SINGAPORE

Having heard that Singapore is a shoppers’ paradise, Nancy could hardly wait to “hit the streets” and go shopping along Orchard Road. But it was not what we expected: All along the road are high rise office buildings, the first few floors of which are shops. You can do the few shops on the ground floor, but to continue, you must take an elevator. Because each building has so many shops- and there is no way to know what is in each, the shopping experience is very detached. It is not at all like browsing along Las Ramblas in Barcelona, or along the Champs Elysees in Paris. It turned out to be less fun than shopping Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.What proved to be the most enjoyable experience was an afternoon spent at Sentosa Island, a lovely resort/park area crammed full of ‘do-able’ activities. There are several ways to get to this place: for the physically challenged, especially those in wheelchairs, they recommend taking the ferry, but the most scenic and spectacular way is to take the cable car across the harbor. This provides outstanding views of the city below you, and is a most pleasant interlude in itself.
Unfortunately, there are a number of stairs at the end of the ride, and it was necessary for me to go hunting a few lads who could carry Nan up the stairs in her wheelchair. But we did it, and none of the fellows who helped us, both on arrival and on departure, would take any money. If anything, two of the young men thanked us for letting them help!