We spent 2005 Christmas in Singapore and Malaca, Malaysia. 

Here Sarah is invoking the Jungle gods.

This is the bum boat we took to Pulau Ubin. 

Singapore is the most modern city I've ever seen, besides maybe Tokyo.  So they keep their jungle gods contained on little Islands, like Pulau Ubin.

This is Matt's butt, cycling down the main road of Pulau Ubin.

On our way back to the Metropolis.

On Christmas day, we phoned everyone from this place, across the street from our hostel. 

We stayed in Little India, which is the hippie youth hostel area.

In Singapore, Santa Claus has sub-contracted his deliveries to
M & M dudes in hot air balloons.

As you can see in this picture, it's hard to navigate Singapore skies, because of the hanging light-crystal vines.

Reindeer can't handle it.

Sarah and the Face Mapp.

Condomillion has franchise sex shops in many convenient Singapore locations.

Yep. McDonalds has McCafe in Singapore. 

This McCafe is on Orchard Road, which is the high-class upmarket shopping mall mecca.

If you look carefully, you'll notice one of these Nativity actors is not plastic. 

(Hint: she's the Asian one)

Christmas Choir, just like in America. 

Except these dudes are sporting gigantic spiral yak horns (or something).

The Three Wise Men got stuck in traffic. 

It's Christmas Day, so the road to the stable was bound to be busy.

The Irian Jaya Aboriginal Group.

Orchard Road, Christas Day 2005. 

Retail Paradise.

The day after Christmas, we spent a long afteroon at the Botanical Park, which is inside the city of Singapore.

Here is a gigantic bug, and a flower.

Two of them!

The Botanical Garden features lots of this: peaceful walks through manicured jungle. 

Sometimes the jungle seems to be winning against the army of gardeners.

About once every 15 minutes, I succumed to heat stroke and had to sit down. 

Here, I am probably still good for another 12 minutes of slow walking.

This guy, on the other hand, works ALL DAY, in LONG SLEEVES.

Yep.  That's a big tree.

Along the riverside, there are expensive bistros where you can drink Singapore Slings.

A view from the bistro.  I think the building there is parliament (or Big Ben).

Shortly thereafter, it rained buckets, and we retreated indoors.