A Short Trip to Singapore - Final Part

Chinatown


Harbourlights is only 2 MRT stops from Chinatown. We spent an evening there visiting the Chinatown Heritage Museum, eating, shopping and browsing.

In the past, Chinatown was known as "Bullock Cart Water" or in Hokkien "Gu Chia Chui". This was the place where new migrants or "sinkheks" stayed, worked and played. They brought with them their culture, religion and lifestyle which eventually influenced and shaped the lives of Singaporean Chinese. Nevertheless, the place was also a melting pot of economic and social activities for various races like Arabs, Jews, Europeans, Indians and Malays.


Bargain hunt and dine along the streets of Chinatown.


One of the many, many outdoor carts/stalls selling local delicacies.


You can even select your dim sum menu on the shop house window shutters.


I love these Chinese inspired bedroom slippers.


Welcome to the dark side of "Gu Chia Chui"...

The opium pipe - Chinese migrants had a penchant for smoking this stuff.


And not forgetting gambling, gangs and prostitution (sorry I've no photos of "ladies of the evening" here).



Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Merlion Park

Another must-see while in Singapore are the attractions along Singapore River.

Colorful shop houses along the Quay.


Odd-looking weaved people sitting on the bench.


Although it's the monsoon season, restaurants along the Quay were big on these Sri Lankan crabs. We gave it a pass. I would rather go to where the locals eat their seafood and I'm not telling. Haha!


I love this authentic turn-of-the-last-century sign on Cavenagh Bridge. It shows how far we've come from cattle and horses to automobiles and jet-planes.


More sculptures along the River...





Side track a bit here: People from the region I come from just adore eating durian. Durian - a seasonal thorny king of fruits with a very pungent smell (nice or not, depending on whether you like it or hate it). Personally, I am ok with it but I don't crave for it though. However, Adrian loves it to death.


Over-eating this creamy fleshed durian will result in weight-gain. Yes, I am not kidding! You can also make ice-cream, cakes, etc. out of it. Versatile.

So, it's no surprise that Singapore built an Esplanade in the shape of this "King of Fruit". Locals gave it the nickname "durian". Esplanade: home of the performing arts theater. Just imagine this headline - "Il Divo at the Durian" or "The Durian presents - Luciano Pavarotti". Hmm....


The durian...

And, the other "Durian"



Merlion Park

The Merlion - poster boy, national identity and mystical creature. Merlions are everywhere in the form of souvenirs & sculptures big and small. This is the first one (see below) at the Merlion Park.

I'm MERLION, see me spout water...


Merlion's mini-me. Looks a wee bit like King Tut to me.


And most recently, there's also the new mega size version by Sentosa Island. Told you so. He's the poster boy here.