I realized today, while exchanging a small amount of leftover Singapore Dollars for Indonesian Rupiahs, that I made a small tactical error regarding money early in my trip. I didn't change my leftover Ghana Cedis, Tanzanian Shillings and Egyptian Pounds into something more useful while I was still in those respective countries. I assumed that all money exchanges would sell me local currency, regardless of what currency I used to buy it (even if the exchange rate wasn't great). But not all exchanges accept some of the more obscure currencies. In fact, I'm not sure some of the exchanges I've stopped at have even heard of Ghana Cedis. lol. Well, I'll keep asking at each stop and the worst case scenario is I'll wait until a friend travels to those places, then sell them the currency. I'm talking about more than spare chance but not hundreds of dollars, so it's more of an annoyance than a hardship. And since Sri Lanka, I've been better at gauging my expenses and not withdrawing too much cash.
Today I was at my hotel until nearly noon (checkout time) chatting with a friend back home. I might have missed an hour or two of sightseeing, but I kept him up past his bedtime. Revenge! Had I gone out earlier, I might have stopped at an overpriced museum, but since I had less time, I took a tour of the city on the metro. The el cheapo tour, it cost about $1.50. Much of Singapore' subway is above ground, so I was able to see a large swath of the country (city?). It was more of what I'd already seen: Very clean and organized, a lot of green space, a lot of high rise buildings. I think I saw one small neighborhood of single family homes, and maybe there are more farther from the metro, but at least 99% of the housing I saw was high rise apartment buildings. I had one last inexpensive meal in my tawdry neighborhood then went to the airport.
Singapore's airport is really big. Not surprisingly, it's clean and well-signed. It has free wifi, but you have to stop at an information counter to get a log-in ID and a password. After showing them your passport. What's up with that? Some time when I'm bored, I plan to read more about Singapore. The stereotype is it is very law-and-order, but I want to know exactly how much of a police state this might be (if it is).
I'm glad I stopped in Singapore, but I don't feel like I'm missing much by leaving after only two days. There are other things I could have seen with more: more walking tours of the city, some museums. And if I was rich it might be fun to shop here. But overall, it's just another big city. A very nice one, but without a whole lot of personality. It could be a very comfortable place to live, if you had a decent income. I wouldn't recommend anyone visit Singapore as their main vacation destination, but if you find yourself here for some reason, it's likeable and comfortable.
Time to head to my gate. My next stop is Bali. Bali's an island. I'll head inland for 4 days and if I really like it, I'll stay inland, but if not, I'll head south and to the beaches. As always, I may or may not have good internet reception, so I'll post when i can.
Today I was at my hotel until nearly noon (checkout time) chatting with a friend back home. I might have missed an hour or two of sightseeing, but I kept him up past his bedtime. Revenge! Had I gone out earlier, I might have stopped at an overpriced museum, but since I had less time, I took a tour of the city on the metro. The el cheapo tour, it cost about $1.50. Much of Singapore' subway is above ground, so I was able to see a large swath of the country (city?). It was more of what I'd already seen: Very clean and organized, a lot of green space, a lot of high rise buildings. I think I saw one small neighborhood of single family homes, and maybe there are more farther from the metro, but at least 99% of the housing I saw was high rise apartment buildings. I had one last inexpensive meal in my tawdry neighborhood then went to the airport.
Singapore's airport is really big. Not surprisingly, it's clean and well-signed. It has free wifi, but you have to stop at an information counter to get a log-in ID and a password. After showing them your passport. What's up with that? Some time when I'm bored, I plan to read more about Singapore. The stereotype is it is very law-and-order, but I want to know exactly how much of a police state this might be (if it is).
I'm glad I stopped in Singapore, but I don't feel like I'm missing much by leaving after only two days. There are other things I could have seen with more: more walking tours of the city, some museums. And if I was rich it might be fun to shop here. But overall, it's just another big city. A very nice one, but without a whole lot of personality. It could be a very comfortable place to live, if you had a decent income. I wouldn't recommend anyone visit Singapore as their main vacation destination, but if you find yourself here for some reason, it's likeable and comfortable.
Time to head to my gate. My next stop is Bali. Bali's an island. I'll head inland for 4 days and if I really like it, I'll stay inland, but if not, I'll head south and to the beaches. As always, I may or may not have good internet reception, so I'll post when i can.
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