Moments after a 22 hour flight (!) I was stepping off and/or dragging my gelatinized body from seat row to seat row until successfully exciting the metal tube adorned with wings.
He finally arrived in Singapore! Also, what would soon bear the nickname: SINGA-DINGA!!!
Joining me on this adventure was Taye Hansberry of ByTaye.com along with the one and only – wait. Can I say, ‘one and only’ if there are two…? I can’t be bothered. The two and only, Suarez sisters! Natalie of the hit blog NatalieOffDuty.com her better half, Dylana of the aptly titled, DylanaSuarez.com
Baggage carrousel 7 provided us with goods from our homeland and then we were whisked away in an unmarked black van. Now, I know that you are thinking, “Is Liam Neeson going to have to snag these bloggers back..?” No. This wasn’t ‘TAKEN: The Singa-Dinga Redevoux” The van in question was a Mercedes Sprinter. You see we had to take a large rig to accommodate the ladies luggage. *Stay tuned for my follow-up story titled ‘Ladies who Luggage’ a real nail biter there guys.
We traveled to The Vagabond Club Hotel. An enchanting property in the heart of Little India. I unpacked my suits, brushed these pearly whites and set my alarm for 6 a.m. My trick to beat jet-lag? Sleep (pill induced or what have you) and wake up on local time. My alarm sounds and I spring-roll out of bed. Lace up my nikes and hit the ground running – literally. One thing I need is to know where I am. My perspective of the lay of the land. Singapore is roughly 17 mi by 31 mi. Aka the circumference of my morning run. The weather here is humid, almost wet. Running along the city streets I can see the skyline come into focus. First in sight: Marina Bay Sands, next to the iconic cruise ship in the sky, I spot the Singapore Flyer and then it was all clear. Next up: the Merlion, the ArtScience Museum and the countless Hindu temples that stretched their steeples into thin air.
Nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of Singapore. They call this island, ‘City in a Garden.’ Unlike most things in life – this title actually lived up to the name. Lush greens cover the architecture all throughout the country. Rooftop to rooftop and balcony after balcony, vivid landscape could be seen everywhere. Maybe she was born with it, maybe it’s because the country requires all new construction to be covered in at least 25% plant life. A law that provokes thought as to why the rest of the world? At least LA – come on guys.
I made my way back to the Hotel Vagabond and met up with the ladies who were ready to explore the neighborhood. Seeing how the locals spend their day can be described in one word: inspiring. Everyone practicing the craft they have spent a lifetime perfecting. Pure happiness. This is a life I can get used to.
After a few nights at the Vagabond, we migrated south to the coast of the Singapore Strait, where basecamp would be Hotel Indigo. This was a completely fresh view of the country. The lively city was all around us and her energy was contagious. Peranakan culture and customs in the air. We were living.
For me, Singapore was emotional on a personal level. It may not seem that I am shy and quite uncomfortable having my photo taken on the busy streets of LA or NY – the truth is that at times it can be almost immobilizing. I am a firm believer of that everyone comes into your life, is for a reason. This trip confirms just that – Natalie and Dylana would give me the strength to be – ME.
There is no real way to describe the unconditional love and energy these two women emit. To begin I would need the following: A glitter canon, the Christmas Day Parade from DisneyLand, a unicorn and then for good measure – a first aid kit. Nat and Dy made me feel like we were the only crew in Singa-Dinga. In a country of 5.6 million people, the ladies had me dancing in front of people on the docks while waiting for our boat. Onboard I was singing as if I was Celine Dion at Caesar’s Palace. For one of the first times, I felt invincible. Throughout this trip and seeing these sister’s confidence, gave me a first hand look at how anything is possible.
With that said, here are a few shots from my trip.
Cheers,
TS
