Singapore by Foot

This morning is the start of our walking tour. Raffles Place at the mouth of the Singapore River is the center of the Financial District. The famous Singapore Sling was invented in 1913 by Ngiam Tong Boon at the Long Bar, Hotel Raffles. Unfortunately it is closed for renovations.

Chinatown

First stop…Chinatown. Busy area….as time went by it is jammed with people. Shopping, touring and eating.

Lots of shops here and there. The shops made me feel like I was in a massive Dollarama. Good place to buy a couple of things I needed for my travels…socks, comb, and head band.

Chinatown has a maze of narrow streets. Chinatown Food Street …actual name Smith Street. We see a ton of cheap and authentic Asian food. If we were here during dinner hour I would have chosen the roast duck at Tiong Bahru Meng Kae, Stall 8. For lunch we loved our steamed dim sum and chicken skewers. Amazingly low prices …around $3.00 per dish.

THE BUDDHA TOOTH RELIC TEMPLE

This is highlight of the area, located on South Bridge Rd. Built in 2007 to house the tooth relic of Buddha from an ancient stupa in Myanmar. Before entering the Temple wraps are available for anyone wearing shorts, sleeveless top or a short skirt. Colorful Buddha idols adorn the walls at the entrance. Over a hundred Buddha’s created by different artists. The Buddha Tooth Relic room is on the 4th floor. Astounding room with gold tiles and the solid gold stupa. We visit longer than expected, at least two hours. By now we are ready to head back to our hotel for a much need break.