Singapore

Heading back to the US from Nepal we had a connection in Singapore. Instead of an airport layover we decided to stay a few days and explore this densely populated tropical island nation.

Stepping off the plane at the airport we boarded a train to Chinatown. It was bright and clean. Easy to navigate. Colorful signs along the way reminding travelers to please be kind; Diversity is strength; Be respectful; Practice tolerance.

We arrived in the early morning. Commuters boarded at every stop. The train was crowded yet quiet. Attire was business suitable. Not particularly colorful.

I’m not sure we could have landed in a country more different than Nepal.

Where Nepal feels haphazard, chaotic and vibrant, Singapore feels intentional and organized. Subdued. There are stoplights and crosswalks. And people use them. Cars adhere to lanes, abide by lights and roads are without ruts. No dogs barking. No horns. No street music.

Singapore is sleek and shiny. Sophisticated and modern. Strong Malaysian and Chinese undercurrent with an international overlay.

This tiny island country embraces being clean and green. It is a place where there are rules. And they are followed.

In Chinatown we joined other travelers exploring the markets, temples and food stalls. Pedestrian streets lit up under the glow of colored string lights.

We walked miles along the wide sidewalks.

Singapore is clean and calm. Easy to walk. East to catch a cab. Easy. Not a speck of trash. A Starbucks or 7-11 is on every other corner.

The new and the old have a way of blending together in a way that somehow feels aesthetically cohesive. Tall 2nd story wooden shutters line up in a row over colorful historic storefronts. A back drop of blocky buildings and modern glass rise up behind.

Whiskey bars and French bakeries are side by side with Asian herbal pharmacies - ancient tonics and remedies. Countertops stacked with dried mushrooms, tea blends, herbal powders, jars of animal parts floating in liquid.

Downtown is upscale and the pace is quick. High rise, high finance. Sophisticated.

Men wear suits in the thick tropical heat. Women carry designer purses. A metallic pink sportscar parked in front of a fashion boutique. Manicured corner parks where on leash pups play in the evenings. Even the construction zones are tidy.

So many restaurants. Food is everywhere in Singapore. You can eat anything from anywhere. You can spend a fortune or spend a dime. You will eat well. Hawker centers are entire multi-story open-air malls of food stalls. Dizzying choices. Fast, fresh and authentic. affordable. There is Something for everyone.

And vending machines. Rows of them. From fresh pressed juice to ice cream, an art kit, a Covid test. Your hearts desire. At the push of a button.

Space is precious on an island. Especially an international economic hub like Singapore. Real estate naturally turns vertical. Hostels offer guests “pods” not rooms. Gussy them up like a space bunk and it becomes an “experience” not a hardship.

The buildings downtown are tall and modern. The architecture is creative and the skyline holds your gaze. Angles and curves, terraced gardens and bridges in the sky. Vines cling and climb, cascading over balconies and up the sides of skyscrapers. Trees are planted 40 stories up. All of the green softens all of the grey.

We visited Sentosa island for the beaches. It’s an island playground— beach resorts, universal studios, aquarium, zip lines, bungee jumping, luge…

The natural beauty of the place is obscured by the façade of wonderland.

But the sand was real and it was soft between our toes. The salty water was bathtub warm.

After a soak and a swim, some frozen yogurt and chicken wings, we got out of dodge…

Gardens by the Bay is perfectly Singapore. Acres of gardens and artwork reflecting an appreciation for the natural world, kept tidy and manicured. A place where a temperate cloud forest thrives under glass in the tropics. Where magestic trees of steel reach to the sky glowing like beautifully otherworldly beacons of the future. It’s a surreal place to visit at night.

There is something very easy about being in this place. It’s smooth and seamless to the novice visitor. Intuitive. It is deliberately planned and planted; tended to and cultivated. A multi-cultural garden city. A city I imagine that other cities aspire to.

Unlike Nepal, Singapore, is wildness tamed. There is something soothing about that for a minute. But maybe just a minute…

Though pleasantly beautiful, these carefully managed parklands are incapable of stirring the soul in the way that rugged and wild nature does.

There are some things that humans simply cannot improve upon.