By Bob Van Leer

(SINGAPORE, Thursday, March 23, 2000) - This is our last day in Singapore and we took a tour of the Jurong Bird Park on the western end of the island. Our guide said there are 5000 birds in 350 species in the park.

   On the way to the park we drove first through a residential area. These are mostly high rise apartment buildings. Our guide said 90% of the population lives in government-built apartments and there is a 3-5 year waiting time to buy an apartment. Some are for low-income, but they don't look like government apartment projects in the U.S. Everything is well landscaped and well kept up.

   There are few single family houses and our guide said they cost a minimum of $1 million. He Said there is just 2% unemployment and no dole for anyone not working.

   This is a tropical rain forest with an average temperature of 25-35 degrees Centigrade. (The comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit is 22.2 degrees Centigrade.) Humidity is 75-90%. the average annual rainfall is 95 inches, compared to 80 inches in Gold Beach. Our guide said there are showers all year long.

   Singapore is a country we would like to come back to. It is pleasant, clean and green and with a lot to do.

   Tonight we set sail for Port Klang, Malaysia, the port city for Kuala Lumpur, the capital, and it is 216 miles away.