SINGAPORE: LITTLE MELTING POT of Asian cultures, Singapore does have a remarkable history to tell. It is, ironically, a pretty boring place though. The famous ladyboys and other seedier aspects were cleaned up long ago, to make way for a high achieving, sterile, city state. Shopping centres and fancy hotels pop up seemingly overnight.
If that holds no interest, the food really rocks, the zoo and the bird park are some of the best. Pockets of colonial era buildings rub shoulders with Chinese and Indian temples, mosques and hawker centres.
One of the most famous hotel in the world, Raffles was built by the Sarkies brothers, from Armenia, in 1887.
The Sarkies built or owned many of Asia's greatest hotel. As well as Raffles, there was the Strand (Rangoon) and the Eastern & Oriental (Penang).
With Chinese, Malay, Tamil, south and north Indian residents, Singapore makes a great eating city.
Stall holder in a Little India hawker centre.
In Little India, a fortune teller gets some help from a knowledgable parrot.
Keeping caged birds is a popular Chinese past time. In Singapore, owners gather with their pets.
As well as fantastic eating, Singapore has a world class zoo and bird park, if shopping bores you shitless.
The British established a colony in Singapore in 1819. Many fine buildings, like St John's Church, remain from that era.
Flamingos at the bird park.
A multitude of fried goodies in a hawker centre.
A soccer game in downtown, with the Singapore Cricket Club in the background.
Singapore's once rough and tumble waterfront has been restored and renovated to within an inch of its life.
Singapore is effectively a one-party, police state, and takes security, both personal and national, very seriously.
Even at a couple of dollars per dog (and it would be more) these two are cleaning up.
Nearly all Singaporians live in apartments.
I knew Singapore had otters, but didn't expect to see one while walking just a few minutes from downtown.