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Singapore Day 1
Today's Travel:
Walk: 1 kms (if that)
Map: Nothing to see here; move along...
On arrival at the luggage carousel, there was nobody around (that's what comes of getting behind folk who have passport issues at immigration). We watched a few forlorn items of baggage circulating but nothing that looked like ours, so we asked a person who looked like they belonged if there was a problem with the luggage. After a friendly 'Follow me, please', we ended up finding out that due to a combination of heat, a shortish runway and a full aircraft, out bags had never left Luang Prabang! However, the man said, "We know exactly where they are - they're airborne between Luang Prabang and Bangkok and will be here in Singapore by 11pm. We'll have them at your hotel by 2am and here's $240 to keep you in essentials until they arrive". As we still had our carry-on bags with toiletries and spare undies, I've never been so happy to have my luggage lost!
As we didn't arrive until late last night, this was just a 'nothing' day, catching up on a bit of sleep and wandering around near the hotel. Had a snack for a late lunch, then found a food court full of locals and fed ourselves a local fried rice dish and a beer each for less than $10.
View from our room was not too shabby
A closer look at the Esplanade - Theatres by the Bay, Singapore's performing arts centre. The roof tiles are meant to look like the spikes on a Durian fruit.
An obviously healthy snack...
While we've visited Singapore on countless occasions, we've never managed to visit Sentosa Island. While there are a myriad of tourist attractions on the island (Universal Studios, Casino, resorts, a Sea World-like park, beaches, etc), we were more interested in the military history of the island (and the aquarium). We also decided, seeing we'd already had a cable car ride this holiday, that we'd get there by cable car across the channel that separates the main island of Singapore from Sentosa.
Looking across to Sentosa Island from the Mt Faber cable car station
The cable car goes through the upper section of the HarbourFront building
Looking towards the port of Singapore
One of the resorts on Sentosa, looking south across all the waiting freighters towards Indonesia. The gantry on the right is for Bungy Jumpers.
Looking back at Singapore Island
We got off the main cable car and changed to another that tracks across to the Western side of the island to Fort Siloso. This was a British military base and was built in the last 19th century to protect Singapore and the waters to the South with coastal guns. Unfortunately, when the Japanese invaded the Malayan Peninsula and Singapore, they were terribly unsportsmanlike, and came from the other direction. The fort now houses a good museum with recreations, videos, etc.
Battery Command Post
Two places we were interested in were the rooms in which the British surrendered to the Japanese on 15th February 1942 (above), and also the room where the Allies took the surrender of the Japanese forces in Singapore on 12th September, 1945 (below).
At least these guns were pointing in the right direction.
After a couple more cable car rides and a walk, we arrived at the Aquarium (officially, the South East Asia Aquarium which is part of Resorts World, Sentosa). At one time, it was the world's largest aquarium by total water volume until overtaken by one in China in 2014. A few random shots below.
Sue and friend
Discus and Angel Fish, both an impressive size
Australian Sea Dragons.
Japanese Spider Crab - each leg segment is about 75cm long, so stretched out it would be around 3m (10') from one side to the other.
The centrepiece of the aquarium is the Open Ocean tank with more than 18,000,000 lt and 50,000 animals. The viewing panel is 36m wide by 8.3m high (118' x 27'). It is very impressive!
In case you were thinking this was just aimed at tourists, we were surprised to find a few bits of art around.
(Left) Sue thinking about Rodin's 'Le Penseur' (The Thinker). According to the plaque, "This is one of the castings of Rodin’s original work ...", so presumably not just a fibreglass copy.
There was also glasswork and prints by Chihuly, and artwork by Romero Britto. While attractive, we declined a Britto fridge magnet for $120.
Just as well there's a roof, as that storm in the background was just arriving, so we made our way back to the cable car and caught a taxi back to the hotel.
A huge Merlion, replica of the one at the mouth of the Singapore River. I don't think the one by the river has an antenna on its head though.
Up early for breakfast, into a taxi and off to Changi Airport, then a very pleasant 7 hour daylight flight home to be met by a good friend who delivered us to our door.
If you got this far, thanks so much for reading this. It's been put together so we can not only share the sights we saw with our friends and family, but also so we can reminisce when some events or places may have slipped our mamory.
Love,
Chris & Sue
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