...Singapore shines! Holy crap, dude, I have never been through a metropolitan area that is so free of litter. The government here imposes hefty fines for littering, etc. which I think is brilliant. As liberal as I am, I am definitely not opposed to dealing huge fines for littering, lashing vandals with bamboo canes (anyone remember Michael Fey? Bastard had it coming.), cutting the hands off of thieves, castrating pederasts and other sexual predators, etc. (okay, they don't actually do the last two here, although I don't think it would be so bad if the whole world adopted this practice).

Not a bad skyline, eh?

A scene from the Quays. The Singapore River lies at the heart of the city and it is a popular activity to cruise it by boat.

Anyway, Singapore is a compact place with what seems to be the perfect balance of East meets West flavors. There are people of all ethnic backgrounds residing here, though mostly what you see are Indians, Chinese, and ethnic Malays. Religious buildings--mosques, churches, and Hindu and Buddhist temples are everywhere and most of the sights can be explored by foot or by using the excellent MRT system.

This building stands at the edge of the Quays. I thought it was pretty funky. The police HQ is in here somewhere.

Singapore is divided into districts, each with their own unique flavor: Little India, Kampung Glam (Middle Eastern population), Chinatown, the Colonial District (lots of old British buildings), the Quays (where most of the modern buildings stand), Orchard Road (shopping area)....that's basically the city centre. I stayed in a hotel in Little India where the rooms are a very good value and the smells of delicious India cusine permeate the area.

The chick and her guitar.

My first meal in Singapore...

...And my drunk ass conquering it. "Hey fella, won't ya take my picture so I can remember that this happened?"

After dropping my bags off at the Boon Wah Hotel, I spent my first night wandering around Little India, admiring the tidiness of the place. A new backpacker's lodge had just opened up and although all the rooms were booked, the nightlife looked good, so I returned for some beer and entertainment. I enjoyed a local girl doing covers on her acoustic guitar, washing it all down with half-liter mugs of Hoegaarden, a Belgian witbier for those of you who aren't familiar. I then took my big-ass bottle of Absolut to a local Indian restaurant and pigged out. Man, is Indian food ever tasty.

Returning to my 2-person dorm room, I spent some time drunkenly conversing to my Malaysian roommate about where I should visit in Malaysia (my next destination). Satisfied with this new information, I drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken 6 hours later by the roomie's unbearably loud snoring. Unable to get back to sleep, I brushed my fangs and headed out on the town for some sightseeing.

In the heart of Little India stands this mosque. I can't remember for certain, but I think it is called the Masjid Abdul Gafoor, built in the middle of the 19th century.

A portal at the mosque. I love Islamic architecture; who else makes entrances like this?

Hindus sure do have a lot of gods to keep track of.

Worship inside the temple.

My favorite of many flower paintings on the temple's ceiling.

I started off by wandering around Little India, photographing the impressive religious buildings. Then, I headed to the Quays and walked to the Colonial District, spending some time at the beautiful Ft. Canning, which was once a British military stronghold. Walking back down through the Colonial District, I spotted an outdoor store and decided to check it out. The prices were too high, but I did spot the 2005 Mad Rock catalog (Mad Rock is a rock climbing shoe company that I worked for until I could no longer tolerate my boss's dickheaded antics). Funny, I didn't think I'd find my image in a shop half-way around the world. My next stop was Chinatown, where I walked through the touristy markets and stumbled across a REAL gem: an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant!! And it wasn't second-rate sushi either. I had five full plates of the stuff, and was so full I felt like I was going to pop. Yum!

The vast Ft. Canning Centre, obviously of British design.

Keramat, a Muslim tomb for sultans.

Ah, plate o' sushi #3. What a deal!

In Kampung Glam stands the largest mosque in Singapore: Masjid Sultan.

Besides the sightseeing, I found some great deals on electronics, picking up a new flash card for my digital camera and some headphones to replace my busted ones. I'd like to come back sometime just to pick up some electronics and camera equipment.

I'd say the guy on the right is far more handsome.

All in all, Singapore was rad, and delivered much more than I expected of it. I arrived in Malaysia yesterday morning and have already seen some exciting sights...more to come soon.

Donny: What's a 'pederast,' Walter?
Walter: Shut the fuck up, Donny.
From The Big Lebowski, the greatest film ever made...