The View from the Southern Most Point of Continental Asia

Located on Sentosa, Singapore's pleasure island, is a place reputed to be "The Southern Most Point of Continental Asia." (I say "reputed" here because I find that claim to be somewhat dubious. Given that Singapore is an island connected to the mainland by a relatively small causeway and that Sentosa is an island connected by a tiny causeway itself and that the "Southernmost Point" is connected to Sentosa by a bridge and possibly at low tide a strip of sand, it seems a somewhat suspect claim. But who am I to argue with the official sign? I digress.)

When I first read "The Southern Most Point of Continental Asia" on the map, I envisioned it having white-sandy-beaches-umbrella-drinks-at-five kind of views. Seafoam green water would seep into baby blue water, which would deepen into an azure blue further away from the shore. Some hazy islands in the distance would be framed by gently waving palm fronds and then there'd be nothing but the horizon for miles beyond that. And hardly any tourist would be there because it was the farthest south you could get in "continental Asia." According to the map, you have to cross a narrow, wooden, rope bridge to get there. It would surely be an exotic adventure in some remote place (because of course they have tiki drinks in secluded regions!)

Cut to reality.The water wasn't azure. It was more of a carolina blue, but a delight to the eyes nonetheless. There were palm trees, islands, and a lovely view of the horizon if you looked in one direction. If you looked in the other, there were freighters anchored off the coast. There was a huge power plant visible in the distance, made even more obvious from the top of the two observation towers. There were lots of sightseers as it was just across the narrow bridge from a public beach and there weren't any beach bars on that tiny island. I have to confess, it was a little disappointing. It reminded me of when I found out that the pyramids of Giza were surrounded by city on three sides (http://thefourthtraveler.blogspot.sg/2010/04/pyramids-of-giza.html). If I'm honest, the biggest letdown was probably that it wasn't some far-flung, exotic corner of the globe.