First stop: Singapore!

 So this trip is going to have a few firsts. Ready?:

1. First time either of us have been to these countries and biked them. All the other biking trips we did we had been there before (or one of us had been there before) so at least it was somewhat familiar. Now we're really going into uncharted waters.
2. First time crossing into another country via a land (or bridge) crossing.
3. First time being this close to the equator (1.3° N) Because of it, we have an equal 12 hours of daylight and darkness. Normally when we're doing a winter tour we don't have the luxury of sunlight on our side and are force to limit our riding time. Now we can indulge.
4. And first time biking during Christmas! Note: it does not feel like Christmas.

This is going to be a neat adventure!!!! I love biking.

We flew on Scoot (which is the Spirit Airlines of Southeast Asia) for a 5 hour nonstop flight from Okinawa to Singapore for a couple hundred gold coins.

The flight attendant asked all the kids to come up to the front of the plane during the flight to play a game and get a treat. Lily Rose came back with this in hand and I couldn't deny her the privilege any longer. She had her first sucker!

Our friend Jac, that we hosted earlier this year in Okinawa, repaid us the favor 10 fold and met us at the airport (despite two hour delays and temporarily lost bike trailer). She gave us a royal welcome to the country guiding us along bike trails, quieter roads, and dinner before dropping us off at our Warmshowers host for the evening.

Singapore airport is decadent. This was an indoor waterfall next to the mall.

Apart from the delayed flight and temporarily lost luggage, this was the worst start to any biking trip thus far. Mostly because I'm a dummy and don't know how to attach the derailleurs back on the bikes properly. The ripple affect from these set backs affected us greatly towards the end of our trip we later realized. 

Despite all that we experienced a great many Tender Mercies of the Lord throughout the entire journey during this trip.

We may be limping along but we're off!

Where else in the world can you pedal your bike to and from a busy international airport along a bike path stress free? Most airports are so locked down that your only two choices are car or train. I've experienced first hand that Singapore is not only one of the most walkable cities on earth but bikeable. Now that's rare.

We pedaled for our lives to get away from all the dinosaurs.

This was so fun!

Look at that long neck.

Speaking of necks, Lily Rose has a poor broken neck here.

Now I'm going to expose one of the myths of Singapore: No trash on the ground anywhere. Despite there being cameras all over the place. Look

Since it's blurry you know it's not AI.

Look at all that. 

And this was just our first few miles and we encountered all this!!

People sitting in the middle of our bike path drinking. Public drunkenness What is this new world we're in.

Riding along the path

Jac took us to a Hawkers. They are a bunch of food vendors selling local food for cheap commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia. 

First of many coconut water drinks. I'd rather drink something else but it kind of quenches the thirst since it's so humid here so I obliged.

Delicioussssssssss.

Jac is such a great tour guide! And she didn't even need to reference her phone to navigate.

Our Warmshowers host Jin is teaching us the art of basking in the morning sunlight.

What a great view!

The Bean got a toy from Grandma that she cherished and cradled and fought over with Joaquim the whole trip.

Went to Decathlon bike shop to figure out what's wrong with our derailleurs. They showed me the proper way to install them. We picked up a few other supplies.

Jin and the White Dragon are pals.

Jin fed us delicious meals during our stay at his house. The Bean is feeding Peppa.

We decided to stay a day instead of starting our journey. So we explored the decadence of Singapore. And it didn't disappoint.

The famous Boat Hotel. Someday I want to stay the night there. Even if it costs a small fortune.

Singapore gives Hong Kong A run for its money. 

Eating dinner at another Hawkers!

Boat Hotel all lit up.

Jac got us free tickets to go on top. The night lights were all neat from above.

Coolo.

We didn't have time to visit the Supertree Grove. That means we get to come back and make another trip.

It does not feel like Christmas despite being December 22nd.

Reading books before bedtime. Our non-negotiable.