Singapore, Straits Settlements

Monday, July 15, 1929

A shower blew up just before we entered into the fine natural harbor of Singapore. The vessels are protected by a number of small islands and the water deep enough to dock along shore. My passport went through OK but for some reason I missed customs examination. Said my adieux and walked off unmolested. A block away I caught a tram-bus, an electrically-driven bus having trolley wires, and started for town. The two-mile ride was practically all through a Chinatown.

The rooms at the Y were all full so I set out to find other quarters, first getting my mail at the AmExpCo and calling in at the American Consulate to check up on visas. I must be ahead of schedule for the mail consisted of letters from Mother and Grandma and a card from Fill Gale. Fill was in Singapore in June, but I have missed him. Well—there was no check at Singapore and I had some $35, not enough to trot down to Java on—and too the best I could do for a hotel was $6.00 ($3.35 U.S.) with food which was a darned sight too steep for me. So I got a French visa for Indo-China for two berries (reduced from ten recently!), then went off sightseeing, leaving my junk at the Y.

Singapore is a large city but there are but few things of special interest to see there. It is well-named “The Cross-roads of the East” for here ships plying both east and west call as well as do those from Africa, Australia, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Siam, etc. Singapore is 80 miles north of the Equator.

To all appearances most of the city seems Chinese. On the streets you see a great mixture of peoples of all nations. In Singapore the Europeans have to act like millionaires— so they say. Here is one that didn’t—at least I doubt if millionaires would crowd in a 2nd class bus with a barrel of [locals], carry luggage about a mile and a half, and walk several more.

The old cathedral and the opera house and its tower lend dignity to the part skirting a large harbor for small crafts, etc. A foul-smelling canal separates this park from the main business section. This canal is cluttered and choked up with hundreds of queer Chinese junks, all painted up and all possessing eyes with which to find the way.

The new business section around the new post office, along the waterfront and Battery Road, rather the old business section becoming slowly renovated, is a busy place. I discovered Kodak films were down to 31¢ here as compared to a possibility of higher prices in Siam, so bought 18.

Left from the Tank Rd. Station at 8PM. But to get a seat I was there at 7. Met my young Indian cabin mate and another who had gone 2nd (the 4th from the ship I had met). The train was a good one, even sporting a restaurant car. No white ever rides 3rd and darned few even 2nd as it is inferior to 2nd in India. Therefore I was not only an object of curiosity, but of surprise as well. The car was jammed to the limit and over. I had a seat—yes—but it wasn’t so large and I had a hard time finding a way to sleep sitting up—till I put my suitcase on end beside me and rested my head on that. The fare was expensive—$5.12 (U.S.) for 481 miles—but then I guess I had my money’s worth from it.

Singapore is on an island—and together with Penang and several other islands, comprise what are known as the Straits Settlements. In less than an hour we had crossed over a long cause-way to the mainland and Johore. Here the ordeal of customs was gone through—the result being an upheaval of the already upheaved car. I was sitting on my blanket and had the suitcase under the seat, so didn’t bother. From then on ticket-collectors waited till you got nearly to sleep—them came around poking you for tickets. I could have cheerfully poked them, especially when after the first, a second customs exam took place. Again I was too sleepy to be bothered.

All in all it was a hectic night as far as sleep and comfort were concerned. There was a bright moon that out-lined jungled hills and plantations of rubber trees. Seems as though I have done some speedy traveling of late—5,400 miles in the last three weeks. Hate to move on at this rate, in fact from now on I go slower and it’s too bad if I run short. I guess fast traveling will do it just as quickly too.

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