Singapore - my return - day one

I arrived in Singapore on Monday afternoon (Nov 12). The first time I arrived in Singapore I was with Tevia and the boys and we were greeted by a brilliant sun and the beautiful landscape. This time it was overcast and grey. This downplayed the beauty of the drive to downtown, but I still found the place wonderful. I checked into the Suissotel The Stamford and went to my room on the 53rd floor. It overlooks the Singapore River and was a sight to see. I had a call and then afterwards set out to explore. My first stop was the Taco Bell we had found on our last night in Singapore. We hadn't gone in to eat, but I was craving some good ole american tacos so I walked down there. They had a limited menu with no beef options (I am guessing to please the Indian population). I ordered the gordita with chicken and sat down to eat. It was good - not as good as in the USA. The chicken was dark meat, which was a good touch. They even had Fire sauce - and actually it was the only sauce they serve.

I had planned to go down to Clarke Quay but saw a patch of green that I felt I wanted to see. It ended up being Fort Canning Park. This was the original place where the kings and later governors of Singapore lived and ruled. It was lush and green and I could hear many loud bird calls. There were huge trees with large vines hanging down and green moss growing all over them. It was still cool as the sun was behind the clouds and it had a feeling of tranquility. It was also very empty - I felt like I had the whole park to myself. I read a lot of the signs and from the hill you get a good view of the city.

I then went down to the river and through Clarke Quay which is a trendy spot with night clubs and bars. I walked over the bridge and along the river as the sun began to set. It was just a great experience to see the boats on the river taking tourists around with their chinese lamps and lights. At one point I sat down on the river's edge and just looked at the area. Somebody had put some incense on the bank near me and the smell brought such a sense of a foreign land. It was amazing to think I was sitting in Singapore miles from my homeland. It felt so calming, exciting and exotic at the same time.

I finished the evening with the walk back to my hotel where I went down to the mall (remember, most hotels out here have malls in them) and had some sushi and a salad. Salads are rare in Asia, so this was a nice change. I then went to the bookstore and bought the next book in the series by Stephanie Meyer (New Moon) and went back to my room to dive in. I missed my family and boys, but couldn't help enjoying such a neat location. I snuggled into my king-size bed and went to sleep.