Day 1: Travel to Singapore (1/27/24)

Saturday 1/24/24:  Hi blog readers.  Back again and excited for Vietnam 2024.  Thank you for following, I appreciate you.  For new readers, this isn't the typical travel blog.  I'm really going for a blog to help remember what we did; easily share a link for those that travel here one day; be grateful; and stay away from "I'm amazing.  See I did this and ate this and you didn't."  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn't and sometimes (but rarely) I embarrass my lovely wife with bathroom humor, and bad grammar.  Yep. 

Quick shout out to our friends Rob and Andrea Alexander for staying with Sparky for a few days, and driving us to the airport. 

Rob speaking Sparky

And a special thanks to our lovely travel guru Amy Pearl for putting this trip together.  These upcoming days would never happen without her.   A genuine "Thank you Fame" is not enough.  I have officially done nothing, and I'm not 100% sure where we are going.  Stop asking questions, and just fucking trust Amy.  She's Mrs. Trip Trust.  

Amy, where's the LAX lounge?

Feinberg Pre-Game

No doubt some of the trip inspiration came from those that conquered before us....

Ivan and Merkie on the "Gang Danang Bus"

.....and their kids years later on the Singapore Swing.

"It's soooooooooooo tight"

Good thing its only a 12 hour flight to Tokyo; 90 minute layover and then 7.5 hours to Singapore.  Whayyyyyyyy, it's a long flight Jeff.  Whayyyyyyyy.  I watched Bohemian Rapsody, The Fugitive, A Rainy Day in New York and Good Morning Vietnam (I wanted to learn some 'cong history).  But the most educational show was a documentary on how to "fake ask (blink, blink) for a foot massage when what you really want is a little something else.  FootLoose: The Documentary.    

"Oh.  Yes.  Higher."

1/28/24 - Sunday. I skipped this day this year.  Time changes are weird.  How do you just lose 16 hours?  Where did the hours go?  What if I just flew back and forth, would I never age?  Makes me appreciate time.  It's our greatest resource.  Don't waste it.  I also don't understand light years.  So the light I am looking at left 1,000,000 light years ago, and I'm just seeing it now?  What?  You're saying the light I'm seeing is a million years old?  No way. That's some old ass light.  Why didn't it dim sum?

1/29/24 - Monday.  We landed in Singapore around midnight and are staying at the St. Regis.  So far, I'd recommend it.  Very nice and priced right.  We arrived in our room at about 2:00am.  It's very hot and humid in Singapore, apparently all year round.  But we came prepared.

Big Ass Nap Time

When I fly I usually get extreme jet lag (and extreme gas). Who doesn't?  I think arriving at midnight will help my jet lag. After our nap, breakfast and watching the Lions give away a chance for the Super Bowl, we all met in the lobby.  I'm sooooooo (sooooooo = words not enough) grateful for the Pearls, Feinbergs, Fiances, Habeckers, and Sunshine to have traveled across the globe to make these memories.  And thank you Rob and Bethie for the travel hats. #grateful #family1st #mo-phos  

"The Mo-Phos"

Our phirst stop was a walk to the Botanical Gardens.  It's really nice to start the trip off with a nice walk.  A stroll to fully appreciate nature. 

Beautiful Sculptures

Beautiful Gardens

Beautiful People

Beautiful Side Boob - Find it.

When in nature my mind tends to open up and I begin to appreciate the phiner things in life.  Especially when away from home.  These gardens are so majestic.  They spoke to me.  And we all had a Ball.

A Giant Water Ball...

Giant Tree Balls. And....

Giant Meatballs

The giant meatball is from Lavo - where we ate lunch.  But before lunch, I want to share some important Singapore information.  I'm a book of knowledge.  First, I really like Singapore already.  Very city like.  Like Japan, it's super clean and the people are so friendly.  I really like the whole bowing thing.  I'm going to bow more when I get home.  It's one thing to say, "Thank You."  But I'm going to try bowing.  That really means something.  You feel the gratitude.  The people don't just say I'm grateful, they bow I'm grateful.  Instead, we should have thrown our kids "Bow-Mitzvahs" Dad joke.  

Also, did you know almost 90% of the people in Singapore own homes and there are less than 1,500 homeless people.  And no one honks a horn in traffic.  Just think about that.  The Prime Minister of Singapore is Lee Loong.  Better known as "Lee Love You Loong Time."  I always wondered if guys with names like these faced lifetime performance anxiety?  Like my good childhood friends Greg Girth and Harry Hung.

Harry's House

You may also have some friends that grew up with these names.  Please share names with me.  It makes me sad that their parents were not more aware.  It's just not right.  Oh, and how could I forget my little league teammate, Hugh G. Package.

Had a great lunch after the gardens at Lavo.  It was on the 60th phloor of the Marina Sands Hotel.  Great views. Nice. Italian. One in Vegas.  Overall, a 7.5 (or so).

After lunch, the Mo-Phos took a walk through another garden area around the hotel.  

It's sweaty hot, and my gas is full tank

 

One of the reasons it is so clean in Singapore is their signage is clear.  

Very clear.

Very leafy. And...

Very funny.  Classic Rob joke and Bethie laugh.

Jet lag started to hit the Mo-Phos about 5pm.  We walked a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.  Day 1 has been amazing.  A beautiful breakfast, followed by the gardens, followed by a group lunch on the rooftop to kick off our trip.  Making memories...

Don't pull my phinger