Singapore - Day 4

Our hotel is located in the harbor area, very close to the Singapore Flyer and the convention center. We were upgraded to the club floor so we're getting plenty of free food and drinks. Our friend Phil had recommended this hotel to us and he was right, it is quite amazing. The open-air lobby reminds me of the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco with the same kind of glass elevators.

We went and saw a performance of the Singapore Symphony at The Esplande. The Esplande building looks like two giant armadillos. The concert hall holds about 1,700people and is quite striking inside. No photography was allowed inside.

Singapore just approved gambling. The Sands Corporation (they own the Venetian in Las Vegas) is building a huge casino/hotel. A park on top connects the three towers. Supposedly, if you live in Singapore, you must pay $100 each time you enter the casino if you want to gamble. Tourists are free. I guess that would certainly discourage locals from gambling.

So far, our experience of Singapore is that you can walk almost anywhere through airconditioned malls and shopping arcades without going outside as everything is connected together by underground passages. We were still a little jet lagged, so we only spent a few hours walking around. Tomorrow, we hope to get in alot more sightseeing.