I am enchanted. I am captivated. From the moment I arrived this city/state it felt like home – it was instantly familiar to me. No matter where I wander I seem to instinctively know where I am without having to look at a map. Alone I have walked its streets until midnight, carrying expensive photo equipment on my back without feeling the slightest apprehension. Singapore is one of those places where people come for a visit and stay forever. It is not hard to understand why:

• Singapore is safe. There is virtually no crime because it is a small island state – criminals cannot easily escape. Plus, the penalties for crime are steep. They regularly carry out the death penalty for drug trafficking. Yet I haven’t see any police presence during my stay.
• English is the first language in Singapore
• Singapore is multi-cultural and diverse
• The cost of living is reasonable and the quality of life is high
• Singapore is modern, with all the same conveniences found in the United States
• The sewers and toilets work and the city does not smell like most Asian cities
• It tap water is safe to drink
• The people of Singapore are exceedingly friendly and welcoming
• The weather is warm year-round, without excessive heat most of the year
• The residency and migration requirements are lenient
• It is a highly moral and ethical society – everywhere there are signs that the population wants to do what is correct and right. There is no litter or graffiti in Singapore. There are no homeless. No houses of ill repute to which the government turns a blind eye. Even the schoolchildren, when interviewed on TV, are explaining how it is wrong to “bully” on the Internet.

With only one more day in Singapore I tried to cram as much into today as possible, beginning with a visit to the famous Sultan Mosque on Arab Street where, much to my surprise, I was permitted to go inside. Most mosques are off-limit to non-Muslims, but this one allows visitors to view the main worship hall from the entryway and corridor surrounding it.

Sultan Mosque on Arab Street

Sultan Mosque on Arab Street

Outside the mosque, rows of shops run by Muslim merchants line Arab Street’s pedestrian mall and dozens of tiny houses butt up against one another in the narrow streets and alleyways surrounding the mosque.

Arab Street

Arab Street

From Arab Street I walked back to the city center and continued my tour of the city sights, some of which are pictured below.

The Malaysia Center, which promotes tourism in Malaysia, is just a block off Arab Street

For $23 you can take a half-hour tethered flight to get a bird's eye view of the city

St. Andrews Cathedral is known for its multi-color stained glass windows

Esplanade Theatres On The Bay is the center for musical performances and plays live theater performances

Looking down the Singapore River from the Esplanade Theatres On The Bay to the world's largest Ferris wheel, which is currently under construction on the waterfront

Downtown is reflected in one of the pools at Esplanade Theatres On The Bay

Tan Kim Seng Fountain, one of numerous monuments and fountains found in Singapore's many parks

Giant lion water fountain at Merlion Park, where the Singapore River meets the harbor leading to the ocean

Ancient Civilizations Museum on the downtown riverfront

Victoria Theatre on the downtown riverfront

Singaporeans out for an evening stroll along the downtown riverfront

Tomorrow I check out of my hotel by 10 AM and store my luggage for the day, since my flight to Johannesburg, South Africa does not leave until 2:15 in the morning. I’ve visited Little India and Arab Street, so it is only fitting that tomorrow should be dedicated to seeing Singapore’s Chinatown before catching a taxi to the airport around 11 PM.

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