Singapore!

Now that we'd added Wei to our band of merry travelers, we were picked up by Wei's father, George.  Acting on Wei's suggested itinerary, George dutifully began his role as tour guide.  We began in Chinatown with a tour of a Buddhist temple, followed by an excellent vegetarian lunch at
Eight Treasures.  We next toured a mosque with an excellent guide, then peeked in at a Hindu temple. We learned something of the history of the early Chinese immigrants to Singapore--Wei's ancestors' own story--at the Chinese Heritage Museum, where we marveled at the courage and fortitude of those who came to this island for a better life. 

At the Garden by the Bay, we were awestruck by the thought and careful planning that had gone into the creation of this beautiful new botanical showpiece.  Especially impressive were the 23 "super trees," man-made, solar-powered, self-irrigating towering structures that will eventually be fully covered in lush greenery that will shade and cool the gardens.

We had a delicious home-cooked vegetarian meal at Wei's parents' lovely home.  George and Kheng were gracious hosts, and we were honored to meet the rest of Wei's family as well.  But our day was not over yet!  George drove us to the Night Safari, adjacent to the Singapore Zoo, where we boarded a tram for a moonlit journey through the habitats of many wild creatures.   Highlights included lions, hyenas, tigers, giraffes, zebras and wolves, howling as if on cue at the full moon, sending shivers down our spines despite the balmy tropical weather. 

After spending the night at Wei's sister's home, we went to a hawker's market to enjoy a typical Singaporean breakfast of carrot cake (which was neither carrot nor cake!), coconut and peanut-filled pancakes, salty pickled radish on chewy rice cakes, and a variety of sweet and savory fried pastries. 

We spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon exploring Singapore by commuter train and on foot.  This country at the tip of the Malaysian peninsula blends the traditional and the modern and is a model of careful suburban planning with an emphasis on beauty and function.  After spending three weeks in still-developing Asian countries, it was hopeful and heartening to see the results of man's hard work and perseverance.  Some of our favorite sights included the Merlion fountain, the symbol of Singapore, the "Lion City", the tri-towered Marina Bay Sands Hotel, whose upper deck resembles a vast ship, and the beautiful bay and skyline, with the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia visible in the distance.  Fun trivia:  Indonesia, with its 1300 islands, is the third most populated country in the world!

After a quick trip back to Wei's family  home to shower and regroup, Kheng, Wei and Michael drove us to the airport. (George had left earlier in the day for a four-day "eating trip" in Saigon with friends!)  We had dinner together at Pizza Hut in the airport, and shared a sad but sweet goodbye in front of the beautiful animated teardrop sculpture.  Hearts and heads full to bursting with so many wonderful shared memories, Linny and Kathy boarded the plane to begin the 36-hour journey back...