Singapore, Singapore - Part I

Getting back in the groove was tougher than I thought but I'm here now and ready to post a new entry. As it turns out, I have so much to say so I decided to break it into parts so here is Singapore, Singapore - Part I.

It Seemed Like a Random Choice

If you know me or have been following my blog, you know that I recently made a trip to Singapore to see my daughter, Tara King. 18 months ago, if a fortune teller had told me I would be going to Singapore, I would have demanded a refund for a false reading. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought I would be jumping on a plane and traveling 24 hours to a country I knew nothing about. However, in January of this year I was scanning through a book that was given to me as a Christmas gift called “Journeys of a Lifetime – 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips.” 500 trips summarized and categorized in sections such as “Across the Water,” “By Road,” “By Rail,” and “On Foot.” As I skimmed the pages I asked myself, which one trip would I want to take most? It should be something very different than anything I’ve experienced before, yet something I’d truly enjoy. Being overweight and out of shape immediately knocked a few categories to the wayside. Cruise ships were too common and Sailing cruises require a much stronger stomach than what I possess so another category skipped. I could be adventurous and choose from the “By Road” section but nothing really caught my eye so I continued quickly flipping through the pages until I found it… the one trip that was worthy of my one wish; The Eastern & Oriental Express. I’m not sure why it captured me the way it did but I had experienced a very memorable trip across the United States from west coast to east coast by train many years ago, which included some passion, drama, mystery and even a star encounter. Yes, memorable it was! I’ve heard about the Orient Express, mostly as a setting in movies or books, but never gave it too much thought. Now here in a one paragraph description of rail cars with walls covered in wooden marquetry veneer, scattered Eastern motifs, bars of Chinese and Thai lacquer surrounded by carvings and engraved mirrors… the mental picture was enchanting. What a beautiful way to travel! The countries and cities mentioned made no difference to me. I didn’t know one from the other. I just knew that the Orient would definitely be something I’ve never experienced before. A diverse group of thrilling images filled my mind as I thought of my previous train ride across the states through thriving cities, the breathtaking mountainsides, to the backwoods and muddy rivers. The train will take you safely through places no car would dare to go and provides a view of wondrous sights easily missed if not for the hours of relaxation spent in front of enlarged picture windows. Oh how exciting it will be… on the other side of the world, a train will take me through cities and jungles!! Yes, one day!