monagustafsonaffinito   CONVERSATIONS

I am anxious to share with you my impressions and not-so-professional photos from this amazing, broadening, heart-warming, one-month trip.

It was a trip through the degrees of recovery from colonialism, civil war, international conflict — the destruction of which human beings are horrifyingly capable. Throughout, it was clear to me that there are no exotic people — only folks like us who have been through lives we can only imagine. And the courage of working to restore devastated countries.

Please, please, don’t cause them any more pain.

I’m sure our view was limited by the fact that we were on paid excursions of our choice. I know that tourists see a different Washington DC than the people who live there, for example. Within that limit, what stood out was the eagerness to show us the best they had.

So, let’s start with Singapore. We spent two nights there before departing for the cruise away from the equator. We were tourists taking delight in a beautiful city-state, unblemished by civil war as the British peacefully left their heritage behind.

Here was the beginning of the Buddhist atmosphere. As in locations we visited later, we found here a close cooperation between religions, as in the temple share by Tauism and Buddhism.

Here was a modern, affluent community, as viewed from Faber Mountain.

Our hotel, the Fairmont, was luxurious, with delightful people in the dining room. As we left, we were each gifted with our favorite hotel brand tea by people who had quickly learned our names.

Exiting the restaurant led us into access to the shopping mall with its many opulent stores.

Finally, the photo at the top reveals the Singapore Flyer, claimed to be the largest ferris wheel in the world, and. to the right, the ArtScience Museum where, among other things, we took a brief course on early photographic methods, bringing home a souvenir attempt of our own.

Comfort, opulence, and appreciation of air conditioning, being practically on the equator.

Things looked different at our next stop.

p.s., I can’t figure out how to remove the reference to Ireland at the top. Any helpers out there?