A Spectacular day in Singapore...

Sunday, March 9. Very warm, high clouds, docked.

Last night on deck, Jim suggested a possible excursion we four could do on our own on Sunday. Yesterday we spotted this amazing building with what looked like a stranded ship on top of it. Nearby, apparently, were some newly opened Garden Domes and a spectacular Forest of Trees, man-made of course. All this sounds terribly artificial and so typically Asian. Today we went there and found out that it is truly spectacular. It was the best day, ever, in Singapore for Fellette and I and we have been here a few times. Of course, it would not do to come and only see the gardens and not the many other parts that make up the whole Singapore experience.

Yesterday we bought a two day subway pass so the getting there was simple. By the way, all the cars look like they just rolled off the assembly lines and run only 4 to 6 minutes apart. It was still early when we got there and even then, the heat, in the sun, was draining. The first dome we went in to was the Rain Forest. Wafts of damp refreshing air swept over us and it felt marvellous. So marvellous we spent 1 1/2 hours in there! Besides the air it was like being in a different world. We ended up in the top of the dome, 100 feet up and worked our way down through various altitude vegetation zones from Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo to oceanside. The amount of ferns, vines, tropical plants, including plants that trap and digest insects was amazing to say nothing of the orchids.

Next was the Garden Dome, a bit more familiar and most of the plants were known to us. We did get some gardening tips and likely some projects out of it. Also of interest was an 'Australian Garden' showing what I can only assume was the way it was before their terrible drought, that persists to this day. They also had a South African Garden and a Californian Garden, etc. The feature Garden was a rose garden showcasing the War of the Roses. It was very well done and full of spectacular photo opportunities. Amazingly we never saw a solitary gardener in either dome but obviously it would require scores of them to keep the place looking as good as it does.

Next was the Artificial Forest as I call it: only in Asia! They have built a series of tree branches from giant tubular steel coming out of massive concrete columns with a suspended walkway connecting a few of them. It is a marvel of engineering and looks amazing in it's setting of other architectural gems in the area. These trees and domes were only completed in 2011 so the vegetation is still not mature but it is still a wonder to behold. Jim and I went up the columns and catwalk and the girls rested in the shade.

Next we went to this amazing series of three skyscrapers of 56 plus stories with a stylized boat perched on top. The elevator gets to the top without stopping: floor 1 and  56 are the only two buttons inside the elevator! The view up there is amazing, but it is a good thing we could not see where we were in relation to the stylized ship as we were at the extreme bow of it. I trust that Singapore engineers knew what they are doing, or whoever designed it.

After a visit to the top and a look at the menu price list we were all wearing down a bit so we took the Sanitary Subway back to the ship, got our $10 dollar deposit back from the subway pass, and had lunch and beverages in the cruise terminal. Gail chug-a-lugged chocolate shake while Fellette scoffed an Iced Mocha. Jim and I stuck to the local Tiger Beer. Gail and Jim then headed for the Vat Tax refund station and we headed for the beverage store. I have discovered that beer is a better drink in the tropics than wine. We had calculated our remaining Singapore dollars down to cents so we bought some Bickford's Cordial for Fellette and other guests as a cool refreshing drink, rather than always having water. It is imported from Australia so of course it will be good.

Singapore is unlike any other Asian city we have ever been in, it has a certain sophistication and more western feel to and does not have a shopworn feel to it. English is the language and everybody speaks it. The city is amazingly clean, even in ethnic areas and side streets and litter and chewing gum on the sidewalks seem to be unheard of. How they do it I have no idea but I wish we could have a city as clean and well run as Singapore. At least that is how I see it.

Tomorrow is an R and R day, then we do it all over again in Patong Bay/Phuket in Thailand, except that we have only one day in port. We are definitely on our way to Africa with a stop in Ceylon, [Sri Lanka] for youngsters, before crossing the Indian Ocean. We four are looking forward to our four day break from the ship in Durban South Africa. When we do rejoin the ship in Cape Town April 1 after safari we will only have four weeks remaining on this fantasy voyage.

Nautical terms in common useage:

Chock-a-block: Meaning something is filled to capacity or overloaded. If two blocks of rigging were so hard together they couldn't be tightened further, it was said they were Chock-a-block.

Pics: Oh, if I had the space to show you more….

- The waterfall coming from 100 feet up in the Rain Forest Dome.

- Shot of outside, through the dome.

- Flowers, flowers, flowers.

- Under the waterfall.

- Inside the Garden Dome and the War of the Roses garden.

- A good spot to rest.

- Maybe we need one of these at home!

- A horse of twigs.

- The Artificial Forest.

- The view from 57 stories up. Singapore Harbour in the background, busy!

- The intrepid three.

- The journey home, in a flash.

- Chinese Gambling Ships, as we call them, temporarily blocking our view this afternoon, it sailed at 4.00.

- We four, group photo, taken at the bottom of the elevator ride up, shown us 56 stories later as we walked off it!!!

- Last photo, taken by my bride. You may see Jim and I up on the catwalk, me waving.