Scott Barronton (00:00)
Singapore it's one of the places we've always been curious about futuristic efficient spotless and packed with flavor But on this trip, we're only gonna have one full day to explore before flying to Hong Kong for the last leg of our trip and This time I'm gonna be on crutches. So instead of trying to do it all we're planning one intentional day slower more meaningful and designed to show
that even with limited time and limited mobility, you can still find wonder in travel. Well, this is our plan for seeing the best of Singapore at our own pace.
Speaker 2 (00:44)
We're Scott and Melissa, The Sunshine Travelers.
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We're all about exploring the world and sharing the journey with you. Whether you're a seasoned traveler, dreaming of your next adventure, or just here for the stories.
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So buckle up and get ready to travel with us.
Scott Barronton (01:11)
Well, Melissa, it looks like we're going to do another cruise with me having some type of mobility issues again. I've got an MRI this week, but it's not looking good that this will be a short lived injury.
I wish I could say that we were doing something exotic when I injured myself, but I believe it happened while we were in Austin at the F1 race a couple of weekends ago. And really we were just walking. Yeah. So we actually ended up walking a good bit that weekend. I think a lot more than we had thought. So yeah, who knows? I mean, I've broken my foot before like walking downstairs, turned my ankle. And then I,
strained my perineal tendon running that marathon that time. So I do sympathize with the pain that you were in because I literally could not walk. I understand. I glad that we have that recorded. So I'm wondering, I know I asked you this earlier, so we'll have to update everyone. I'm wondering if like a knee scooter is going to be a good idea. That's what we had.
The last time we did the cruise and of course we did a couple of trips that time when you had the knee scooter and that did help some, especially if you're going to be like in a boot or something. So I guess we will find out and an update. So Scott, that brings up another story that I wanted to talk about quickly before getting started on Singapore. So when we left for Austin, we got all the way to the TSA line.
And Scott realized that he did not bring his wallet. Yeah. Well, normally that isn't a huge deal except my ID was in my wallet. And so we wanted to talk real quick about what happens if you try to go through TSA without an ID. And Scott, wanted to briefly say that I knew that you could do it. It just requires some more steps.
We didn't feel like though we had like a huge amount of time. were running a little bit behind where we normally like to be, even though Jacksonville doesn't take that long. We had to park and take a shuttle. and so I was just like, okay, we need to hurry and like get this process going. So unfortunately though, I think like if you were at a super busy airport, like you might be hard pressed to like make your flight if this happened, just FYI. Yeah. So let's talk about it like in terms of you didn't
leave the house and forget your wallet, but maybe your wallet was lost or stolen on a trip and now you've got to go through TSA without an ID. And it really wasn't a bad process. It just takes some time. So let's, let's talk a little bit about what that was. They had to call over a supervisor and she came and had some notes and, a couple of forms that she had to, to fill out.
and that I had to sign. And then she called someone on the telephone. I don't know if she was calling like, the head of the TSA or somebody in an office. I don't know who she was calling. Thankfully someone did answer. And they asked me several questions through her. And so it was questions like my full name, my birthday.
⁓ she told me to be prepared that the questions might even go as far as like, what's the nearest hospital to where we live and things like that. It's things that you couldn't just happen to know about someone. for me, it was about what kind of car that I have registered. they asked about, someone who is related to me and their birthday.
And thankfully I knew all of that information. but we have heard that they can ask you things like, what is the nearest park to your house or something like that. And if you don't happen or a church closest to your house, and if you don't happen to know that information, you might be a little bit stuck. Yeah. So I was actually talking to another TSA like supervisor.
while I was waiting for you. And that's what he was telling me. said, I don't know if I could pass this like, because he knew, I guess, from experience, like what they ask and yeah, landmarks and different things like that. And also, to know that then they thoroughly search your bags as well. So it doesn't just go through the scanner, they have to physically like look through your bags. Yeah, I told the poor lady and I think she was having a bad day and
I just want to shout out the Jacksonville TSA people because they're just always so friendly. But I think in this case, she was having a bad day. You know, they're not getting paid right now. They're working. And, so as she was looking through, I just kind of found the right moment and said, I am so sorry that I don't have anything interesting in there for you to look at. and she just kind of smiled and,
finished what she had to do and gave everything back. I, I told her, said, I really do hope that your day gets better as it goes along. So another interesting thing is that as we were starting this process, the people at the TSA asked you, well, don't you have your digital ID in your wallet? Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, except for Florida is not one of those States where you can put your digital ID in your wallet.
And which I thought that was kind of funny that the TSA people in Florida were asking me that question. And then so I pulled it up and I showed it to them and they're like, huh, well I'll be. it very well could be because we are close to Georgia and maybe some of them live in Georgia. Georgia is one of the states that you can add it to your digital wallet. And the one that we are referencing is your Apple wallet. So there's other ones that are Google wallet and different things like that. But
So currently at the time of when we're recording this, and this could change at any time, but 11 states plus Puerto Rico, you can currently add to your Apple wallet. You can also go, because I was curious, you can also go to the TSA website and look to see like what states and some others. So there are some other states, but they get saved somewhere else as well. And there are signs, for example, when we left Austin, there are signs that says you can use your digital ID here.
We should also mention, because we had the discussion, okay, and well now we've got to get back, that we did use the clear line to get back. There's not one in Jacksonville, but we have that. We used that in Austin. Technically, you're supposed to have your physical ID on you, even if you have the digital ID or the clear. But of course, that was lucky in our case. And let me just say that having a
picture of your ID is not sufficient because we did have a digital picture of my ID, but they cannot accept that. just so you know, that digital ID, you have to actually add that to your phone when you have your physical ID on your person, right? So like you have to do something and scan it and that kind of thing. So it's not like you could just say, ⁓ I don't have my ID. anyway, so just don't forget your ID.
I think we're very aware of this and making sure we have it when it's a passport. So, yeah. I'm curious, has anybody else ever had this happen to them before? And if so, what was your experience? Shoot me an email, scott at sunshinetravelers.com, because I'd love to hear your whole story.
So Scott, let's talk about the good news for this trip. From what we can tell, Singapore seems like it's amazingly accessible from, like I said, from everything that we are reading. Yeah, I've been reading about it as someone who's going to be hobbling around. And I have to say, it seems like Singapore might be one of the easiest cities in the world to navigate,
even with mobility challenges. it's probably a good thing we're not, say, going to Italy? Yeah, definitely a good thing we're not going to Italy or, Mexico where, the steps may be, a couple of feet.
Santorini is another one probably. But anyway, for Singapore, the city or at least the part that we are gonna spend our time in seems pretty compact. Sidewalks are smooth. There are elevators everywhere
And everything from trains to attractions are set up for accessibility. So it seems to be clean, safe, and easy. And not only does that make it ideal for a short stay like ours, but also because we're going to navigate you just being able to get around and still be able to enjoy it.
Yeah, so instead of rushing through checklists like we would normally do all the things that we want to go and see and do, we've kind of built our day around a couple of simple goals. Number one is we want to see the heart of Singapore and taste a bit of its soul.
So Melissa, let's talk just kind of a little bit about Singapore and what is it that, besides the fact that's where our cruise is gonna end, but what are some of the interesting things that would draw someone to visit Singapore? So I would say for me, like what I've seen of Singapore is obviously just...
like the skyline and how it's built, as far as being a city. Of course, several years ago, we watched the amazing hotels and were introduced to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. And they did a segment on that where they worked and they showed that and it is known for its rooftop pool.
which part of that is only accessible if you stay there. But just being able to or think about going into that because you could go into that and see their shopping and just the way that it's laid out. And then of course the gardens by the bay and the flowers and they have a night show with the lights and stuff there. So I think for me, those were the things ⁓ besides the airport that we're also gonna talk about.
I think those were probably like the three things that I knew about and would like to see for myself. Yeah, one thing that I've definitely heard about Singapore is it's very expensive. I don't know if you've heard that as well. They say it's one of the most expensive cities in the world, especially if you live there. Yeah, so I've definitely heard that.
So Scott, we will be getting off the cruise ship early in the morning. So that actually works out well for our itinerary. And so we plan to head to the hotel, which is near Gardens by the Bay to drop our stuff so that we can then get out and explore. So we will start at the Gardens by the Bay, which honestly looks like something from another planet. And because I think we love gardens and botanical gardens and things like that, I think this is going to be super interesting for us.
Yeah, looks real futuristic, but also very peaceful. it's filled with cool, misty air and incredible plant life. a couple of, things they talk about are the cloud forest and the flower dome and both of those being fully accessible, they're climate controlled so we can enjoy them at our own pace without worrying about the heat or stairs or anything like that.
So then right outside of that is the Super Tree Grove. They're towering structures that look like big trees. And that's probably what a lot of people think of when they think of Singapore. That must look like big fountains, sort of. But I think they are intended to look like, large trees. Yeah, so they light up at night.
But of course breathtaking during the day and so they've got shaded walkways and benches and even trams. So I think that's gonna be a perfect start for anyone with mobility issues or anyone who just wants to take it slow and really see things as well. So I do know that for the cloud forest, the flower dome, that inside part, there is a ticket required for that.
And then after exploring the gardens, we'll head next door to Marina Bay Sands. And when I say next door, I mean, it is literally connected by a bridge. And so that's all very easy to reach and it stays air conditioned the whole way. Most of there's a reason why we talk about the air conditioning. Yeah. So we actually going to be there. It's going to be quite warm. but also the rainy season when we're there as well. So.
it's going to be nice to be inside those climate controlled areas. So whether it's really warm or it's really wet, we'll be able to enjoy quite comfortably. So there are a couple of places where we can grab a bite of lunch with an amazing view on the top of the Marina Bay Sands.
⁓ Spago, which I believe is a wolf game puck or C'est la vie both have sweeping views of the skyline. So either one of these places will make a great place to enjoy a bite of lunch and enjoy the views. really do hope that, like I mentioned before, the pool is only accessible if you stay there. I really do hope that we can at least get up there and see that. So we can't wait to share those views from there with you. And this kind of fits our theme.
perfectly slowing down, soaking up the view and not trying to cram too much in. This is going to be at the end of a really long trip. Good news is, is that we're going to have lots of days at sea where we can kind of slow down and just rest and relax a little bit. I am going to be working on those days at sea. So I've figured out kind of a modified schedule.
that allows me to spend some time working both European hours with my team based out of Europe as well as early morning Eastern hours for all of those here in the US.
And then you listen to last week's episode, Colin talked about the amazing food in Singapore. He even talked about some of the hawker places that have a Michelin star. So think about this. This is a little, street food.
that has a Michelin star. Yeah. so I'm curious if these will be the same, I assume. So more like a food court type of a place, right? But they're run by individual people. like we think of it probably more, as like you said, street food or little food trucks or something like that, these individual families. So maybe we should probably just like do a snack.
up at the top of the Marina Bay Sands or a small bite and then save our appetites for the Hawker Center. So Scott, we've narrowed it down probably to, and I'm not sure how you say it, but maybe La Paz-Sat, which is right in the middle of the financial district. And so that will be easy for us to get to from Marina Bay as well. Yeah, they've got everything from the satay skewers to chili crab to the hyenas.
chicken rice, which Colin also talked about, all in an open, covered setting that's level and very accessible. Yeah, and hopefully we will be like a pro at this after we experience the ones in Malaysia. So this will be after that. So we'll probably record a little segment there so we can describe the sounds and the smells.
and just that incredible energy of shared dining because he did tell us that places like this are definitely a place where locals go.
And I think this was probably going to be one of my favorite parts of the day. We don't have to worry about making reservations there.
You just go and enjoy a meal that is so central to who Singapore really is.
So Scott, after that, think to end the day, we'll stay nearby for the Spectral Light and Water Show at Marina Bay.
Yeah. ⁓ so this is a free, thing kind of like, guess, going to Vegas, if you wanted to try to compare it to something, ⁓ there's plenty of benches right along the promenade. So we can grab a seat, take in the skyline and just watch the show unfold. Yeah. So I think that's going to be a great way to just wrap up our short time in the city. ⁓ I think that checks all the boxes and we also wanted to make sure that we chose a hotel location.
that was central to this. I think it's so important to just keep that in the back of your mind when you're looking. I looked at a couple of other options and one was gonna be far away. So even if like in between a couple of these things or before the light show, we wanted to go back to the hotel, I think that's just a really good thing to keep in mind. So I think just...
having some time to sit still and enjoy like a bite to eat or enjoy the gardens, enjoy the views, enjoy eating at the hawker and just letting Singapore show us what it is all around us. Yeah, I think that's the good thing about Singapore is we don't have to go very far to be able to experience it.
Well, now normally the airport marks the end of a trip, but in Singapore, it's more of an attraction that you almost need to plan for. Yeah. So I told you when we were planning for this, we were looking at flights. said, so after this, we are leaving to go to Hong Kong, but I didn't want to have an early flight, but I also don't want to plan anything. Like we need to get up and we need to go to the airport. which really seems strange, but
because we'll be heading to the Jool Chang Gai Airport to leave for Hong Kong, it is the home of the rain vortex and it's the world's tallest indoor waterfall. You may have seen pictures or videos of that. It's surrounded by lush gardens, suspended bridges, cafes, all designed to be accessible and easy to navigate. So even if you're on crutches.
Hopefully you can still wander it and maybe sit with a coffee and just take it all in. And so, like I said, our plan is to just get there in plenty of time in order to relax and enjoy this. Now, when looking at the location of this, this is also what's interesting because there's also lots of shops and all kinds of things here. And when you look at the name of the airport, it doesn't say airport on Google. It comes up as the category as shopping mall.
which I just thought was very funny. you know, this place is going to be something else when the airport website has itineraries listed for visiting this attraction.
So not only does it have the world's largest waterfall and these lush tropical gardens, there's also approximately 250 stores to shop and dine in. that makes sense then probably why it's listed as a shopping mall. So apparently that part though, you experience that or can go to that before you go through security as well from what I understand. So we'll see. Yeah, we'll just have to see what do you do with your bags?
Yeah. Well, and we've talked about this, like we plan on, you know, packing as light as we can. I don't, and we do, we may be planning to like check things too. So I don't know if you can check your bags and then, you know, it's like the in between the checking it in and go through security. So we will update you on that. We'll let you know what the, what the process is on this. Either way, whether I'm on a knee scooter or crutches.
Like carrying bags is not going to be much of an option. No, I see an e-bag backpack in your future for this trip. I'm going to be honest with you. Either that or my Patagonia backpack. Yeah, well, a backpack that carries a lot of stuff that think that's definitely going to be the way to go. So before we close out, let's just circle back to what we talked about. The weather will be like. So when we are there,
So it is going to be hot. Singapore is equatorial. So, and then this time of year, it's 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, humid. And like I mentioned, daily rain. It's going to be during the wet season. I have a friend who went recently back in the summer and she said, somebody told her that the temperature there is hot, hotter and hottest is basically. So she was like, when are you going to go? Like, how hot is it going to be? So I thought that was interesting. So we will update you on that as well.
So Scott, we're have to think through like what we plan to wear. So obviously we want light, breathable fabrics that, can get wet, that kind of thing, but locals dress neatly, even in the heat. So we're gonna have to think about those things. So lightweight, moisture wicking, clothing. I think we definitely are gonna wanna plan to have like a mini umbrella, rain jacket with us for this whole trip. So I'm definitely thinking through now some outfits that, look nice, but kind of do.
double duty.
Well, one day in Singapore really doesn't sound like it's enough, but it is one city that proves you don't need a week or perfect mobility to experience something extraordinary. This trip will remind us to slow down a little bit, focus on the details and appreciate the moments that might otherwise rush by. You know, the world is still full of sunshine and surprises. Make 2025 the year that you explore beyond the familiar.
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