It was our first time stepping foot outside of Indonesia since we arrived a year and a half ago. We went to explore nearby Singapore! It happened to be along the route of the trip that Heather is on right now.....visiting family in Missouri with the kids. I went with them as far as Singapore and we stayed in a hotel there for a while and enjoyed the city!
Singapore is an amazing city, and very fun to visit. We're so glad we got a chance to spend some time there as a family. The contrast entering Singapore from Indonesia is stunning. On the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, we were amazed by the nice, three lane highway with no motorcycles on it. And we were traveling at highway speeds! The next morning as we stepped out, we were impressed by the clean-ness, all the landscaping, covered walkways, huge sidewalks everywhere, and very good public transportation. (Not to mention many of the places we miss...like Mcdonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Chillis...etcetera etcetera!) During our time there we got on the train to visit many of the local sites. Some of our favorites were the zoo, the botanical gardens, and a park along the beach where you can rent bicycles and ride for miles! Here is a (rather large) album of some pictures we took there.
Singapore is an amazing city, and very fun to visit. We're so glad we got a chance to spend some time there as a family. The contrast entering Singapore from Indonesia is stunning. On the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, we were amazed by the nice, three lane highway with no motorcycles on it. And we were traveling at highway speeds! The next morning as we stepped out, we were impressed by the clean-ness, all the landscaping, covered walkways, huge sidewalks everywhere, and very good public transportation. (Not to mention many of the places we miss...like Mcdonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Chillis...etcetera etcetera!) During our time there we got on the train to visit many of the local sites. Some of our favorites were the zoo, the botanical gardens, and a park along the beach where you can rent bicycles and ride for miles! Here is a (rather large) album of some pictures we took there.
Link to album for Ipad users
So we really enjoyed Singapore and enjoyed stepping foot back in a place that is more like we are used to. I realized that because Singapore has some advantages over Indonesia in some respects, that doesn't mean that it's better. One thing I really appreciate about Indonesia is how personable many people are here. Often here you can spend time on your front porch (or someone elses front porch) talking with neighbors or strangers. I suppose every place has its strengths and weaknesses! And here in Indonesia, we enjoy some pretty great natural beauty too with the amazing jungles, mountains and beaches! When it was time to leave, Heather and the kids headed on to Missouri to see family. It was hard to say goodbye, and definitely a wierd feeling to say goodbye to your family as they head out on a big trip! And I headed back here to Indonesia to keep flying with MAF (with limited vacation time, it's not really productive for me to go back to the U.S. with them since I would have to leave and return here relatively soon).
