SIN, Singapore
Saturday, July 1, 2006
There is not quick and painless route by which to travel to Bunaken Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia. You must first fly to Singapore, spend the night, and continue your trip in the morning. We happened to arrive for our splendid evening of duty-free bliss on the eve of the Germany - Argentina World Cup Quarterfinal Match. We were able to secure a room at the transit hotel, which means that we never cleared customs in Singapore, and were citizens without a country for an evening. Singapore Changi airport is a major Asian hub and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people milling around the transit mall, day and night. The men had intended to catch some of the football (soccer) match on the TVs in our rooms, but for some reason, it wasn't broadcast on the hotel TV. Not to worry though, since the airport had set up huge viewing areas equipped with multiple large High Definition televisions and stadium seating for our viewing pleasure. Dad, Nate and I caught all of regulation of the match, after which Germany and Argentina were tied 1-1. We decided, however, that we couldn't possibly stay awake for OT, so we had to hear that Germany won on PKs, in the morning. Karen and Mom busied themselves trying on all the high-end perfumes available.
We crashed out, exhausted, and excited about the trip ahead.
