Singapore

A couple weeks ago we took a trip in Singapore for a three day weekend.  We stayed at the VIP hotel which is conveniently located with in walking distance to a Cold Storage grocery store and the LDS church on Bukit Timah road.  We were pleased with the accommodations and pricing.  We'll definitely consider staying there again for future trips to S'pore.

We started off having a meal at a British fish and chips restaurant that gave us huge, greasy, and delicious portions. 

We then stopped by the LDS mission office to show Julia and the kids where I had once served as a missionary back in 1999-2001.  Being there brought back so many fond memories, but also amazed me about how much had changed as there is a new stake center there and the mission office had been renovated.  I had hoped to show the kids my picture on the wall, but alas, they had taken it down.

The next day we went to the Botanical Gardens which is, like most of Singapore, immaculately landscaped and maintained.  We spent most the morning at the children’s area in the park.  The kids had a great time.

We then went to Little India for lunch.  We had a fantastic meal of roti prata and mutton biryani. As we were browsing in the shops, the kids convinced us to let them have an artist decorate their hands with henna.  The kids were amazingly still and even managed to not smear them too much during the 30 minute drying time.  One of my favorite things about Little India is the colonial architecture and that it isn’t quite as well groomed as most of the island.

Another highlight of the trip was going to the Night Safari.  Although, it is not cheap, it was well worth it to experience touring the zoo at night.  We did the tram ride as well as walking on foot.  We also watched an amazing fire breathing show.  Awesome!

Even the airport was amazing as they had playgrounds for the kids and a butterfly garden.  Very impressive!

All in all, we enjoyed our time in Singapore.  We stocked up on food that is either unavailable or crazy expensive in Jakarta and made some great memories.