Singapore, April 8

Singapore is a small city-state (population 5 million) on an island off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 85 miles north of the equator.  It is totally urbanized, very modern, very clean, many large gleeming buildings, with an excellent public transportation system, and, get this, the third highest per capita income in the world.  It is a major world financial centre and a major transportation hub with a thriving container port.  We are docked right downtown at the main port, looking out on the container operation and onto two large shopping malls, including Singapore's largest mall.  We can just walk to the Mall.  Peggy is planning that for tomorrow.

Today we did a bus tour of the highlights of Singapore, which included the magnificent Botanical Gardens specializing in orchids, one of which is carniverous.  We did not put our finger in, but we got a good picture.  We also visited the Merlion, Singapore's symbol, which has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. General sightseeing included the Colonial District, Chinatown, an Indian Hindu temple, and a photo stop at the Raffles Hotel.  Tomorrow, we are on our own and plan to visit the Hotel and have a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, the location where the drink was invented.

Torontonians take heed.  Singapore has truly solved the traffic gridlock problem.  As a small tight place, with a dense population and narrow streets, Singapore would be total gridlock without severe controls.  We rode around in our bus all morning, with no traffic issues at all.  So, how do they do it?   First, the government rations out cars.  Every fortnight the government decides how many cars can be purchased.  That number of permit slips are then put up for auction.  Those who bid the highest, get the slips, and can go and buy a car.  The going price is about $80,000, and that is just for permission to buy a car.  Then to drive the car, you must pay road tolls.  The toll system is all electronic, like the 407, except, get this, the amount of the toll changes constantly accortding to the density of the traffic on that particular street at that particular time.  So, if the traffic is heavy on a street, and going slowly, the toll increases, and drivers move to another street.  All of this happens automatically, and in real time.  Every car is equipped with a cashcard reader.  To drive the car, you insert your loaded cashcard, and as you drive along the tolls are automatically deducted from your card.  How about that for efficiency.  As you might imagine, most Singaporians use public transportation, which they say is very convenient and efficient.  Not like the TTC.

The weather continues hot and muggy.  At least today is was overcast in the morning while we did our tour.  Now we are on the pool deck and it is hot, muggy AND sunny. 

Here are some pictures, .... or not.  Photo feature is being cranky at the moment.  Will try later.

P&G