Orchard Road

Jessica writes:

We started yesterday with an unbelievable brunch at a beautiful local restaurant in Dempsey with Weylin and Iggy. Their love for great food and cooking can be viewed on Weylin's blog. Could we have asked for better companions?

Our full stomachs were then ready for a walk through the Singapore Botanical Gardens (and National Orchid Garden). Originally est in 1822, closed in 1829 and reopened 30 years later - the park and gardens are highly impressive. Some parts are manicured, some still jungle with walking trails and picnic spots everywhere. Singapore as a whole is a very clean city. We are amazed at how well planned the city is - most US cities pale in comparison. The city layout, green spaces, traffic flow and public transport...a wide range of different ethnicities and 4 religions all peacefully living and working together in the same country. Imagine that?

On a different note, a Honda Civic can cost upwards of S$100,000 and that doesn't include the permit that you need to drive it which can cost up over S$17,000 if you're lucky. Needless to say, that the permit only lasts for 10 years and then many times you are forced to sell the car parts. And that's a low end car. A Porsche Boxster costs S$212,000+ and the permit may be up to half a mil. Imagine wrecking that car...

Later on...massage, shopping in and around Orchard Road (Donovan was SO excited!), big time nap...then off to another fantastic meal on the East Coast with Iggy, Weylin, Nicole and Gerald (another ex-Purdue swimmer and his gf). Fresh crab on the water served up two different ways, bamboo clams, shrimp with ugly eyes. Rough life, eh?

A boat ride in Clarke Quay...a nighttime owl's view of the city...a Manchester United draw...and back to bed. The jet lag is killer...

A few more photos

Signing off
Jess