. Why? It was simply improper etiquette for proper ladies to consume alcoholic in public, thus the ruse. I suppose that makes the the Singapore Sling a "girlie drink". I'll take it.

Early on our 2nd day, we had an amazing breakfast in the Tiffin Room restaurant. There was a wonderful buffet with fresh fruit and pastries, etc. They brought us fresh coffee and we picked from a choice of Malaysian, Chinese and British breakfast items on the menu. At 10 AM, our guide arrived—an energetic Singapore born and bred woman of Chinese background.

We took a bus to Kampong Glam, the Malay enclave of Singapore where we saw the iconic Sultan Mosque and famed Arab Street with so many enticing eateries. Here we sampled the tarik, a sweetened tea drink made with condensed milk. Next stop was the Little Indian Station where to saw many colors and exotic scents of spices while walking along the streets. We sampled roti part, an amazing south Indian flat bread made by frying dough flavored with ghee. 

We saw the Sultan Mosque and many traditional Arab Street eateries. We learned a little bit about the Singapore education system, which requires all students to attend public school where they learn English along with their traditional language. Students can attend a madras, but ONLY as an adjunct, NOT as a substitute for a public education. It seems the many cultures in Singapore have learned to live together respectfully and in peace. 

The tour continued through the open food markets and food stalls.

Jackfruits are the largest tree fruit in the world. They can weigh up to 120 pounds each.

The next stop was Parkview Square, a huge Art Deco office building built in 2002, well after the era of Art Deco. Home to the Atlas Bar. No expense was spared. Although it seems out of place, it fits so nicely as part of the Singapore skyline.

Parkview Square lobby

   

     By the time we hit Bugis Street and the Singapore Chinatown, the humidity and jet lag had hit particularly the three men in our group pretty hard. We deferred a trip to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, while our tour guide instructed us on the amazing subway system. The Singapore subway system is efficient, spotless and cheap. We paid with our phones.