Wednesday Evening 4 February 2015
Singapore

I've come to the end of three very busy days in Singapore, and I really haven't done everything I wanted to do.  Although I've seen many of the main tourist areas of Singapore City, I have not managed to get out to the more rural areas of the island.  Oh well, always save something for next time!  So before I go forward in real time to Siem Reap, Cambodia, I will go back in narrative time to Tuesday morning.

Tuesday 3 February 2015
Singapore 

I start the morning by taking the Metro for two stops to "Gardens by the Bay," without doubt the most technologically advanced Botanical Garden in the world. In fact, the technology and engineering is so overwhelming that you are not likely to spend much time examining or even thinking about the plants and flowers on display.  If you want plants and flowers--especially orchids--go to the more traditional Singapore Botanical Gardens (which I was most impressed by in 1985).  "Gardens by the Bay," is a not-yet-completed project spreading out from the Singapore River on reclaimed land.  The outdoor gardens are free to visit, but each special section has a separate small admission charge.  A section of metal "supertrees" (beautifully illuminated at night) is connected by a curving elevated walkway that gives a literal bird's-eye view of the plants below (there are elevators that take you up and down).  To control crowds, each visitor is allowed a maximum of 15 minutes on the walkway, but today there are very few people, so I don't think anyone is keeping time.  Another section is composed of "Heritage Gardens," representing the culture and plant life of different Asian countries; another section is a huge open meadow that recycles oxygen and fresh air.  

There are two very large glass conservatories unlike anything you may have seen in other gardens (like Kew in England or Bloemendahl in Richmond).  Inside the "Cloud Dome" you walk and ride escalators through a series of ever-higher mountain environments, until you reach the equivalent of the barest plant life--almost like driving up the 9000 feet of Mt Lemmon outside Tucson.  Inside the dome are waterfalls, hardscapes, and examples of plant life at various altitudes.  It is also wonderfully cold inside--especially given the high humdity of Singapore's little-varying climate.  

The second conservatory, unfortuantely closed for maintenance today, is the setting for various floral displays that change with the seasons.   The Gardens cover an immense area, but there are shuttle trams for those who cannot walk and there are plenty of places to rest and cool off, including a large selection of restuarants.  I stop for lunch at an Italian spot that is having a 2 for the price of 1 pizza special.  The margharita pizza, with fresh basil and tomatoes and very thin crust, is excellent, but I can hardly finish one, much less start on the second one.  There's an over-priced gift shop where I buy the first t-shirt of the trip.

From the Gardens it is an easy walk, over bridges crossing the roads, into the immense atrium lobby of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino.  Looking more like it belongs in Las Vegas than any where else on earth, the three towers of the hotel hold up an enormous elliptical platform with restaurants, bars, gardens, and swimming pool.  Unfotunately, non-hotel guests must pay S$25. (about US$22.) to ride the elevator up to the roof--and then drinks are extra.  I guess they need to control the crowds, otherwise so many tourists visiting might tip over the whole thing!  I decide to skip the roof, but wander through the light-filled lobby and--needless to add--the attached shopping mall.

  

There are other interesting architectural sites in the area, including the ArtScience Museum, designed by Moshe Safdie, and the Helix Pedestrian Bridge across the Singapore River, designed to look like strands of DNA.  Moreover, the bridge gives great views of both sides of the river, including the Merlion Fountain, symbol of the city (combination of Mermaid and Lion; get it?).

Merlion Fountain

Helix Bridge

Helix Bridge and Marina Bay Sands Hotel

ArtScience Museum

I head back to the hotel for a short rest, but this time I do make it out again, taking the Metro to see Singapore's traditional high-end shopping area, the multitude of malls on Orchard Street.  I daren't count how many multi-level malls there are in a ten-block stretch of busy pedestrian and vehicular traffic, nor will I guess at the number of stores in each.

Last stop of the day is a short walk up Emerald Hill Road, an offshoot from Orchard Street, that provides a glimpse of the way people lived in Colonial Times, with rows of two-story houses painted in various colors and many still occupied by the original families.

I opt for a quick burger and (very good) fries at a local chain for dinner.  I'm too worn out to think about choosing a restaurant; where are my dining stewards when I need them?  

I have one more day in Singapore and I will report on that--including the wonderful little french bistro I found for lunch purely by accident in Chinatown.