Singapore was the starting place for the Asian leg of our travels. It was quite a gentle way to ease into the continent since everyone speaks English and the city is extremely clean and safe. While we certainly enjoyed the remarkable efficiency, it is unfortunately is the result of a fairly repressive government with laws and fines governing just about everything.

Singaporeans love food, and we found lots of choices both in type and price throughout the city. Most of our meals ended up being at either one of the outdoor hawker stands or slightly more upscale indoor (and air conditioned) food centers often found beneath department stores or in malls. It was a cheap way to eat and sample a variety of good food. Some typical selections we tried were: chicken rice, fish ball soup, fried noodles, soup noodles, noodles with sauce, sticky rice, and "carrot cake" (no carrots, just shredded daikon radish fried with eggs). We were surprised to find the city rather quiet and empty during the day, only coming alive at night and into the wee hours, perhaps a result of the oppressive heat and humidity.