, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS

OMER ZILBERBOIM

1. Normalize your money The rst thing you should do to get a proper sense of your money's worth is go to McDonald's. There you'll nd that crispy chicken is 2 SGD, and an entire meal is about 6 SGD. A big bottle of water (1.5 litre) in a supermarket or a 7 eleven would cost you around 2 SGD. A good map of Singapore (the ocial map) will cost you 8 SGD (the price is written on it), and I strongly suggest you buy it, as it contains some information on interesting sights and how to get there. In fact, if you are in Singapore for a few days, that's probably all you need. On this map you'll nd enumerated markers that correspond to a list of places of interest. Again, I strongly recommend to buy this map (could be found in some of the 7 elevens). On this note, let's say a word on the do's and don'ts: Do bring breathable cloths, preferably short and a swim suit. Don't bring any sort of weapons, drugs, chewing gum or tobacco.

2. There exists good, clean, cheap food. Don't look for restaurants, look for food courts. These are spread all around and can be found where the population is more dense. If you bought the map, you'll see some of them marked on it (try looking for a fork and a spoon, for instance on the enlarged downtown part, L-15). Various types of food - Malaysian, Chinese, Indian etc. can be found in these food courts for about 3-7 SGD per person, depends on what you take. This does not include drinks, which are usually sold at a separate stall in the food court, and include the regular beverages from a can/bottle as well as more exotic drinks such as: Bandung (roughly, milk with rose avor), sugar cane juice (get it if you can nd it !), lychee juice etc. Usually there will also be various fruits, served sliced as a desert. The more I talk to people who have been to Singapore it appears they have missed out this point, namely, eating at food courts. I'm not saying you should eat only at food courts, sometimes you're just not up for it, but I strongly suggest that you insist on going to one of the large food courts on your rst-second day, and try them out. I would recommend going to Albert Centre or if you want a safe bet (food variety-wise). It seems to put the whole Singapore experience in a dierent perspective: Assuming you'll order 7 SGD (the more expensive meals) worth of food on EVERY meal, that you eat 3 times a day and that once a day you'll order a meal you don't like (in practice, that only happened to me 3 times in a month), you'll end up spending 28 SGD per day on food. Considering that a lot of the activities suggested in this paper are FREE, you can get a good bound on the amount of money you'll spend per day (adding the cost of public transportation and accommodation). 1 SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 2

But the real joy of these food courts is the great variety of food on the same place. English is not always understandable (most of the times it is), but you can point out what you like, since everything is usually either displayed or shown in pictures. Examples for these food courts are Albert Centre (if you are near Bugis MRT station), Tekka Centre (if you are in little India), Food Republic (which is a chain of food courts, there is one in Vivo City for instance). These were just the big names, but there are plenty more food courts, some are unnamed and might be smaller but just as good. There are also food courts at MRT stations (for instance, the one in Bugis station - NOT the Albert centre which is close by). After a while you'll see that those are a little dierent, and of course malls are lled with them (but usually more expensive). This section would be named: All food in Singapore is cheap and good BUT:

2.1. There exists expensive food. If you go to Clarck Quay, which is by the way a nice place to hang out, you'll nd some expensive restaurants. This can easily seen to be related to the proximity to the Central Business District (CBD), the expensive hotels, and to the massive amount of foreigners sitting there. No need to worry, the Clarck Quay MRT station is nearby, where you can nd a food court. If you are willing to go a bit further, Chinatown is also close, where you can also nd food courts and, of course, Chinatown itself. Don't skip Peoples Park which is across the street from Chinatown, and where you can get a glimpse of real china.

2.2. There exists bad food. Durian. This is a fruit that smells so bad, it is not permitted on the public transportation and hotels. It not only taste so bad, but its taste tends to stay in your mouth/stomach. Try it at least once. There are Durian cakes, shakes, ice cream, pancakes and many other ways to ingest the foul fruit. Make sure you get yours fresh....

2.3. Specialty Food and Alcohol. This paper is not the right place to look for directions to specialty food (chilli crabs, shark n soup etc.), but you should be aware that there are exotic dishes which are considered very good in Singapore. A word of caution though: don't be tempted to pay a lot of money for nonsense. For instance, a Singapore Sling (a local drink) would cost you a pretty penny at a hotel or a bar (probably since it is considered a thing to do for tourists in Singapore). Regarding alcohol, look for the places that have happy hours and remember that a big bottle of beer (Tiger, Carlsberg etc.) would cost you approximately 5-6 SGD at a drinks stall in a food court or on the street, and drinking like the locals do is an excellent experience.

3. Suppose you have a local sim card, Then you have free internet. Let me explain: a local sim card would cost about 18 SGD for the simple pre- paid kind. Assuming it ts in your phone (if your cell phone is not locked or incompatible), you could surf the web for free wherever there is a wireless@sg net- work hot spot (meaning a wireless LAN connection). There are many such spots, all over Singapore, so maybe it won't work inside your room, but you should be able to nd it at most public spaces. A registration is required, and then an sms is sent to your phone containing your user name and password (so just buying the SIM card is not enough, you'll need a phone too). For more information see SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 3 http://home.singtel.com/wirelesssg/. This is through SingTel's website, in case you have an M1 or StarHub SIM card, you might want to check their websites as well.

4. Existence of Good Public Transportation Public transportation in Singapore is very eective. A pass card could be bought and charged with money, to be used in all the train lines (MRT, LRT) AND buses (EZ link is one example for such a card). Simply swipe the card upon entering or exiting a bus and the right amount of money will be deducted o of your card (according to millage). Once leaving Singapore, you can approach the customer service counter at any MRT station (for instance, the one in Changi Airport) and cash back the remaining credit on your card. For a map of trains you can refer to: http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/network_map.asp, though it is also possible to just ask a small map in any of the MRT stations. If you got the ocial map of Singapore, then there is also a map of the MRT there. Lastly, there are cabs: nancially they are the most expensive option, unless you are traveling by a total company of 4 (or 3) people, in which case it is sometimes better to take a cab or combine MRT with them. It is illegal for a taxi driver not to run on a meter, and notice (usually on the back window) that there are extra charges (night time, airport drive etc.).

5. Accommodation This is really an issue I hoped to avoid, but there is something to be said here: At the time of writing, there are at least two hotel chains that run in Singapore: Fragrance Hotel and Hotel 81. Both run hotels all around the island, at various costs and various levels of comfort, cleaning etc. It very well can happen that the same chain has several hotels in the same neighborhood with similar prices but dierent facilities. Another thing to look out for, regarding location: there are considerably cheaper hotels in Gaylang (a district on the east side of the island), however, be sure to know that this is a red light district. The only golden rule that I could recommend is that closer to Bugis is better (from the perspective of neighborhood, facilities, proximity to many areas of interest etc.), and more expensive. When you look for a place to stay, try to keep in mind the distance from points of interest and the fact that public transportation (MRT and buses) stops at about 23:30 (give or take, it depends which kind). If you intend to stay for a long enough time, try looking for small non-chain hotels as well. Some of these can be found around Little India for instance, at reasonable prices.

6. Applications This section gives you a collection of half a day to one day trips in Singapore. Some of these are day activities while some are better for night time. You should always take into account the additional cost of transportation, and always check online to make sure that they are relevant to your time of stay, for instance: the Singapore yer might be closed due to lightning storms, MacRitchie reservoir might be closed due to heavy rain and the swimming complex at Jurong might be closed on Mondays. Finally, I considered Bugis MRT station as point of origin, Google maps should be able to give you transportation directions from anywhere else, and don't be scared to ask the locals - I always got very accurate directions whenever I asked them, not to mention kind. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 4

6.1. General Activities and Tickets. If all you want is to catch a show while you are in town, I recommend you check http://www.sistic.com.sg. Here you can check the events calender as well as buy your ticket. If you happen to catch a show at Esplanade Theatre, I suggest you also read the Marina Bay section of this essay.

6.2. (Island).

• Duration: One day (with an option for more). Bring some insect repellant if have it (or buy on the island). • Location: North East of Singapore (a 15 minutes bumboat ride is required). • Food: There is a great food court (actually there are two, and they are connected) close to the point where the bumboats leave, as well as some relatively non-expensive restaurants on the Island. • Getting there: take a bus to (NOT Changi Airport) and then a 2.5 SGD bumboat ride. The bumboat service works until ROUGHLY 17:30. If there aren't enough people it won't go, but, renting the whole boat for yourself is 30 SGD. Still, don't wait too late.

Go to Pulau Ubin if you want to get a good feeling of how is it to be in a rain forest. The Island has some roads and there is a path for you to walk, but just one step away it looks like an untouched Jungle. Locals come here to pick Durians, and you might be able to smell them (the Durians). Various local sources assured us that the Durians only fall from the trees at night (once you'll take a look at one you'll see why this is a major concern, once you try to pick one up and feel its spikes you'll get even more concerned). Furthermore, some believe that Durians have eyes, and this why they only fall at night and never on people. As for my advice: watch out for them and stay on the path. Other things that might fall from trees here are coconuts, but while you clearly know where on the coconut tree lye the coconuts, Durians seem to grow randomly on their trees, so they are harder to spot. There are other fruits on the island, and various plants that seem to have grown out of a children book - in terms of colors and size. Once you get to the island you can rent a bicycle (prices vary according to type and store, but you can get them for anything from 2-10 SGD). Riding the bicycle is possible in most of the paths on the Island, but NOT on the Mangrove road, which is a deck that goes into the sea and back in. You'll be able to get a good look at trees which grow in sea water through their various stages of development. The occasional oating coconut is also common... For more information and a map of trails I refer you to a do it yourself (DIY) trail map, which is provided by the national parks' website http://www.nparks. gov.sg/cms/docs/diy_guide/Ubin_trees.pdf. Staying on the island for more than one day is optional (and highly recom- mended), personally I can only recommend Celestial Resort, as I didn't check any other option. Especially great is the sh SPA for 10 SGD an hour (as opposed to higher prices everywhere else I checked). SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 5

Figure 6.1. Mangrove Road, Pulau Ubin.

Figure 6.2. Pond next to the trail, Pulau Ubin.

Figure 6.3. Find the ant on the plant... SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 6

Figure 6.4. Durian Tree (and a monkey).

6.3. Wetland Reserve (Sungei Buloh).

• Duration: About 3 hours. Bring some insect repellant if have it, some sunblock too. • Location: Northern part of the island. • Food: There are some basic snacks which can be bought here, but consider bringing your own food. Drinks are available here too. • Getting There: Take red line to Kranji station. From there you have two choices, either take a cab (approximately 10 SGD) or take bus 925 to Kranji Reservoir Car park station. After alighting at that station, you still have to walk to the entrance of the park. This is not much of a problem, but you might have to nd someone and ask for direction, which could be hard since there aren't a lot of people here. The walk is actually quite nice and passes next to some farms (like the crocodile farm).

The Wetland is quite dierent than what you might see on Pulau Ubin or MacRitchie reservoir. The emphasis here is on the water and the creatures that live in it. Be- tween the paths you'll see both rivers and standing water. Take a moment to look at the pond next to the entrance. You might see some turtles there and also VERY large lizards. You can also buy some sh food at the counter of the restaurant (ap- proximately 2 SGD) and feed the sh (the turtles seem to like it as well). There are several trails, and it's very possible to do all. Among the animals you can see are the large lizards, crabs, and if you are lucky even a crocodile (or unlucky, depends on the crocodile...). Here you might also be able to spot the Jack fruit tree, and also see some water plants. During your walk pay attention to incoming text messages on your phone, as you might be connected to the Malay network. At some points of the walk you can see Malaysia close up front, to a resolution where you can clearly see houses and cars there. For more information go to http://www.sbwr.org.sg/. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 7

Figure 6.5. Water plants.

Figure 6.6. A dragon (in lack of a precise description...). SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 8

Figure 6.7. Jack fruit tree.

6.4. MacRitchie Reservoir. • From 2 hours to a whole day. • Location: About the middle of the Island. • Food: None. Doesn't even seem to be in the area. There is a water cooler at the ranger's hut, but bring your own water as well, since it is a long walk until you get there. • Getting there: There are a lot of buses (980 for instance), but you'll have to nd the right bus stop - it is on Lornie Road, in front of MacRitchie Reservoir Park - so you might want to ask around the bus. The trail begins further inside, so if you are standing close to the water, start walking to your right (counter clock-wise) until you see the beginning of the trail. Make sure you check the weather, as it is forbidden to walk when it rains (you'll also here sirens warning from rain). For more information on getting there and where the trails are, look at http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php? option=com_visitorsguide&task=naturereserves&id=49&Itemid=75 which also contains DIY maps etc. This is a beautiful walk in the forest that surrounds the MacRitchie water reservoir. You'll be able to spot monkeys and see a variety of vegetation including plants with leafs the size of a whole person. Let me rst clear something out: there is an option to do a walk which starts here and ends at Bukit Timah, however, since I didn't do it and I don't know how long it takes, I am just referring to the walk up to the ranger's hut and maybe the tree top walk (make sure you check online for the tree top walk opening hours). There is a reason I didn't do the entire walk on either time I was there: it's too moist ! Seriously, Singapore is moist enough, but keep in mind that this walk is inside a dense vegetation, near a water reservoir, so it's not just the kilometers that exhaust you. In fact, if you don't have time or just not up for a hike, you can just do the Prunus trail, which is a board walk near the water and the forrest, and where you might be able to spot monkeys. In any case SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 9

I recommend you do it as part of this activity. For a map of the trails you can go to the link above.

Figure 6.8. A monkey...

Figure 6.9. The path. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 10

Figure 6.10. The tree top walk.

6.5. Chinese Gardens + swimming complex+. • Duration: 3 hours for the gardens, 3 hours for Jurong Point (it's a shopping mall) and as much as you can for the swimming complex. • Location: West side of the Island. For the gardens and the swimming complex alight at the Chinese Gardens MRT station. For Jurong Point alight at Boon Lay station. • Food: Chinese gardens and swimming complex no, but that's why we put Jurong Point here ! There is actually something to eat on the way from the MRT station to the swimming complex, but I never tried it. • Getting there: To get to the Chinese gardens, just step out of the MRT station (Chinese Gardens station) in the south direction. In a matter of two-three steps you are there. To get to the swimming complex, get out of the same station towards the west (towards Boon Lay station, walk the road until you get to a crossing and cross. You should be able to see the slides. Keep walking in the same direction of your crossing. To get to Jurong Point, well, it's the mall attached to the station... Ideally I would oer you to start at the Chinese Gardens, then go to the swimming complex and cool down in the water, and then grab something to eat at Jurong Point. In reality, you should be happy getting just two of these activities at the same day. The Chinese gardens are beautiful, make sure you climb the pagoda all the way. It is especially beautiful when the sun is at a lower point in the sky, but that would mean you have little time left for the swimming complex. You'll be able to spot turtles in the pools and interesting gardening on the way. Next is the swimming complex. Not only does it contain a wave pool, with a water cannon spraying water on everyone inside, it also has a water river, which is a river of running water that you can try to walk (the water really pushes you), or oat on a donut shaped oating device (in the lack of a better description...). If you have decided to rent this oating device (at the cost of 3 SGD, plus a 2 SGD deposit which will be returned to you upon safe return of the donut), then you can use either of two donut dedicated water slides. There is a third water slide, which is intended just for people (no oating devices allowed). Be careful though, the price of entrance on the weekends goes all the way up to 2 SGD (yes, 2). There is SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 11 a place to wash up and change later, and also lockers (which cost 20 cents for a one time use). Make sure you check for opening hours, the place is open until late, but is completely closed on Mondays. By the way, there is also a special zone for kids (as if all this wasn't enough...). Finally there is Jurong Point. It is a convenient choice if you are around and hungry, and it also feels like a shopping mall you can actually use to buy stu (as opposed to malls where everything is expensive, or feels expensive...). Maybe it's because it is located in a local neighborhood, anyway it feels nice wondering here. If you are here for the food - don't go directly to the lower oor, where there are more expensive restaurants. Instead look for the food court and the sushi places which are really cheap and fresh ! You can also nd a Fair Price branch which contains everything from vegetables to bicycles and printers, and is open 24 hours a day (the public transportation isn't though). You'll also be able to nd a place that sells Durian cakes...

Figure 6.11. The Pagoda at the Chinese Gardens... SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 12

Figure 6.12. ...and the view from it.

Figure 6.13. The slides at swimming complex.

6.6. Clark Quay and Boat Quay. • Duration: 2 hours. • Location: Down town, next to the river. • Food: There are lots of restaurants, mainly for tourists. If you want some- thing local to eat try the Clark Quay MRT station food stalls. • Getting there: Alight at Clark Quay MRT station (purple line). These are good places to walk at night, see the lights reect from the river and maybe get a drink. You'll see a great deal of foreigners dine at Clark Quay and drink at Boat Quay. You can start walking at Clark quay, cross the river on the nearby bridge (where there is an o-Clark Quay hang out area) and continue east towards the marina while passing through Boat Quay. This is a good option if you end your day nearby, and are too tired but still want to see something. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 13

6.7. Bugis. • Duration: ∞ • Location: Bugis (you can start from ). http://maps.google. com/maps?q=Bugis+Junction+Victoria+Street+Singapore&hl=en&ll=1. 300266,103.855573&spn=0.001437,0.002642&sll=1.300355,103.855549&sspn= 0.001448,0.002642&vpsrc=6&hq=Bugis+Junction+Victoria+Street+Singapore&t= m&z=19. • Food: Oh yes... • Getting there: MRT green line (East-West line). I also tried knocking my shoes together, closing my eyes really hard and wishing, but it just doesn't seem to get you there... sometimes I still try... Here you can nd the BHG (a department store), and an excellent (although not the cheapest) food court right under it, as well as more restaurants around - a little more high class than the food stalls in Albert centre which is close by. Just take a walk around, try some of the food, get a haircut for 10 SGD (they give you the comb as a souvenir) and remember to try the pus (Eclairs with dierent llings). If you stand on Victoria street with the BHG at your back, and the junction of Victoria and further to your right, you should see Bugis village ahead of you. Try walking through it at least once, although walking around it would be faster if you want to get to Albert Centre. Both the density of people and points of interest in it will slow you down. You can also check out the market surrounding Albert Centre, you might be able to shop for some cheap gifts here (my favorite is the three Singapore T-shirts for 10 SGD). IMPORTANT: There is another place, called Albert Centre Temporary Market and Food Court, which is close by and is located across the street from Ra es Hospital. That's NOT the the place I'm talking about, in fact, I never went inside and you are welcome to try it. It seems I have little to write regarding Bugis, but make no mistake, you can spend a whole day here without noticing it. In fact, I highly recommend marking it as your base point for relaxing if you intend to go to little India or Arab district.

6.8. Arab District. • Duration: 2-3 hours. • Location: Surrounded by Victoria st. and Ophir Rd. Easily approached from Bugis MRT station which is located south west of Arab district. East part of the city area (enlarged part of the map). • Food: There are lots of restaurants here, including reasonably priced ham- burgers. Personally I didn't try any of the places that sell Arab food, rather I tried the restaurant at the junction of Baghdad and Bussorah, which was very good. At the same junction you can nd a place that sells fried, oily sweet food, to go along with your coee. • Getting there: I suggest walking from Bugis. This place is a sharp change of scenery from the surrounding area. First notice how low the buildings are, in contrast to the giant buildings of the city, which you can see from almost any point at this place. Apart from walking the streets here and enjoying the view, I recommend you go to the , which is closed at the time of writing, but has beautiful gardening around it. Nearby is the Sultan mosque, with Bussorah street leading to its entrance. At Bussorah SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 14 street you might also be able to nd cheap souvenirs from Singapore, some are more interesting than others. You can also nd a lot of stores selling fabrics and carpets.

Figure 6.14. Malay Heritage Centre.

6.9. Little India + Tekka Centre.

• Duration: from 2 hours to a half a day. • Location: Stretching from Little India MRT station to Jln Besar. • Food: There are lots and lots of restaurants, including vegetarian ones, BUT, if you are here for the rst time I strongly suggest you eat at Tekka Centre. • Getting there: I suggest alighting at Little India MRT station and walk to the south east (you can also start at Bugis, but it is further and there are many attractions on the way that may slow you down).

If you alight at Little India MRT station Tekka Centre should be right next to you (depending which exit you take). A word of caution: Tekka Centre has a sh market on one side. The rst I went there I only saw the entrance going through the sh market, the smell of which caused me to give it up completely. Later we found another entrance that goes to the other side, where there is a food court which you denitely shouldn't pass (and where you don't smell the sh). On Bualo Road which is next to Tekka Centre, you'll be able to see some very interesting grocery shops, and smell various spices. On your way to Dunlop St. and Campbell lane you won't be able to avoid the strong smell of fresh owers, made into string bouquets. The owers are so fresh, that bees still come for them. The streets I suggest you walk rst are Dickson, Dunlop, Campbell lane and Hasting Rd. You'll be able to nd various stores that sell Hindu clothes, bracelets and dresses. Also to be found there is the Abdul Gafoor mosque, which has a wonderful display of architecture and colors. Little India is also a great place to look for accommodation, there are many hotels and hostels here, and the location is great. Once you reach Jln Besar you can walk along it if you want to nd stalls that sell drinks. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 15

Figure 6.15. Flower chains at Little India.

Figure 6.16. Bees approaching the fresh owers. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 16

Figure 6.17. Masjid Abdoul Gafoor.

6.10. Bukit Batok. • Duration: 2 hours. • Location: • Food: I didn't nd any food around, the best thing to do would probably ask for a local to point you to the nearest food court, or bring your own food. There are, however, some water fountains. • Getting there: Monkeys ! lots of small monkeys. They walk around and don't seem to be bothered by you, however, do not approach them or stare at them (as instructed by the National Parks website). I can only add that this applies especially when they are extracting food from the trash cans. This site is a nature park that features a memorial and an abandoned quarry with a pond at its base. The paths are paved and there are many places to sit on, as well as a playground and toilets. The scenery is great, especially closer to the quarry, and there are tables in case you are here for a picnic.

Figure 6.18. The Quarry at Bukit Batok SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 17

6.11. Zoo.

• Duration: 2-4 hours (just the zoo, not the night safari). • Location: • Food: There are some restaurants next to the zoo entrance, mainly fast food (Burger King, Pizza, Ben&Jerry's etc.). I have to warn you that if you are counting on the restaurants at the safari (a dierent entrance from the zoo), then know that they are extremely expensive next to the food courts (about 15 SGD per person). • Getting there: By bus.

This is a great place to watch a variety of animals, not in cages ! I have to admit the elephant ride that you can pay for doesn't seem very appealing, but you can see the elephants up close, as it is with most animals there. Make sure you check for the closing time and feeding times. You can also try the sh spa. Regarding the night safari: it almost seems like they move the same animals from the zoo to the safari, and keep them up so we can try to look for them in the dark. There are essentially two options, either take the mobile tour or go by foot. I only took the mobile tour.

6.12. Singapore Flyer.

• Duration: Not counting any time you need to stand in line (as this may vary), the big takes about half an hour to go around. • Location: East part of the city area, north-east corner of the marina. • Food: If you are just here for the yer, then food is better found at mall which is close by, but you can actually buy tickets that include a whole dinner while taking the yer. • Getting there: The MRT is just around the corner from it, Promenade station (orange line).

If you need to choose, do this during the day, when you can get a clear view of the ships waiting at sea to enter the harbor. You also get beautiful views of parts of the island that normally you would never see. It would be best if you could time this to start at day time but late enough so you can see the sunset. Tickets are about 30 SGD, but you might be able to get a discounted ticket if you check for special oers for certain credit card holders and other deals. We bought our tickets when we bought the Zoo and Safari Tickets, so we got them for about 20 SGD per person, however, be aware that some discounted tickets are limited to certain hours (ours happened to be regular tickets). Other than the regular tickets, you can also buy tickets that include a glass of champagne, or even a whole dinner. For more information: http://www.singaporeflyer.com/. SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 18

Figure 6.19. A view of the city at sunset, as seen from the Flyer.

Figure 6.20. Ships waiting at sea.

6.13. Funan. • Duration: ∞ • Location: • Food: There is a nice food court on one of the upper oors. • Getting there: Alight at City Hall MRT station and walk south-west on until you see it to your right. Funan, the digital mall. It's just great. A lot of computer stores, where most of the computers can be found up and running (an important thing if you are looking for a computer and you want to test it rst). You'll also have no problem nding accessories here, from cables to expensive bags. On the last oor you'll nd the Challenger store, which contains essentially everything you saw on all the rest of the oors and more in one store (although there is a smaller Challenger store on one of the lower oors, just in case you get tired on your way up). On the lowest oor (as in many shopping malls) there are sometimes sales. They could be laptop deals and they could be women lingerie (what could be further from one another...). SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 19

Figure 6.21. Funan.

6.14. Chijmes. • Duration: 1 hour. • Location: Downtown. • Food: Relatively expensive in this area, but you can eat at the food court in Ra es City Tower (a fancier food court than usual). • Getting there: Alight at City Hall MRT station, Chijmes is at the corner of North Bridge and Stamford Roads. You'll see a short wall, you want to get inside. This is an excellent walk if you are downtown, or if you are approaching happy hour and want to get a drink at a pub. Besides some great architecture, you'll nd some pubs and what used to be a convent. 6.15. Marina Bay. • Duration: Anything between 4 hours to half a day. • Location: East to the downtown area. • Food: There is a great food court next to the Esplanade theatre. There are also restaurants in the area but expect them to be very expensive. • Getting there: Alight at Ra es Place Interchange and walk North-East towards towards the Park. This is a great night time activity, so you can start at about 19:00 and end it at 22:00 or so, but the scenery is a little dierent during the day. What I suggest is to circle the marina in the mathematical positive direction (fancy talk for counter clockwise...). This way you can end your walk at the food court and decide whether or not you wish to continue the walk. Start the walk at , walk south with One Fullerton to your right. The problem is that once you have past One Fullerton, the pavement close to the water stops and continues again after the Custom House. So you'll have to nd a way around Cliord Pier and the Custom house in order to get back to the pavement closest to the water, until you get to the area. To get to the north part of the marina, you'll have SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 20 to cross the bridge. Keep walking west until you get to Esplanade Theatres on the Bay (you might have to the Marina Bay Multi Purpose Facility, by walking some distance on Ra es Avenue). Just before the Esplanade Theatres (East to them), you'll nd a great food court, and in front of the Esplanade Theatres you'll nd the Outdoor Theatre right next to the water, where there are often live concerts of local bands in the evening.

Figure 6.22. A view of the Flyer from the marina.

6.16. Southern Islands.

• Duration: Half a day to one day. • Location: South of Singapore (a 45 minutes boat ride is required). • Food: NONE ! better bring your own, preferably stu that doesn't melt in the sun and heat. Make sure you bring a lot of water too, though there is tap water at least on St. John's Island. You can buy basic things such as beverages in the shop next to the tickets stand, at Pier. • Getting there: One option is to take the MRT to Marina Bay (red line) and then catch a bus (ask at the customer service counter). However, the bus comes at a low frequency, so a cab from the MRT station (you might have to call one) would be a good option in this case. Get to Marina South Pier and nd the tickets counter. There is a timetable of boats between the pier, St. John's Island and then Kusu Island (the boat runs in a circular line). Out of these two, St. John's Island is probably a better choice since Kusu seems too small and touristy. The water feels a little oily, but the beach is great and the boat ride is wonderful. Make sure you bring sun block, since it is very easy to get burned here (even just from the boat ride which takes about 45 minutes), so those of you who wish to get a tan might nd this is the right place to do so. A picnic would be a nice activity for this place, or just a walk on the beach. More information can be found here: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/nature/southern- islands/. Pay attention (!): indeed the information is found in the website, but these islands are not approachable from Sentosa (they are not even close). SINGAPORE, AN AXIOMATIC APPROACH WITH APPLICATIONS 21

Figure 6.23. St. John's Island as seen from the boat.

Figure 6.24. Kusu Island as seen from the boat.

7. Open Questions The following are mainly things I intended to check, but didn't have time to do so. In fact, some of them I will never be able to do. 7.1. Zouk. This is a name of a nightclub that was recommended to me, I guess it just wasn't the type of thing I was interested in. 7.2. Bukit Timah. In fact, the the MacRitchie trail goes all the way to Bukit Timah, but I never had the strength to go on with it. 7.3. Rafting from Changi Village to Malaysia. One day when we were walking in Pulau Ubin we saw some people with rafting boats. They were crossing from Singapore to Malaysia. The crossing is dangerous since there are ships on the way, and the water is very polluted. 7.4. Pulau Semakau. I was not aware of this place when I was traveling in Singa- pore, it should be interesting: http://www.nea.gov.sg/cms/wmd/SL%20Brochure. pdf.