Singapore again

It was a bit unsettling to wake up early yet see a very bright Sunday morning. I later learned that Singapore was supposed to be an hour ahead of us but the country decided to follow our time zone for business reasons: Hong Kong. Anyway, we dawdled a bit on this day because our next schedule was still 11am. For breakfast, we enjoyed the sweet breads we bought. I especially like the raisin bread. Then off to Trinity Christian Centre where we had an opportunity to worship God together with a predominantly Singaporean congregation. We met a few of my friend’s friends. They were very warm and friendly.

For lunch, the four of us headed to Lau Phat Sat, another hawckers’ food centre located at the center of the business district. I manned our chosen table while my gracious hosts bought what would be my birthday lunch. We had different kinds of satay (meat on skewers), oyster omelette, kangkong, spicy manta ray, some other dishes I forgot and the refreshing drinks (sugarcane?). I definitely ate a lot. And here once again, we laughingly noted the efficiency of the busboys. Several times, the guy assigned to our table attempted to “take” a plate even though we were not done eating yet. When we were done, we obligingly signaled to him that it was now okay to clean up our table. Hmmm… we thought that maybe they have a quota on the number of plates they have to bring in.

A taxi ride brought us to a Hindu temple. We just peeked inside to see what the people were doing. Those who enter must be barefooted. We then headed to the Buddhist temple which was well-maintained and there were more people inside. A ritual was being held inside. After a few pictures from the outside, we directed our attention to the wares being sold at the stalls outside. My friend happily bought some key chains while I bizarrely purchased a Philippine flag pin. We walked through the street of stalls under the heat of the sun. Near the end, we found our companions seated and happily sipping from Thai coconuts. We joined them and enjoyed the different yet tasty juice and meat of Thai coconuts. We ended our walk by buying a small pack of dried sweet plums.

I was now knowledgeable on how to return my used MRT cards and to buy new ones. Armed with the instructions of my Singapore-residing friends, Shawie and I bravely took our first metro ride without our unofficial guide. In a way, it was our first adventure alone. At the station where we were to take the bus to the Night Safari, I lost Shawie for a few minutes. Good thing we found each other again. And gratefully, we found the right bus to take.

The bus ride was long. I was able to nod off for a few minutes (Yeah, I was still tired and lacking sleep). I was so sleepy that I bumped my head against the glass window! That really woke me up! Our limited time in Singapore would only allow us to visit one tourist park and we chose the Night Safari. But the entrance to the Zoo Safari was just a stone-throw away so we roamed at the entrance for a few minutes and took each other’s pictures.

The fee (entrance + tram) was quite expensive (around P1000) but it was either that or choose the less expensive ticket and just take a walk around the Safari area. We chose to get the former to truly enjoy what we wanted to see. It is not everyday that we could go to Singapore for a night Safari. So why the name Night Safari? Because it opens at 7:30pm and ends at midnight? Well, yes, but a better explanation is that it is meant to showcase 100 species of nocturnal animals in their natural habitats.

We were again fortunate to talk to a Filipino working in the zoo. He gave us an itinerary to maximize our time and still catch our bus and metro rides. Complete the tram ride, watch the Creatures of the Night Show, try to catch the Fire show and finally take the different walking trails. So we did what he suggested.

The tram ride provided us with a general view of what the zoo has to offer. It was amazing how the management arranged for the place to be safe while letting the animals appear to be in their natural habitat. It was possible to imagine that they could just walk up to you. Thank God for ravines, fences, and wall-length glass dividers. The Creatures of the Night Show was really fun. The hostess was very good (though her voice was a bit too shrill for my ears). The performing animals were very impressive as they followed the instructions of the trainers (and ate the food being given them!). The audience volunteers were happy to play with the various animals which included a python! Because the Fire show already started and we had limited time on our hands, we opted to spend our time on the walking trails. Completing the walkways together with the Leopard Trail, Fishing Cat Trail and Forest Giants Trail was quite challenging. But it was all worth it. Seeing the animals first-hand and from such a short-distance was unforgettable. And of course, my favorites were the paths with lions, tigers and leopards.

On our return home, the few voices echoed loudly inside the near empty train. Our bus ride was again uneventful except for the moment when it was quite hard to find the exact change to pay our fare. And also when we were not sure on which bus stop we were supposed to get off. Thank God we arrived safe and sound to our temporary home.

Our return home:

We rose up early. It was a working day for Christine. I and Shawie must make our way to Changi Airport for our return trip. Time flew so fast. We were once again traversing the tree-lined and very wide roads but now on our way to the airport. My former colleague met us at the airport and fed us a filling Mcdo breakfast. She even surprised me with a birthday gift. On the plane, we had noodles and water for lunch.

It was my birthday and I really didn’t know what to feel. Time stood by and new memories were created in my mind. Time to go back home. Back to reality.