Day One in Singapore

Hi all:

Presently relaxing for a few moments after a day spent wandering the packed alleys and streets of the Little India and Chinatown sections of this island country. Our hostel is situated ideally in the Little India neighborhood--a laybryinth of streets that criss-cross--each lined with countless shop stalls with eager merchants hawking their wares. Make eye contact and you'll be acosted with offers of anything from fine silk to intricately designed wooden baskets. Scents of spices and foods assault from seemingly every direction...Tonight...we're taking a bus to the Singapore zoo, where there is apparently a widely acclaimed "night safari"--with animals coming out to eat and explore under the watchful eyes of tourists...should be interesting. Tomorrow, we leave by bus over the border into the Malaysian border town of Johor Bharu...where we will catch another bus to the seaside village of Mersing. From there, we will catch a quick boat ride out to the island of Tioman, which will be our home until next Monday. Snorkeling and some jungle trekking are the island's main draw...so I'm looking forward to that. I'm hoping that we catch some of the coveted breezes there as the humidity and heat here can be taxing. Anyway, I'll try to send some pics later tonight from our first few days here. Amazing experience!

Cheers,

Keith