Singapore

Recently we went to Singapore and Bali for two weeks. It was only the second time I've been overseas and my first trip to Asia.

This is a statue on Sentosa Island of the "merlion," the ancient mythic symbol of the Singaporean peoples. Actually, it's not ancient. It was created by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1964. This statue stands about 121 feet tall. To get a sense of scale, there's an observation platform in the merlion's mouth.

These are of the Sultan Mosque, from the Arab Street area.

One of the kookiest and most interesting spots in Singapore is Haw Par Villa, a sort of amusement park created by the owner of the company that makes Tiger Balm. Most of the place features statues and dioramas of Chinese mythology, especially lurid, explicit depictions of the Ten Courts of Hell. But there was also a couple of these cute Tiger Balm mascot statues. They look like they're circa 1960s.

We stayed with our friends at a fancy residential complex. This was the community clubhouse by the pool.

The Gardens by the Bay, as seen from the top of the Singapore Flyer, a giant ferris wheel. The two oblong buildings are giant greenhouses, and those structures to the right of it are "supertrees," giant vertical gardens. Beyond it you can see dozens of ships waiting to come into port.