And here’s where I round up all the miscellaneous photos from my three full days in Singapore. I have some goodies for you…

I snap the photo below-left before I even pass through immigration. Death for drug traffickers.. I have been warned!

The photo below-right is a spicy chicken and noodle dish I pick up from a street vendor. It’s delicious but too hot for my taste buds and I recall grasping for my water bottle mid-bite.

I stay at the BEST hostel in Singapore: Wink Hostel.

I read its outstanding reviews on TripAdvisor and then contacted management about staying there. They kindly offer me 20% off with no strings attached — there’s no stipulation about reviewing it on my blog.

But guess what? I love it there and can’t wait to rave about it.

Beds are around $40 USD per night, pricy for a hostel but actually fairly typical of Singapore, which is more expensive than most of SE Asia.

They have pod-style beds, my first time staying in this sort of accommodation. Turns out they are perfect for privacy and quiet. And I dig the neon light — it’s only that color when you first walk in, so you know which bed is yours (you wave your key card to get into the door and it recognizes your bed… so futuristic).

Not only is the bed super comfortable, but the room itself is kept at a blissfully cool temperature — which is such a relief to come home to after a day of exploring in the humidity of Singapore.

There’s also individual reading lights and power outlets, which is much appreciated. A giant locker under the bed holds your suitcase / backpack (it’s locked electronically by your key card).

Oh, and my favorite part about this hostel is the lightening-fast Wifi connection. During my three nights there, I download all five seasons of Friday Night Lights. I only wish all hostels (and countries) had Wifi that fast!

Here’s the view from our room:

And a few shots from around the hostel:

Why hello back at you!

The hostel owner provides local maps for guests and he highlights nearby Maxwell Food Center, saying it’s the best place to get delicious, cheap, local food. He suggests I go to the stall with the longest line and it’ll have the best food.

He’s right.

The most popular dish here in Singapore is chicken rice, a simple and flavorful combination that literally melts in my mouth.

Thank you, Anthony Bourdain.

Afterwards I wander around the area and buy some postcards.

These are durians, the most nasty “fruit” on Earth. I can only describe its smell as putrid. Many hotels don’t allow them to be brought in.

And yet Singapore McDonalds locations offer a durian McFlurry…! I actually try it before I realize how gross this flavor tastes. The McD version is souped up with lots of sugar so you don’t notice the stench of death quite so plainly. But now my nose is more acquainted with that scent and I get nauseous any time I pass it on the street in Asia.

On a more pleasant note, here’s a table of food offerings:

And my morning breakfast at Wink Hostel:

Another place the hostel owner suggests I check out is a local neighborhood; he highlights several on a map (I don’t recall which one I ended up visiting). It turns out that most Singaporeans own their own homes (or condos) because the government helps make that possible by building endless complexes of units.

So I take the metro out to one of these suburbs and walk around — it’s just a pleasant neighborhood with lots of shops and restaurants. I don’t see any other tourists here and everyone is going about their daily life, coming home from work or school as I pass through in late afternoon.

I buy a slice of peanut cake.

Later that evening I have my final meal at Artichoke, a restaurant that a Facebook friend recommended on-line weeks earlier. It’s delicious and I’m glad I made the effort to find this place.

Funny story — I pass by this building and, upon first glance, I think it reads “Asian Shenanigans Museum.”

Which is hilarious, right? Clearly I need to have my eyes checked. Incidentally, I would totally go to a Asian Shenanigans Museum. Or American Shenanigans Museum, for that matter.

I’ll end with my favorite night shots around Chinatown. It’s close to the hostel so I walk through each night and never get tired of snapping photos of those bright red lanterns.

And that’s a wrap from Singapore!

I’ll be back tomorrow with my final budget breakdown. Then onwards to Indonesia!