Knowing that we now only had two days left of vacation, we woke up the next morning and set out to make the absolute most of what time we had, especially because we were thrilled to see beautiful blue skies and sunshine (though don’t get me wrong, it is HOT here!) With the weather being so unpredictable in this tropical climate, and the forecast calling for scattered thunderstorms with a 60% chance of rain all week, we had to seize the day. After consulting with the concierge, we first set out on foot and walked ten minutes up the road to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, an immense, lush landscape in the midst of the city. We walked along paved pathways through lush, tropical plants, grassy fields, and the serene Swan Lake, filled with carp, turtles, and of course, adorned with swans, both real and bronze sculptures. Along the way, we encountered an elderly gentleman who was carrying a large, professional digital SLR with the most peculiar, old-fashioned, accordion lens attached to it. We struck up a conversation, curious about his lens, and he was all too eager to discuss it with us, and share some of his photos, that he just happened to be carrying with him. It turns out, the lens is 70 years old! He was quite a character, a former educator, and clearly photography enthusiast. He insisted we call him “Uncle Wong,” telling us how he loved to photograph children, and he asked if he could snap a few pics of Ewan, who willingly obliged, flashing a toothy grin. Noticing that we both were carrying Canons, he offered to swap his lens onto Gavin’s camera, and proceeded to snap a few more pics of his curly-haired, cherubic little model. After exchanging email addresses and parting ways with Uncle Wong, we only were able to cover less than a quarter of the huge park, as we had to pace ourselves for the rest of the day.
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Uncle Wong and his 70 year old camera lens.
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| Photo taken by Uncle Wong with that unusual lens. Notice the gorgeous bokeh! |
We exited the gardens, hailed a cab, and headed down to the Singapore Flyer, a giant ferris wheel, similar to the London Eye, which is actually the largest observation wheel in the world. It is set out on the shore of Marina Bay, and offers fantastic views of the bay, river and city skyline. Unlike the London Eye, it surprisingly was not at all crowded, with no line whatsoever. We hopped right into a capsule, designed to hold 28 people, and shared it only with one other couple, from Australia. The ride lasted about 30 minutes, our camera shutters clicking non-stop, capturing all of the different breathtaking views.
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| View from Singapore Flyer. |
Afterwards, we planned to do a riverboat cruise, and so I stepped into one of the tourist information shops at the base of the Flyer to inquire as to where I should buy tickets, where to catch the boat, etc. The closest pick up point was at nearby Merlion Park, so I purchased our tickets, and we took a cab to the park, but when we got to the dock and I showed my receipt, the worker told me that they needed the ticket voucher from the tour office, and that they couldn’t accept my receipt. They advised me to go back to the office and get the voucher. Angry and frustrated, we tried to argue/plead our case, but to no avail. They called their administrators to check, but that was the rule and they weren’t about to break it. At this point, it was already 3:00, and we didn’t have time to go back to the Flyer to get our tickets, so we just purchased new tickets and ate the $40 we had spent. Our time was worth more. Lesson learned: buy tickets at the actual venue! We boarded the boat, and had a lovely cruise up the river, glimpsing so many historical buildings, bridges, and notable areas that flanked the riverside.
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| Our riverboat, with the Singapore Flyer in the background |
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| The famous Singapore Merlion |
Ewan crashed hard for a late nap after we headed back to the hotel. I went down to the fitness center to do my daily workout, when I noticed a familiar face working out alongside me in the gym. Gavin had thought he had spotted him in the elevator the day before, but I hadn’t paid attention, but seeing him in the gym, he was quite recognizable. It was none other than
Alan Cumming, a famous Scottish actor, who has been in a number of films and TV shows, including X-2, James Bond’s Goldeneye, and Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. I didn’t want to swoon over him like a total dork, but I did politely wait until he was in between sets and ask if he was an actor, and I told him how great I thought he was. We chatted for a couple minutes and continued with our respective workouts. He was very polite and nice.
Our evening’s escapade took us to Singapore’s famous Night Safari, which is a nocturnal zoo, designed to be viewed at night time, when the animals are more active and interesting to watch. Hundreds of exotic animals, mostly Asian and African, are kept in large enclosures, that are set up to be similar to their habitats in the wild. We boarded a tram that took us around a path right alongside so many amazing creatures, both large and small: Giraffes, lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas, water buffalo, all kinds of deer, wild dogs, flying squirrels, and much more. There are also trails where people can get off the tram to view exhibits up close, to get a better look. After the tour, we noticed that a bunch of people were starting to cue at the amphitheater for the 10:30 PM “Creatures of the Night” show. Gavin wasn’t sure if we should stay, given it was already so late, but I really wanted to, as the concierge had told us how wonderful the show was, and how much fun it is, since the performance was supposed to involve the audience and be very interactive. We decided to go for it, figuring we so rarely get such an opportunity. Ewan would be OK staying up late for this special occasion.
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| Flying squirrel (photo by Gavin) |
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Our little man onstage, showing poise and confidence
(photo by Gavin) |
I’m so glad we did, because once the trainers came on stage and introduced the show, they almost immediately asked for a volunteer who was a child. Though we were sitting pretty far back, Ewan stood up tall, waving both his hands over his head, yelling, “Over here! Over here!” attracting the attention of one of the lights guys in the back, who shined the spotlight on Ewan and caused the announcer to notice him and select him to come up on stage as a volunteer. I wasn’t sure that he would be brave enough to walk down all the steps of the dark amphitheater and go up on stage in front of a couple hundred people, but he did, and he was so incredibly poised, articulate, cute and funny. He was asked to hide a grape in one of his hands, and then hold both hands out in front of his so that one of the animals (to be honest, I don’t even remember what the animal was called, but it was some sort of weasel or ferret like animal) would come and sniff, then tap whichever hand he thought the grape was in. It all went according to the plan... Ewan was a little hesitant and winced when the little creature tapped his hand, but the trainer encouraged him, and Ewan opened his hand at the right time to allow the cute little creature to eat the grape, amidst loud applause and cheers from the audience. It was a proud moment for Mommy and Daddy, who, naturally, were capturing it with video as well as stills, for the sake of posterity. As a reward for his cooperation, Ewan was awarded a little stuffed animal, a Sri Lankan leopard, he he readily dubbed “Felix,” after one of the other animal performers in the show. The show ended at 11:00 PM, and we made a beeline for the taxi cue, not knowing how available cabs would be, but we had no problem getting a taxi back to the hotel, to get one very tired, happy, and excited little boy to sleep. Whew! What a day!
Waaaaa! You didn't eat at a Hawkers' Garden!? You missed something that was important. Like the picture of the Merlion. It's attractive and the marker for the beginning of the CBD.
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