Sentosa Solo

Yes, I'm still in Singapore. Last weekend I was on my own because the girls went to Thailand while Anjali headed off to Tioman with her school friends. I knew I'd be busy Thursday and Friday night since I was up until about 4:00am each night watching the NCAA tournament on the internet. But for Saturday, I wanted to do something worthwhile rather than wasting the day away. Traveling alone without a plan, while not idea, can have its advantages because you don't feel bound to any sort of schedule, and you can follow your impulses and go at your own pace.

On Friday night I researched some viable day trips for Saturday. My list came down to:

• Geylang - the "red light" district of Singapore where great Durian can be had
• Batam - an Indonesian island where cheap beer is plentiful
• Sentosa - the much-developed amusement park-like island off the southern coast of Singapore

I thought Batam would be the place to go because there is a brewery there that serves green algae beer that I wanted to check out. But after reading more about Batam, it sounds like a place that is pretty much for men who are looking for "companionship". I'm okay there, thanks. So I decided to go with the simple, relaxing choice and head to Sentosa.

After checking NCAA scores on Saturday morning - and finding out that GMU knocked off UNC to make the Sweet 16 - I headed to the MRT with my beach backpack ready. Took the MRT down to Harbour Front, then a $3 bus ride to Sentosa. Sentosa is a pristine, almost too perfect, island that has attractions such as Underwater World, cable car rides, and cruises. There are also three beaches, ample volleyball courts, and hiking trails. I decided once I got there that I would spend all day at the beach, just roaming around...

And that's what I did. In addition to laying around for about 4 hours, I played beach volleyball for a little bit with some locals. Siloso beach is full of kids playing sports, swimming, listening to music, or just catching some rays. It was nice to see a beach full of fit young people, as opposed to the old beached whales I've seen at Bali and Langkawi resorts. I also walked around a bit down to the "southern most point of continental Asia", somewhat a gimmick but still something worth checking out if you're in Sentosa.

In the evening I hopped on a bus back to the MRT and stopped by Whatever Cafe for another tasty vegetarian dinner. After that, I strolled down Chinatown, stopped at a street-side restaurant for a pint of Tiger and some people watching, and eventually headed back home where I proceeded to crash for a few hours before tuning in to more middle-of-the-night NCAA hoops.