Malaysia

Last weekend I went to Singapore! Singapore is compact and attractive. Culturally it's really similar to Malaysia, but with a stronger Chinese influence.



We spent the first evening at Clarke Quay and on the Riverfront walking around.



And then went to dinner at a Greek/Middle Eastern restaurant and had rare treats like olives and hummus.



The next morning we went to the Botanic Gardens, which have been around since the late 19th century and are really beautiful.



We visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and watched a service. We were in Singapore over the Hungry Ghost festival when the Chinese believe the gates of hell are opened and ghosts come to earth. These are some of the offerings left out for the ghosts.



The Chinese community was out in full force for the festival with Chinese operas, alters everywhere, and ceremonies.



We went for a drink at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. The current Long Bar is a replica of the one where Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham drank but it was still fun to see.




And we had a Singapore Sling in Raffles' Long Bar, where it was invented.