First Impressions

The first thing you notice as you land is the humidity and the heat, even though the airport is air-conditioned (and very clean, of course.) Once you step outside it hits you in the face. You feel like you've just entered a steam room (and we landed at 7am.) The upside is that there is green everywhere you turn to. The plants and trees look very luscious and tropical and there's definitely a sense of open space, despite the apartment buildings that pop up everywhere. As we drive into the city center, we can see more skyscrapers, but they seem to be clustered mainly around the Central Business District so there's still plenty of open sky. Regardless of the height, many buildings are new and built in a modern style (lots of glass, curves and cool metal), while the most traditional ones, the shophouses, are also kept in mint condition. Overall, there's a lot of white, peppered with vibrant colours.