We have a 3 pm flight on JetStar to Jakarta. After a leisurely breakfast we check-out of the hotel at 11:30 and grab a taxi to the airport. As we drive along the tree-lined roads we once again vow to come back.

There are more people in the airport than we encountered in Kuala Lumpur, but once again no one is in line for check-in and we breeze through Immigration. William is hobbling through, but it will be difficult for him to make it all the way to the gate. Right after Security is an information booth. They provide free wheel chairs for use in the airport, and they can be left at the gate. Great information!

Nearby is one of the three lounges where we can use with Priority Pass. We take the escalator up, check-in and soon are settled at a table near the entrance, 15 feet from the food buffet and a short distance to the toilets. A trifecta!

We allow some extra time to get to our gate, but decide to use the wheelchair. William settles in and off we go! I only make one abrupt turn and William does not fall out so we are okay. I wish we had a photo.

Upon arrival in Jakarta we must fill out a form telling the authorities what countries we have been to in the past 21 days and affirming that we do not have symptoms of the coronavirus. They also provide us with information on who to call if we develop symptoms.

The taxi takes us to our Jakarta condo at Thamrin City. We follow the instructions provided by our Airbnb Host to obtain the keys for Unit 25AC. We knew the condo would be small and we’re paying 35% less than what we paid in Kuala Lumpur, but it’s a bit of a letdown. Oh well, we’ll make the best of it for the next 8 days. The good news is that the condo building is part of a mall complex and it is only 200 meters to the entrance of the upscale Grand Indonesia Plaza Mall.

For dinner we go downstairs to the Thamrin City Mall. None of the restaurants we find are very upscale, but we choose what looks like the nicest - Warung Tekka, an Indonesian restaurant. Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim Country (87%); there’s no alcohol and no pork on the menu. However, William orders an appetizer of deep fried chicken skin. Very good!

Happy Leap Day.  William’s foot still hurts, so I’m off on my own today to the Singapore National Gallery.  Along the way I continue to be amazed at how clean the city is.  I guess outlawing chewing gum and spitting is just an indicator of their commitment to cleanliness.

The Gallery is housed in the Old City Hall and Supreme Court Buildings, which are joined by an atrium and walkways. In the City Hall Chamber there’s a 10-15 minute dynamic video presentation of the nation’s past which took place within or around the building, from it’s completion in 1929, through Japanese Occupation, through forming their own government and finally independence in 1966. Very interesting!

​The Gallery contains art from Singapore and throughout South East Asia. Some of my favorite pieces are a self-portrait of Georgette Chen and her portrait of her husband Eugene as well as the ceramic Mother and Child. Of course there are other pieces which catch my eye as well.

There’s an exhibit of the Singaporean photographer Chua Soo Bin. I found a quote of his to be very insightful.

​In addition to the art I also enjoy the beauty of the wood in the former courtrooms.

I finally make my way to the Padang Deck on the top floor of the City Hall building. It provides a wonderful view of some of the city.

William has been in the hotel room resting his foot all day (which is feeling a little better) and he is very motivated to go out for dinner. We slowly walk over to Jumbo Seafood, which is well known for it’s Chili Crab and Black Pepper Crab. Of course I order crab. A 1.1 kilo mud crab prepared chili style to be precise. William selects the bbq’d ribs and we add some seafood rice. Oh my, we have a ton of food and it is delicious! William helps me with one crab claw and I help him with one rib, but otherwise we individually polish off our entrees. Mmmmm.

During dinner we vow to return to this wonderful city and really get a chance to enjoy it together.

William has a rough night and even walking to the dining room of the hotel for breakfast is a major event. Oy! - of course we have a room that is the furthest distance from the elevators. He decides to hang around the hotel room for the day and rest the foot.

In the late morning I grab my hat and the Sony camera and head to the River Walk. Singapore is extremely safe and clean - the perfect city if you must explore on your own. I cross the Read Street pedestrian bridge that we watch from our balcony and take a right to walk through the restaurants of Clarke Quay toward the downtown core and Marina Bay beyond. It’s a warm day with the sun shining, but much of the walkway is shaded by trees. I relish the views of historical buildings, modern skyscrapers, public sculptures and people enjoying the parkway along the Singapore River.

Along the way the Marina Bay Sands (the three tower structure connected by terraces on the top) periodically peeks out. When I arrive at the Esplanade I have a clear view of the structure across the water. The flower-shaped ArtScience Museum is to the left of Marina Bay Sands and the Convention Center is in front. Wow!

​By early evening William is a little stir-crazy and we both are getting hungry so we slowly walk across the bridge to Octapas, a Spanish restaurant. We enjoy some beverages, tapas and a paella.

Our first full day in Singapore, yeah! This island-city-state is actually comprised of one major island and 62 small islands, covering 725 square kilometers (~280 square miles) of land with a population of ~ 6 million. For perspective, the State of Delaware is ~ 2,500 square miles. Time to explore!

Our room at the Swissotel does not include breakfast which gives us an opportunity to try something outside of the hotel. Across Clarke Quay and within within Fort Canning Park we find the Fabulous Baker Boy. We have a very good breakfast and then start our walk through the park toward the National Museum of Singapore.

Canning Park lies on a hill and escalators have been installed to help get from one level to the next. This is William’s idea of how to do stairs in a park! However, when we are three-quarters of the way through the park his foot begins to hurt. By the time we arrive at the museum it is really hurting. He hobbles through 75% of the museum and then makes his way to the cafe while I finish looking at the exhibits.

The National Museum dates back to 1887, with it’s most recent refurbishment in 2015, just in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. The museum provides insight into the history of Singapore. A special exhibit highlights life during the Japanese Occupation in World War II.

​The Glass Rotunda has a special exhibit “Story of the Forest” which is digital art based upon natural history drawings of the museum. It’s very different and fun.
 
We taxi back to the hotel where William puts his foot up while I go to the pool. His foot hurts just laying on the bed so we order room service for dinner. The foot is red and swollen near the big toe, but he did not hurt it in any way - this is a first for him. Tylenol relieves some of the pain. Weird. In the evening in addition to watching movies on TV we do more people watching from our balcony.