Day #3- Singapore first full day

Today we slept in- 7:30am. We were not in a rush, but just one hour difference we managed to get up and out of the hotel relatively early. 

We found out that the haze is at a very high level- +300on the polluting scale. Outside activity is recommend   to be limited. But when you are visiting for a limited idea, you suck in the pollution and trudge on! 

We got a city map from the front desk and we were headed on a walk to Chinatown. As we walked out the door, we happened across a free shuttle taking us to a metro station. Such good luck! 

We took a short one stop metro ride to Chinatown. Our first stop food!!!

We ate at a dim sum place called Tak Po. We love Chinese dumplings. We has some shrimp, pork, and veggie ones. Our favorite were the lotus bun(not sure what is inside) and the custard bun(sweet egg yolk) YUM!!

After brunch we headed out to explore Chinatown. 

First we went to the Buddha Tooth Relic.

 We were not quite sure what that meant, but it was a beautiful Buddhist temple. and there was a tooth relic. I am not sure what the tooth is from, how old it is ore where it came from, but people were sure worshiping it. It is so neat to see different types if worship. 

I loved all the little Buddhas. Hundreds of tiny little Buddhas- all different. 

Next we walked further through Chinatown to Sri Mariamman Temple. A Hindu temple. It was beautiful and lively. The paintings and carvings were outstanding. I could not take pictures on the inside without paying a donation. It was a lively place with lots going on, there were flowers on the ground, people worshiping and live music. Just a wonderful atmosphere. Worst part was having to take our shoes off and walk around outside. Never thought I would walk barefoot through a foreign country. Good thing I packed antibacterial wipes, our feet were disgusting. 

We hit all the highlights of Chinatown so we hopped back on the metro and headed to Little India. 

Here is where we got off the Metro- Buddha Street. It was a cultural experience to walk past all the stalls with traditional Indian food. There were flower necklaces that were beautiful and smelled wonderful  

I liked these set of homes. You can see the intricate paint details and molding along the top of the buildings. But they are very run down and dilapidated. I hope all the construction they are doing will help beautify this area and become more attractive. 

I must say- I was very disappointed in little India. It was dirty, crowded, and the drivers would honk at you of you crossed the street. Even if you were in a crosswalk.

We walked across the river to Arab Street. I was not expecting anything special. But this place was beautiful! 

I loved the little touches. Seeing beautiful lanterns hanging in an outdoor walk way- so pretty. 

I was naive to think that Little India and Arab St would have the same cultural vibe. 

We strolled the streets and shopped. We did t buy anything, but it was fun to look at the lamps, carpets and beautiful fabrics. 

We sat at a little outdoor area and had ice cream. A great way to end our first tour day of Singapore. 

We hopped back on the metro to go back to the hotel. It is only 3pm, but my feet are tired. The plan is to rest for an hour and head out to the botanical gardens and dinner.