06 November 2010

Trip to Indonesia, Part 2: Still in Singapore

The plan was to fly from Singapore to Jakarta this afternoon. All was going according to plan, but then this happened:
Mt. Merapi, Indonesia [picture not by me]
Just like Eyafjällajökull (no joking, I actually remembered how to spell that) shut down travel in Europe a few months ago, clouds of ash from the erupting Mt. Merapi has cancelled flights to and from Jakarta, leaving me and my coworkers stranded in Singapore indefinitely. Singapore Airlines, an airline which I can't say enough good things about, offered to put me up in a hotel in Singapore until the ash above Jakarta literally blows over. Not only that, but they paid for my gourmet dinner at my fancy boutique hotel.

My boutique hotel room in Singapore

The very nice bathroom
After dinner, I wandered around the neighborhood by foot. Singapore is a beautiful city/country. The entire place seems to be the perfect mixture of urban landscape and gardens. Everywhere you look are beautiful flowers, picturesque trees, and well-maintained high-rises. My wanderings were cut short by a sudden downpour that would have left me drenched if I hadn't happened to circle back to the hotel at just the right time.
Singapore from my taxi from the airport
More of Singapore's skyline

Hopefully, the ash will blow over tomorrow and I can get to Jakarta then. If not, I can think of worse places of being stuck than this island paradise.

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