This is the second part of two posts on my trip to Singapore earlier this year. The first post can be found here. This part covers the final two days of the trip.
Our big group event was the next night. We took a bus up to the top of a small mountain which overlooked other parts of the water and got a sense of how downtown Singapore fits in with the rest of the countryside. Here's a twilight look.
By now, the cumulative effects of the 13 time zone difference was catching up with me, but I still enjoyed our outdoor dinner of local dishes set out in a buffet. This food was much less spicy than on the prior nights, which aided my digestion, along with a couple more bottles of Tiger lager.
Afterwards, the group split. One contingent went to St. Georges Place, an extensive nightclub setup near the base of the mountain, and a bus took the rest of us back to the hotel. A few of us were still in the mood to roam, so we walked around near the hotel and found yet another bar. Our group shared a few tall tales and enjoyed seeing the local nightclub scene, which turned out to have lots of energy and no shortage of interesting people, not to mention a cross cultural edge. After a couple of hours, I'd had enough and dragged myself out to the street. The walk back helped tame the effect of the cumulative beers and I got back in time to get ready for one more day of meetings.
The trip as a whole reminded me of what I like about traveling to new places. Singapore has a strong economy, which attracts people from many different cultures in order to tap it's burgeoning opportunities. As a writer, I soaked up the atmosphere -- the tropical weather, the mix of traditional and modern building styles, the attractions of a city with varied terrains and inland waterways, and, most of all, the diverse mix of people from many countries and cultures. Over time, my travel experiences do find their way into my writing and in this case, I've already written a short story set in this cityscape. So, if you have a chance to visit Singapore, go and check out a fascinating city whose future appears bright.