Travel Day to Bangkok 前往曼谷

October 19, 2024

Today was a travel day. Before heading to the airport, we took the subway to Tekka Centre, accompanied by the cheerful “Happy Happy” announcements on the train, to explore vibrant Little India. Indian culture plays a significant role in Singapore’s diversity, and Little India was bustling with life, its streets adorned with colorful ribbons swaying in the breeze. Chenggang visited the historic Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, observing people praying and celebrating in a vibrant atmosphere.

We admired the lively surroundings and also stopped by the famous, colorful Tan Teng Niah house, one of the last surviving Chinese villas in the area near Tekka Centre, with its vivid, kaleidoscopic facade standing out among the shops and eateries. We then enjoyed a flavorful Indian lunch at a nearby restaurant.

A Grab ride took us to Terminal 2 at Changi Airport, where we asked about the famous waterfall. An airport staff member pointed to a large screen displaying a digital version, but knowing that wouldn’t satisfy us, we took the airport shuttle to Terminal 1. The breathtaking waterfall (Jewel) set amid a stunning mall, was awe-inspiring—it felt like more than just an airport. Afterward, we walked back to Terminal 2 and relaxed in a lounge, enjoying a smooth latte and light snack before boarding our flight.

Our flight to Bangkok was smooth and comfortable, and after checking in at the hotel, we ventured to Chinatown for dinner at the lively night market. Though hesitant to try street food from the vendors, a sudden downpour led us to a cozy, albeit pricier, restaurant where we enjoyed our flavorful first Thai/Chinese meal in Thailand.

With an early tour scheduled for tomorrow, we were ready to settle in for the night.

今天早餐后我们去到了充满活力的小印度。印度文化在新加坡的多元文化中占有重要地位，小印度充满生机，街道上悬挂的彩色缎带在微风中飘扬，增添了几分节日气息。成刚参观了历史悠久的维拉玛卡里雅曼庙，在浓厚的氛围中看到人们虔诚祈祷、热烈庆祝的场面。我们也被这片充满生机的街区吸引，接着参观了德卡中心附近著名的彩色陈东霓雅屋。这栋中国传统别墅是该地区幸存的几栋之一，其鲜艳多彩的外墙在周围的商铺和餐馆中尤为亮眼。随后，我们在附近的一家餐厅享用了地道的印度午餐。

午餐后，回酒店拿了行李便叫了一辆Grab车前往樟宜机场的2号航站楼。特意询问了机场内那座著名的瀑布，一位机场工作人员指向一个显示屏，上面展示着瀑布的数字影像，但我们想看真实的瀑布，于是乘坐机场穿梭车前往1号航站楼。那瀑布（Jewel）坐落在一个令人惊叹的购物中心中，场景美不胜收——这里更像一座景点，而非普通的机场。欣赏完后，我们步行返回2号航站楼，在休息室候机并且享用了些许小食准备搭乘航班，继续我们的旅程。

也许我们对新加坡的期望过高，狮城并未给我们留下特别深刻的印象，整体感觉就是一座物价偏高的大都市。

我们的曼谷之行从一次平稳的航班开始。搭乘新加坡航空不到三个小时就抵达泰国曼谷。到达酒店办理入住后，我们前往热闹的唐人街（Chinatown）夜市享用晚餐。突如其来的大雨把我们带进了一家温馨的小餐厅，尽管价格不便宜，但我们品尝到了一顿美味的泰式中餐，开启了在泰国的美食之旅。

Singapore 新加坡

October 18, 2024

We had a packed sightseeing day in Singapore. After a generous breakfast buffet at the hotel, courtesy of an American Express travel booking by our daughter, we explored the mall and took a stroll across the Helix Bridge. Our first major stop was the stunning Gardens by the Bay. Both the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome were impressive and meticulously maintained, though the tickets were quite pricey. We walked by the Supertrees without heading up to the observatory, as the humid weather didn’t quite agree with us, which dampened our overall experience.

Our next stop was Chinatown, where we tried the famous Hainanese chicken rice from Tian Tian at the Maxwell Food Centre. Luckily, the queue was short today. The chicken was very tender and flavorful, though we didn’t feel it entirely lived up to its reputation. The only vegetarian stall at Maxwell was closed so Christine had a bowl of sweet dessert. As we continued exploring Chinatown, mother and daughter had more food at Yixin Vegan Restaurant while Chenggang enjoyed a yinyang coffee—a blend of coffee and tea.

We then took the subway back to the hotel for a short rest. Singapore’s subway system is clean and uncrowded, even during rush hour. Each stop is announced with cheerful “Happy Happy” messages, adding a pleasant touch to the journey.

Recharged, we walked to Merlion Park, popular among tourists. The stone lion with the Marina Bay skyline as a backdrop was beautiful. We continued to the city center for dinner at Lau Pa Sat, sampling a few satays and noodles (Christine found a hawker with vegan Chinese food). While the food was decent, the lack of air conditioning made it uncomfortably hot and humid, and overall, the experience fell short of our expectations.

After dinner, we returned to Gardens by the Bay to enjoy the light show, followed by a quick walk to catch the Spectra Light Show. It was truly spectacular—one of the best light shows we’ve ever experienced.

In one day, we managed to cover most of Singapore’s top tourist attractions, and by the end, we were happily exhausted.

狮城游

2024年10月18日

经过二十几个小时的飞行和转机，终于来到向往已久的新加坡，先一步来到的女儿在机场接机。深夜入住Conrad Centennial Singapore（康莱德酒店）好好睡了一晚。第二天早餐后，我们漫步穿过了酒店附近的螺旋桥来到今天的第一站。令人惊叹的滨海湾花园，云雾林和花穹都给我们留下了深刻的印象，花园维护得非常精致，但门票价格不菲。我们经过超级树，但由于天气太湿热，登上观景台的计划也就放弃了。

接着我们前往牛车水，在麦士威(Maxwell)熟食中心品尝了网红店天天海南鸡饭。今天运气不错，排队的人不算太多。鸡肉十分嫩滑美味，但我们觉得不太值得排长队。整个熟食区也显得简陋且并不怎么干净，与我们所期待的有差距。之后又在中国城走了走，我们便搭地铁回酒店稍作休息，享受凉爽的空调。新加坡的地铁系统干净整洁，即使在高峰时段也不拥挤。每站都会播放充满活力的“Happy Happy”信息，为旅程增添了一丝愉悦的气氛。

短暂休息后，我们步行前往游客必去的鱼尾狮公园。以滨海湾的天际线为背景，鱼尾狮的景象格外壮观。随后，我们继续前往市中心，在老巴刹（Lau Pa Sat)享用晚餐，这里可选的东西实在太多，我们品尝了烧烤，沙爹和米粉条。食物味道都不错，环境比中午的麦士威要好许多。不过新加坡闷热的天气，没有空调的环境让用餐体验稍显不足。

晚餐后，我们再次回到滨海湾花园观看灯光秀，接着步行前往光影水舞秀Spectra。这场表演确实令人惊叹，堪称我们见过最精彩的水上灯光秀之一。

Zipair to Singapore

We left home at 10:20 AM on Oct. 15, and a friend dropped us off at Sky Harbor Airport for our Southwest flight to LA. While waiting to board, we enjoyed a chili soup at Panera Bread. The flight to LAX was smooth and on time. Once we were settled in at Four Points by Sheraton, we craved Mexican food and found a well-reviewed food truck nearby. The food was excellent.

On October 16, we took an early shuttle to the airport and boarded our Zipair flight to Tokyo, followed by a transfer to another Zipair flight to Singapore, with a 2.5-hour layover. The total flight time exceeded 17 hours, making it our longest flight ever. During the 24-hour travel period, we either ate airplane food or lounge food, which was adequate for filling our stomachs. Passing through customs and immigration in Singapore was quick and uneventful. Our daughter, who had arrived earlier that morning, met us at the airport to join us on our journey through Southeast Asia.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

We took Grab, a ride-hauling service like Uber and Lyft to the Conrad Hotel. By the time we settled into the hotel, it was already past midnight on Oct. 17, more than 24 hours since we left LAX. We were all exhausted.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize