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My first night in Singapore and the heat and the humidity became unbearable. The back of my shirt felt like it was superglued to my skin. This was not Southern California with its Mediterranean climate.
My introductory walk around Singapore invariably led me to Marina Bay Sands. I looked up and glimpsed at a gigantic surfboard on top of three hotel towers.
Did jet lag cloud my perception?
Did I just fly for over 20 hours from California to Singapore to see the world’s largest surfboard?
No, it was just the world's largest public cantilevered platform, part of which overhangs the north tower by over 219 feet.
The three 55-story hotel towers of Marina Bay Sands are connected by a 2.47 acre sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark. The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 478 ft vanishing edge.
In California we say, “Surf's up!” What is Singapore’s version of that?
Happy Travels!
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“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb
Sultan mosque, also known as Masjid Sultan, located along Arab Street in the Kampong Glam area is the traditional heart of Singaporean Muslim life. The grand Sultan Mosque has the familiar onion dome and Moorish styling of the Arabic Muslim influence.
The street leading up to this impressive view is lined with sidewalk cafes, restaurants, fashionable boutiques and souvenir shops.
Check back for more of my Singapore adventures!
Happy Travels!
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“Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that you could call the human condition. I want to communicate the visceral feeling of the beauty and the marvel I found in front of me, during my journeys, when the surprise of being a stranger gets mixed with the joy of familiarity.” - Steve McCurry
What is with the obsession with Steve McCurry? For those not familiar with his work he is the gentlemen that photographed the “Afghan Girl” which ended up being National Geographic’s most iconic front cover. Click this link to read about the story behind the "Afghan Girl."
Check out more of his incredible photography at his blog.
Many consider him the most significant contemporary photographer of the last 25 years. Steve McCurry had an impact on my life the day I saw that National Geographic cover of the Afghan girl. It was then I transition from being primarily a landscape photographer to undertaking the frightening task of photographing strangers in foreign lands.
On my photo tour with Charlie Kwan, we spent some time at the Sri Mariamman Temple which is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple and is located of all places in Chinatown. I loved the colorful murals on the ceiling and I waited for this woman to walk across my frame to give me that, “Steve McCurry,” moment.
This will be my last photograph from my Singapore series. Join me as I venture into my next destination. The beautiful country of Malaysia and Southeast Asia’s best kept secret.
What photographer has had the most influence on your photography?
Happy Travels!
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Singapore has been well-known as a "fine" city, which has been embedded with two different meanings. One as a fine city to be living in while another means fines that keep the country in order.
This city is impeccable clean. It makes Main Street in Disneyland look like the Bronx in New York. How do they do it? Singapore levies a multiple number of fines to maintain their squeaky, clean image.
Here are punishable offenses in Singapore:
The sale of cigarettes to minors (under age 18)
The sale or possession of chewing of gum
Vandalism
Spitting
Littering
Urinating in elevators
Feeding the pigeons
Jaywalking
Possession of firecrackers—caning
Eating or drinking in the subway
Not flushing the toilet
The Possession or trafficking of >20 grams of drugs—death
Now before you cross off Singapore from your travel list keep this in mind, it is a city built for travelers: a clean and efficient public transportation, low crime, easy to navigate airport and diversity of food, culture and religions.
My visit was further enhanced when I met up with fellow Flickr member Charlie Kwan. He was gracious enough to take me around his city and treat me to some great meals. Thank you for your hospitality Charlie.
As part of our photo walk around the city, we photographed around the Marina Bay Sands Resort. I crouched down low with my wide angle lens to capture this amazing foreground of the Artscience Museum with the Marina Bay Hotel Towers in the reflection.
If you have a chance to visit Singapore please do so...just remember to flush the toilet.
Stay tuned for more of my adventures in Southeast Asia.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” - Clifton Fadiman
Singapore is more than just the Marina Bay Sands Resort. Venture around this compact city-state and you will be amazed by the amount of diversity. On a leisurely walk around the city I would come across a Mosque, Christian church, Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple all in one morning.
Singapore maybe diverse when it comes to its culture, food and religion, but one thing they are uniformly known for is their stifling heat and humidity. Coming from a Mediterranean climate of Southern California it took some time to get use to (it took me over a month to condition my body for the Southeast Asia climate).
In Little India is the Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. I could tell you about how it was built in 1855 by Tamil laborers or that the goddess Kali is the destroyer of evil or that in 1942 the locals took refuge in the temple to protect themselves from the invading Japanese army. All I can remember was that is was a very hot day and even hotter inside the temple.
I stared at amazement at the intricate details of the statues along the walls then my mind would wander off about the dangers of dehydrating.
It started to sizzle in the temple.
I listened to the little bells the devotees would ring as they entered the temple to ask for the God’s mercy upon their prayer requests.
As more devotees entered the temple it now became a sauna. I desperately needed a drink of water otherwise I probably would have passed out on the floor and nobody would assist me since they would probably mistaken me as another local prostrated on the ground deep in prayer.
The heat was now escalating to a point of suffocation.
Fatigue began to set in due to the overbearing heat and carrying my heavy DSLR camera surely didn’t help matters, but the pungent smell of the temple kept me awake.
Did I tell you that it was scorching hot inside the temple?
I wanted to head back to the safety of my air-conditioned room, but I reminded myself I did not come halfway across the world to seek safety and security. If I wanted to be comfortable I would have stayed home driving my own car, eating processed foods and paying for over priced Starbucks coffee.
No, I stayed behind and sweated it out. As a result, I witnessed this Hindu priest blessing the devotees. With my wide angle lens I was merely inches from this ceremony that I can almost say I was a part of it.
Looking back I am glad I chose to be uncomfortable that day.
Check back for more of my Singapore adventures!
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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