Trip to Singapore. Flight there and Day 1

Ever since we've moved back from Singapore (I lived there in jr high and high school) my parents have always wanted to take the family back. Well on March 7 we took the trip of a lifetime to Singapore!! I was so excited to finally be able to show my hubby where I grew up. Going there I knew it would change a lot, it had been 11 years since we were there last, but wow I did not expect EVERYTHING to be different!! After weeks of shopping for the trip and figuring out ways to entertain ourselves on the flight there and back (26 hours one way and 31 start to finish on the way back) we were set to go!!

Thats not to much luggage for a week vacation right?

Getting there was quite the event.....

When we were in the security line at the Minneapolis airport we noticed we only had boarding passes to Chicago and Tokyo, not all the way to Singapore. After checking our baggage tag to see where our bags were supposed to end we noticed they said Tokyo too....not good! We checked with the gate agent and found our luggage was short checked (aka no luggage in Singapore) AND to top that off we didn't have all our tickets and weren't scheduled to go all the way to Singapore. Luckily our gate agent was super helpful and got it all straightened out after a half hour or so. Thinking we were in the clear we took off for Chicago.

SO much leg room in economy plus

Ready for take off

 As we arrived in Chicago we hit HORRIBLE turbulence....I was not a happy camper. Once we finally landed (and believe me it seemed like forever in that wind) we found out my family was still stuck in Chicago and may not make the flight. I was so upset. Ed and I stalled as much as we could getting on the plane and still no family. As they closed one of the plane doors I thought there was no way the family was making it and was super bummed out. Then Jeff popped up the aisle...they made it! Mom and dad looked a little beat from sprinting through the airport but luckily for them they had PLENTY of time (and free alcohol) on the flight to calm them down :)

We all made it to Singapore safely....and with luggage! We exchanged our money:

Flying into Singapore

Everybody's luggage

Ed exchanging our luggage

Singapore money....so colorful! The coin is the $1 coin

The back of the Singapore dollars

We checked into our hotel, the Regent and then headed out to grab some food, the only thing open at 2 am was McDonalds....so McDonalds it was! After that we all crashed!

Day 1: We decided to spend the morning doing our own thing and the meet up later for lunch. Ed, my brother, and I walked Orchard Road ( a big shopping area). I was in awe how much it had changed since we lived there 11 years ago. Even the malls all got face lifts on the exterior! We walked a few miles and then decided to walk by our old condo, pretty much the only thing that was the same! After that we headed over to lunch with our family at an Asian food court. I got my first Chicken Rice of the trip, it was SO good

Mmm chicken rice

Old condo

Jas, Jeff, and me by the hotel pool. This was our 1st xmas card pic in Singapore....17 years ago

Condotel pool

After a trip down memory lane we decided to head to Sentosa, basically a tourist trap but a fun island off Singapore none the less. When we live there, there was not much there...a water park, a beach, mini golf. Now there is a Universal Studios, Zipline, huge developed beach area, lots of resort areas, basically it looks totally different and there are no attractions there now that were there when I lived there! We took cable cars over to the island from Mt Faber and then did the Butterfly Garden and walked to Siloso Beach. We also walked to the Merlion and watched some indoor skydiving...I was so close to doing the indoor sky diving but it was pretty expensive. After sweating at Sentosa all day we went to the hotel pool and swam and had a drink. Very refreshing! We were so tired that night that we didn't stray far for dinner, just went to the Dan Ryans Grill next to the Hotel because we were jet lagged and to tired to walk far! Here are a few pictures from Sentosa and the night:

In the cable car to Sentosa

This is the best pop, can't find it in the states :(

Siloso Beach

The family in the hotel before dinner @ Dan Ryans

The menu at dinner warned that the portions were "American" I'm not sure how to take that

I'd say the first day was off to a VERY successful start to the trip! Will cover the rest of the trip later :)