Slinging Singapore and Tasting Thai

First stop Singapore! Joe and I were lucky enough to have friends from Atlanta living on the island who graciously offered to be both our hosts and tour guides. We would have experienced next to nothing without Val and Matt! We biked 20 miles around the first day, Joe and I using innovative bikes whose frame literally folded in half to allow you to carry it on the train, seeing all the beautiful parks and waterways. We showered and ending the evening with an amazing dinner, hookah, and a winebar with one of Val's wonderful coworkers, Guntas.

The next day was all about the flowers, as we spent hours wandering the orchids and greenery of the city botanical gardens. After an adult beverage, we visited the Super Trees, a grove of vertical gardens designed to look like 160 foot tall giant trees. There is a catwalk that is suspended between two of them and we happened to be on it when a fantastic light show erupted from the (solarpowered) multicolored LEDs that encircle each SuperTree. It was magical and easily one of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen.

The next morning we planned to bike, but it was looking very overcast so we headed to Sentosa, an island that holds Universal Studios, a quint little beach, and a plethora of eating and shopping areas. We had dinner there at Din Tai Fung, a unique Chinese chain that specializes in steamed soup dumplings, with the great concept of patrons (while waiting for a table) tallying which dishes they want on a paper spreadsheet to minimize wait time and incorrect orders. Every bite we ordered was packed with flavour and perfectly executed!

After another day exploring, we packed up and headed to Bangkok, the number one tourist destination in the entire world. We drank cheap beer, ate amazing pad thai from a street vendor (that cost less than a dollar per heaping plate), met some awesome travelers, and saw all the touristy sights. The best of which was definitely the Reclining Buddha, a bronze sculpture that is 15 metres high and 43 metres long (that's half a football field)!

Bangkok is a sprawling, business oriented city of which we only explored a small portion, but I loved the vibe of traveler central area we stayed in. Everyone is out to experience new things and willing to share any stories and tips they have picked up. It was fun to sit and guess who was new to the game and who had seen more cities than most people can name. Bangkok was the perfect mix of Asian culture and touristy conveniences to start our solo travels across the east.