When I started The Journey I was interested in getting as many countries stamped into my passport as was possible. If there were a place with it’s own unique stamp that I hadn’t been before, I wanted to go! In planning for the trip my friend Calvin suggested I make a stop off in Singapore. He didn’t have anything nice to say about the city (his home city), but his rationale was that I would be in the area, why wouldn’t I try to get the stamp? Eventually, as this progressed I found the possibility of stopping there feasible and thus bought a ticket. When I did so I was anything but excited. Calvin had made the place seem terrible, and everyone explained how expensive it was there in relation to literally every other country in Southeast Asia. By the time I was scheduled to take my plane from Surabaya in Java, Indonesia I was absolutely dreading the experience of going to Singapore, I wanted to spend as little time there as possible. Well, how foolish was I.
From the moment I stepped off the plane and into Changi Airport I was captivated! In all honesty this may have had somewhat to do with where I came from. For unknown reasons as I traveled the island of Java I was always filled with a minute feeling of anxiety which occasionally flared up into moments requiring taking a seat and calming myself. Whether that was from the constant noise of motorbikes and The Call to Prayer, or the inconsistent sleep schedule I gave myself during that time I couldn’t know, but stepping off into Singapore made me feel as if that anxiety were lifting; how could I feel anxious with the wondrous sights I was taking in at this very modern airport?
Full disclosure these pictures are not from inside the airport technically, they are from Jewel, a big mall situated in the middle of the terminals for Changi Airport. Here you see a gigantic fountain that spans basically every story of Jewel surrounded by several floors of indoor garden. Those are real plants people. Surrounding this indoor garden you had three layers of luxury brand stores and food in a circle that one could easily get lost in looking at all the things to buy; there was even a Pokemon center filled with the most adorable plushies… But the airport itself is great too! I spent maybe an hour there just walking and seeing all of the shops, feeling the layout, and relaxing on some of the very comfortable chairs strewn about. Later the next day as I browsed the internet I would read a comment that said “When you die, if you’ve been good in life, you get to go to Changi Airport!” A joke of course but one that didn’t feel too far off. It’s impeccably designed, with an insane selection of food, snacks, and trinkets. I’d planned on leaving immediately after my plane landed some time around 5:30, but I didn’t go until closer to 9. Who spends 3 hours in an airport for pleasure? Well everyone, I think, if it’s Changi.
Now because I hadn’t budgeted much time for the city due to the anecdotes of friends, I didn’t get to do too much – just those things I really wanted to. First thing on the list was a trip to The Singapore Buddhist Lodge for meditation and lunch. In response to my anxiety in Java I figured it’d be a good time for a “conversation with Buddha,” which did indeed work wonders for me in their very large Buddha room (no picture, sorry, it’s rude). And seeing as I was on a budget, I figured lunch wouldn’t be a bad idea either. If you didn’t know, many Buddhist monasteries or organizations all over the world provide free meals to those asking for it, regardless of your personal faith. I feel as though the intention is to feed those in need, alleviate their suffering, and do a little good in the world. I have never gone to one of these free meals before, and online for this particular place I’ve seen it discussed as a restaurant. I want to be clear that, if you are going to search for this charity please do not treat it as such – these sorts of things are not restaurants and shouldn’t be commonly considered that. I felt a little awkward going if I’m honest as I have the ability to pay for my meals when many do not, but I wanted to see who does go to these things and how they act, what their intention behind the free vegetarian meals might be. In my singular experience it was mostly older folks who showed up, and they used the opportunity to eat as much as they could. Beyond that, I wasn’t able to discern anything else about the people in attendance, but I am thankful for the organization’s willingness to provide me with a meal and to the other folks there who shared lunchtime with me.
Afterward I headed to Fort Canning Park. It just happened to be on the way, and I got the chance to snap the above picture. Allegedly this was the site of an ancient spring that first provided the locals with water, and later ran along an aqueduct down toward the sea to resupply passing ships during the days of British control. The park had other things, particularly a Bicentennial Celebration with mini exhibits that I didn’t attend. After traveling throughout Jungles for a month before-hand, though, I was quite underwhelmed by what a city-park had to offer me in terms of nature. So before long I headed off to a coffee shop to enjoy AC and a little sit down before the final activity of the night.
After a VERY brief stop at the Asian Civilizations Museum, I continued to walk around the downtown to take in the architecture and take photos – like the featured image for this article! If you look closely at that featured photo, you can even see the famous Lion Statue, though from quite far away. It was all on my way to a southern tip in Singapore. I started at the Buddhist Center, moved to Fort Canning, then the Museum – it was all in a line from “north” to “south” to finally end up at The Trees. See, I had no idea what that meant when I met a fellow backpacker, Dan, in Sepilok, Malaysia I had never heard of any Trees in Singapore of any note. But he described lights, music, and most importantly: free admission.
Here you can see Supertree Grove. It’s located inside Gardens by the Bay, a wonderful place filled with different nature-related attractions. At Supertree Grove they have created large vertical gardens filled with plants clinging to the side. There’s also a catwalk you can pay to traverse that takes you between the various Supertrees very high up, but the real reason people go there isn’t for the catwalk, no, it’s for the Garden Rhapsody at the end of the day. Imagine these trees lighting up in different combinations of colors, intensity, and length of time while music plays all around you shifting from one composition to another, almost all recognizable but occasionally difficult to name. The night I went it began at 7:45pm with what I thought of as 1980’s Sci-fi cinema score, followed by Disney tunes, and some other things I’ve forgotten. It was really a magical experience that you can look up on youtube for a more concrete exposure than mere words alone. Or, if you’re feeling up to it, go to Expedia.com and order yourself a plane ticket to Singapore for a firsthand experience!
Garden Rhapsody was the last thing I did in Singapore. After that I had to pack up and head to Changi to sleep overnight. That’s right, I liked the airport so much I decided to spend the night! In reality I had a flight at 7am and that made the most sense. But I did enjoy curling up in the staff lounge to catch a couple of Z’s among sleepy staff members.
Singapore was great and I didn’t have nearly enough time there in the span of only 38 hours. I dreaded the thought of going there, but once I got to enjoying the city I simply couldn’t stop. While I’ve already collected their passport stamp, I would be anything but upset if I ever got the chance to get myself stamped into Singapore again someday. And someday you can be sure I will return.
I think I would have loved the Garden Rhapsody!!