what we did wrong on our trip to Singapore [and why it felt so right]

do you ever feel pressured to do-see-eat-go everywhere when you're on vacation? maybe it's the travel blogger curse, but sometimes I think people have developed a prejudice against vacations that actually feel like a vacation. we want to get our money's worth, not waste our time, and immerse ourselves in the culture we are visiting. those are all great aspects of travel. but from time to time I just want a vacation, you know? eat good food, get a tan, have some fun and then put my feet up.

Husband and I visited Singapore over Christmas break, and we barely touched what's on most travelers' must-see lists. we didn't see the Merlion fountain, ride the Singapore Flyer, or visit Chinatown. we skipped the night safari and strolling through any of the famous gardens. and perhaps what most would consider our greatest offense: we didn't. even. set foot. inside a hawker stall.

gasp in horror and shut your laptop if you must, but we still accomplished everything we wanted to. maybe this is a weird way to tell you our itinerary. I just feel like there's still value in doing your own thing on a trip, rather than what people expect of you. even if you do encounter a judgmental "I can't believe you went to X without doing Y!" when you get home.

where we stayed in Singapore

like I said, our main goal in visiting Singapore was to relax. with this in mind we decided to splurge a little when it came to our lodgings. some friends of ours like to tell the story of how, during their 3-month budget backpacking trip through Asia, they spent Christmas in Singapore. this story involves a $10 per night hostel where a crew of Germans kept them awake until 4am by watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre clad only in their whitey-tighties. obviously that was not the experience we were looking for.

our first few nights were spent in a quirky boutique hotel called Wanderlust, set in the heart of Little India. each of the rooms is themed by color and song - we were in the Yellow Submarine. while it wasn't the most convenient location for exploring the whole city, it put us near some delicious Indian food [most notably Lagnaa Barefoot Dining] and lots of photo opportunities.

we then relocated the the surfboard, aka the Marina Bay Sands. in my research on Singapore I found extremely conflicting opinions about this place. budget-minded travelers call it a waste of money to stay there since you can visit the skypark separately, but everyone else has the rooftop infinity pool on their bucket list. I can understand why it doesn't make sense to stay here when your main goal is to explore the city. but for us - and our plan to spend all of Christmas Day lounging at said rooftop pool - it was perfect.

what we ate in Singapore

ask anyone what you should eat in Singapore and they will tell you: chili crab and chicken rice. the hawker stalls are famous for cheap and delicious local delicacies. but thanks to my abundance of food allergies, we skipped that. instead, we gorged ourselves in Little India and hunted down foods that we can't find in Taiwan. this included British breakfasts, a fancy Christmas Eve dinner at one of Mario Batali's restaurants [Osteria Mozza] and several meals at Sacha & Sons New York Deli. if you question this decision I have 3 words for you: pastrami. latkes. hollandaise. [also I totally failed on food photos, but my poolside Christmas drink was both delicious and festive.]

what we saw in Singapore

though we skipped many "major attractions" we did a lot of walking around the city - through Little India, Arab Street and Haji Lane, Emerald Hill and Orchard Road. we visited the Asian Civilizations Museum which Husband really enjoyed [he is a history teacher after all] and I was happy just about anywhere, drooling over the colonial architecture.

the view from our hotel room was as close to the famous Gardens by the Bay that we got. we intended to go wander on the night of Christmas, since there was a special holiday light and music thing happening. but after swimming through the crowds exiting the MRT, we realized that pretty much every other person in Singapore had the same idea. so we didn't.

honestly, we spent a lot of time at the pool. I didn't even take "real blogger" photos to document everything. [I do have a hundred pool selfies on my phone though, and a dozen instax photos.] I may not have had a vacation that lends itself to informative blog post writing, but it was just how we wanted to spend our holiday... so I'm happy with it.

don't worry too much though. I did take some photos, mostly of the gorgeous buildings. and you'll be seeing those later. hope you all had a lovely holiday, I certainly did!

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snapshots from the Shilin Night Market

Shilin, like any night market, is an assault on the senses. flashing lights beckon you towards cheap trinkets for sale, while whiffs of stinky tofu drive you in the opposite direction. balloons whirl amidst the pop of darts and the crinkle of plastic-wrapped prizes. the warm glow of a gua bao stall draws you in, glistening red candied tomatoes and strawberries water your mouth. the whir of fruit in blenders makes music with sizzling sausages, clinking glasses, and the laughter of children up way past their bedtime.

from deep in this maze of scents and colors, a temple emerges. nearly every night market has one - the heart of the market around which all this poetic chaos has formed, sometimes over centuries. red lanterns illuminate the night, golden deities shimmer behind a smoke screen of incense.

but most people walk by, more interested in bowls of soup and dog costumes at this time of night.

the people flow through the crowded alleyways, snacking on crispy fried squid and inappropriately shaped desserts. they buy giant stuffed broccolis wearing mustaches, cartoon character luggage tags, bedazzled cropped sweatshirts, iPhone cases shaped like superheroes, and anything decorated in cat faces or Totoro.

you might be elbowed or have your foot stepped on, but don't take it personally. look around and take it all in. whip out your phone for some photos [as I did] or brave your lens in the crowd. play a carnival game or fish for shrimp. buy a funny t-shirt and stuff yourself with questionable street food. that's just what you do: another night at the Shilin Market.

Shilin Night Market can be found just off the MRT at Jiantan station, most stalls are open between 5pm and midnight-ish.

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travel by iPhone: Zhishan + Huiji Temple

while dragons and mountains are some of my favorite Taiwan sightings... I'm also a sucker for red lanterns. so imagine my joy when I discovered that the "hike" to the Huiji Temple in Zhishan Park involved a winding staircase up a mountain, guarded by dragon carvings, and lined with bright red beacons guiding the way.

I actually came into the park the wrong way - or at least the less scenic one. the park is shaped like a squished half-circle, and I entered from the north side along the curve [near the hospital.] I climbed some plain stone steps before reaching the top and spotting the temple roof through the trees. as I wandered closer, I found the lantern-lined stairway and followed it down.

for a more impressive first look, I would suggest entering the park by the gateway on the southwest. that's where you'll spot the giant archway. the steps heading up were numbered, but by the time I had gone all the way down and then made it to the top again, I forgot to look and see how far I'd climbed.

related: there are no pictures of me in this post because I was way too sweaty. trust me, you don't need to see that.

along the stairs you will pass under the old stone Chi-Shan-Yen Gate. fun fact about the romanization of traditional characters into Pinyin words in Taiwan: the spellings are not standardized under a single system. [let me oversimplify by telling you it's for political reasons.] the result is a bit confusing. Chi-Shan and Zhishan are actually the same word, though you will see it spelled both ways depending on what map or road sign you look at.

regardless, it's a cool looking gate. according to the sign nearby, it dates back to 1825 and was one of four used to defend the area during a conflict among Chinese immigrants in the area. going up past the gate an many more lanterns, the stairway emerges at the entrance to the Huiji Temple. guarded by, of course, dragons and a scrolling digital marquee.

there were a few things that kept me from exploring the temple in more detail. one, I was only armed with my iPhone and the battery was at 12%. two, there was either construction or typhoon damage repair going on and it was tough to navigate the barricades and piles of materials. three, some kind of event was happening [involving chanting and a processional around the area] and I didn't want to be that annoying intrusive tourist. also, I was distracted by a cat for a few minutes.

needless to say - I will be returning on a sunnier day, armed with a zoom lens and more battery power.

on the way out I made a detour down another trail, in hopes of an epic mountain-and-city view. the visibility was not great, and there were branches blocking most of the mountains. [maybe next time I should also bring tree trimmers?] it was definitely not the most photogenic day.

regardless, it was fun to explore this colorful little mountain park and get to see a new view of my neighborhood. for those coming from the MRT, the park is only a 15 minute walk west of Zhishan Station.

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