URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) Gallery

Clinton at the URA Gallery

Perhaps the best way to tackle Singaporean sightseeing is to take one neighborhood at a time. The city is rather spread out, but individual neighborhoods are well defined and fun to explore on foot. Katong is the Peranakan area (MRT Paya Lebar Station). Peranakans are the descendants of Chinese immigrants who began intermarrying with Malays in the 1500's. They are also referred to as Baba-Nonyas. Lots of interesting lunch places are huddled around East Coast Rd and Joo Chiat Rd. The main attraction in the neighborhood is a Hindu temple called Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple on Ceylon Rd just north of East Coast Rd. Check out the painted scenes and text on the ceiling. Hindu temples are covered with intense colors, scenes from their religious history and depictions of deities.



While we're on the subject of Hindus, you definitely don't want to miss Little India (MRT Little India Station). This neighborhood was the high point of our visit to Singapore. Luckily we were in Singapore at the height of Deepavali, an important Hindu holiday. Little India, which is clustered around Serangoon Road, was absolutely crammed with people celebrating. During the day we were able to do some casual shopping on Serangoon Road and at night we joined the throngs and wandered the night markets. Little India has two impressive Chinese temples. The first is Leong San See Temple at 371 Race Course Road, an intimate Taoist temple built in 1917. Across the road at 366 Race Course Road is the Temple of 1000 Lights (a.k.a. Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple). This temple features an awesome 15m high Buddha. The sheer size of this representation of Buddha gives him a sense of unquestionable authority. I couldn't help but giggle when I imagined an equivalent 15m high Jesus inside a Christian church. Has anybody written a book that explores the link between culture and representations of God? If so, I think I'm ready to read that book! Most of the shopping we did in Little India required some bargaining. I think haggling a bit over the price of goods is ok there, even though it's not practiced in the rest of Singapore. The Little India Arcade is a fun place to wander through, it is on the south side of Serangoon Road between Sungei Rd and Campbell Rd. Also, be sure to walk through the Tekka Center, home of Little India's wet market. In the morning it's packed with shoppers and vendors selling all kinds of vegetables, fruit, meat, spices and frankly a few things that we could not identify. Don't wear your good shoes here!

Xinmin Vegetarian Restaurant

General Tourism Information

Jamie at Thian Hock Keng Temple

We ate really well in Singapore. Xinmin Vegetarian Restaurant in Chinatown, 29 Kreta Ayer Road, was amazing. We arrived a little late for lunch and started talking with the ladies working in the dining room. They were so friendly and invited us to the back of the restaurant to see how they made their Lo Han tea. This sweet, dark tea appeared to be made with some kind of water chestnut. It was like nothing I have ever tasted before. The restaurant is open 11:30 - 3:00 and 5:30 - 9:30, closed Mondays. There is a street level food vendor on Keong Saik Road that served up some awesome cheap noodles. Pagoda Street between New Bridge Rd and South Bridge Rd is the place to go for cheap, tacky souvenirs. Thian Hock Keng Temple, 158 Telok Ayer Street, offers a more authentic and delightful window on Chinese culture. The temple's ornate tile roof and the high rise buildings in the distance create a delightful, photogenic contrast that is oh so Singaporean.

Thian Hock Keng Temple Roof

Surprisingly, Singapore is home to a large forest preserve. There are several long, easy walks through this area, known as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (not the most exotic name on the map, to be sure). Some of the trails run along the edge of a golf course, or they end along the side of major parkways, so plan your route carefully. The best walk is the Tree Canopy Walk, which takes you to a pedestrian suspension bridge over the treetops. The bridge is quite stable and my severe acrophobia was only mildly triggered as we made our way across. There is, of course, a fee that is collected at the bridge entrance. Watch for macaques, particularly at the wooden observation tower deep in the Reserve.

Further north is the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. The Night Safari is cool! It's basically a tram ride and walking trail through a series of animal habitats. The narrated tram ride is cheesy. Our guide informed us, in a dramatic hushed tone, that "Asian tigers are highly prized for all of their body parts, from their eyes all the way down to their genitals." Suddenly we were all 11 years old and I nearly fell out of the tram laughing. But seriously, it's not funny. If someone offers you tiger genitals, don't take them. You're only encouraging illegal hunting. We saved the rest of the Zoo for a different day. It was a steamy day and our visit was interrupted by what felt like an apocalyptic downpour. Suddenly I understood why the street gutters in Singapore are two feet deep.

Photo Gallery

Clinton Bench and Jamie Turner
www.jamieandclinton.net