Right from day one of our arrival in Singapore, folks had recommended that we include the island of Sentosa as part of our itinerary. In the Maylay language, "Sentosa" means "Peace and Tranquility." One theory (of which there are many) about the origins of this name claims that "...it is the material paradise of warrior spirits buried here." Whatever the real origins might have been, the actual history of the island had been anything but "Peace and Tranquility." Early in the nineteenth century (as far back as 1827) , plans called for the fortification of the island in order to protect passage into Keppel harbor. However, not much of these plans were accomplished until the 1880's. At the outbreak of World War II, the British military occupied the island. Once the Japanese had captured Singapore, Sentosa was turned into an Allied Forces Prisoner of War camp. It wasn't until 1970 that things began to change for Sentosa. At that time, the Singaporean government decided to develop the land into a holiday resort. Today, this popular location hosts 20 million visitors per year, making it the number one attraction in Singapore. When we made our own journey to Sentosa, we'd had hopes of finding some remnants of its past history. However, it was hidden from us by the glitz of the amusement park atmosphere that the island had become. While it was a bit interesting to walk through this "fun-filled " attraction (especially seeing a rather large Casino in the heart of the island - they do love gambling here), it was disappointing for us because we love history and were looking forward to finding some of it here. Oh, well!! Coming out of the Harbor Front train station, you can see the large "Sentosa" sign across the harbor (very much reminding us of the "Hollywood" sign in Los Angeles). There are a number of ways to get across the harbor to Sentosa island, including numerous ferries and two trains (although this one was a bit small)... ...or the cable car ride.. However, being walkers, we chose the leisurely stroll across the Sentosa Promenade bridge (about ten minutes). This 8.6 meter (28 foot) tall porcelain statue Merlion statue (half lion and half fish) personifies the image of Singapore. Universal Studios in the heart of the park certainly appeared popular during our time on the island... ...but we were "more interested" in the Hershey's Chocolate World pavilion... ...which certainly had a lot to offer ( but notice the prices...unbelievable!). Across the square from Hershey's Chocolate World was this apparent competitor... ...however, we quickly learned that this one is also owned by Hershey's. So much to choose from! We were somewhat baffled about the symbolism (if there was any) of this elephant-on-stilts statue outside the Casino. We guess we'll have to think about it some more. The architectural design of the whole complex was interesting.
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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