Walking tour through Chinatown and Arab Quarter to Marina Bay

For this second day in Singapore, nothing special was planned. We first met up with our friend Tony, before heading to Chinatown, because we had to start the visit somewhere… But before going for a walk, it was lunchtime (very Asian, first we eat, then we'll see).

A type of Singaporean “food court” called Hawker.

Visit to Chinatown

Once our bellies were full (very important!), we set off to explore Chinatown. A world that I am starting to be familiar with since Bangkok's is also quite famous and very lively. Singapore's remains in the Singapore style, namely more orderly, cleaner. However, we feel a more Chinese atmosphere than the rest of the city, where the mix of genres is more present.

Here we are in a market, no doubt it is Chinese.

In front of this Chinatown complex, itself facing a square and a temple, were entertainers for a not-so-young audience.

The average age of the audience makes it seem like they're in a retirement home.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Here we are on the forecourt overlooking the main Chinese temple in the district, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Does this name sound familiar? Indeed, you can find a temple with a similar name in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka.

It is the most important and largest Buddhist temple in Singapore, having just opened in 2007 after five years of construction. As its name suggests, the temple houses, like the temple in Sri Lanka, a tooth believed to have belonged to the Buddha (specifically, Gautama Siddhartha). More precisely, it is said to be the Buddha's left canine tooth, encased in a small stupa. This tooth was recovered from the wreckage of a collapsed statue at Mrauk U, an important historical site in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar.

An impressive point of the temple are these multiple small niches, each filled with a small statuette of Buddha. We did not take the time to visit the floors, where you can admire other walls where more than 1000 Buddhas are piled up and where the famous tooth is especially located. However, do not expect to see it, it is so sacred that it remains hidden under a solid gold stupa of 420 kg.

If you want to admire the relic, it is possible on Chinese New Year's Day, as well as on Vesak Day, the festival that celebrates the birth of Buddha, the latter being exceptionally shown to the public. Otherwise, it is monitored 24 hours a day and protected by armoured glass windows to prevent any attempted theft and photos are forbidden in the room where it is stored.

As I don't read Chinese (nor Jitima for that matter, I don't know what all this means)

I have to really control my breathing to be able to take all these pictures without a tripod.

The weather outside is looking threatening again, although it will clear up later.

Back on the main street, we looked for something to bring back as a souvenir in one of the many shops, as the sky began to darken severely. The weather can change quickly in Singapore.

We will still be treated to a little drizzle of rain.

Original souvenir, Chinese calligraphy, our first names, which we will frame at home.

After a visit to one of the local shopping malls, we headed towards the Arab quarter to continue our day's stroll. A change of atmosphere.

When I said that Singapore is very green!

Visit to the Arab Quarter

As we arrive at the Arab quarter, I really notice that traffic is almost non-existent. And there is a reason, it is due to the high tax on vehicles, up to 5 times more expensive than in Europe (eg a Nissan Micra, €10,000 in France, is bought here for S$90,000 or €50,000!), combined with a bi-annual tax and a toll system (similar to the one in London), this strongly limits the desire to buy.

But it's also because it's necessary to obtain a certificate of authorization, which is limited, because after all money isn't really a problem in Singapore, which has the highest concentration of millionaires in the world... Hence the large presence of luxury cars (and I'm not talking about "simple" Mercedes or BMWs...), if you're going to buy an expensive car, you might as well go all out.

Just opposite the “Gotham City” tower as I had fun calling it, I find that the general look of this building gave it a very “Batmanian” air.

It's quiet, huh?

Jitima poses with Tony, our mutual friend who is showing us around.

The neighborhood is really nice for a quiet stroll. It's colorful, quiet and you don't necessarily expect that.

The Grand Mosque seen from the front.

Evening at Marina Bay

To spend the evening, we headed back towards the Clarke Quay area. On the way to Marina Bay, we saw some photography students starting a lesson. It seemed to be a private class, not necessarily for aspiring photographers, but for amateurs like me looking to improve their skills. Since I also had my equipment with me—camera and lenses—I took the opportunity to listen to their advice and do some experimenting with night photography.

Panorama of the bay, the lights are still off.

The real one is being renovated, right next door.

The Ferris wheel (the Singapore Flyer) is, incidentally, currently the largest in the world (in 2011) with its 165 meters offering a view of the entire bay, surpassing that of Nanchang in China (160 m) and the famous London Eye and its "only" 143 m (which remains the largest in Europe nonetheless).

Overview of the bay on the north side, we can see in particular the Esplanade and these Theaters.

And with it, the effect is rather pretty.

Overview of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the riverbank on the north side (left of the photo).

Panorama of Sandy Bay and the business district.

The “boat” and the laser show in progress.

Another point of view as we head to the foot of the hotel where there is a shopping mall.

It all looks very much like an airport lobby.

2 hours have passed since the snack break and we sit down again to eat a little.

After our walk and snack break, Tony had a little surprise in store for us: a trip to one of the city's rooftop bars. Well, "rooftop" isn't exactly a bar at the top of a tower like you might find in Bangkok, but it was still a very high-rise bar, not entirely outdoors, but definitely with a view overlooking a district of Singapore.

Unfortunately, I got carried away by the moment and didn't notice where we went...