World Cruise--A Cloud Forest and Flower Dome

Instead of making the long walk to the MRT station our second day in Singapore, we opted to take the complimentary shuttle bus that would drop us off near the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It was still a bit of a walk to get across the park area of Gardens By The Bay to the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. The day promised to be hot again.

When we got to the Flower Dome, I was glad we’d bought our tickets ahead of time. The line to purchase was growing. The tickets were not very expensive once you did the exchange between currencies. The combo ticket for both was 32 Singapore dollars/person which worked out to $23USD each.

I hoped the flower dome would be tolerable as far as heat went. Many times you go into a flower display and it’s way too warm and humid. Not the case here. It was very pleasant and surprisingly cool. The Flower Dome was huge. We’ve never been in an inside botanical garden this large.

Trees of all sorts towered above us and between them were all sorts of plants and flowers. We started to the right which took us through the succulents. I’m not a fan of cactus but there was an amazing variety of them not to mention the most unusual succulents I’ve ever seen, all shapes and sizes.

The little brown "stones"
are actually plants.

We followed the winding path and found ourselves in several other types of gardens of plants and flowers from all over the world. Mediterranean Garden. South American Garden. California Garden. And on and on.

The main attraction for this month however was the Japanese Garden that was full of cherry blossoms and other flowering trees. It also included some beautiful and unique displays of Japanese garden ornaments and fountains, the most unusual of which was the water that dripped through bamboo tubes to fill another tube that would dip when it was full and send a hammer into a gong.

It took a good hour to go through the Flower Dome and I’m sure you could spend even more time there if you inspected the plants more closely. We were done though and headed out to the Cloud Forest which was in the neighboring dome.

The Cloud Forest was much taller as it covered a huge “mountain” of plants in the center. A walkway that could be accessed by a lift (elevator) wound its way around the mountain of plants and through other displays as well.

The information I had found on the cloud forest showed a misty cloud that surrounded the mountain to give you the feel of what it would be like to be in a real cloud forest. While I could see the large tubes that would probably produce the misty cloud, there was no mist coming out except for a couple of small fountains at the start of our journey.

For me, the most fascinating part of the Cloud Forest was the display of orchids. There were the usual orchids and unusual varieties but the most intriguing display was of miniature orchids, so small you had to view them through a magnifying glass.

There was also a place called the Crystal Garden that had long strands of plastic that changed colors from white to blues. Inside the area was an interactive display much like the immersive display that toured in many parts of the world that was a way to step into a Van Gogh painting. 

As we entered the Crystal Garden, the floor upon which was projected a video of water with frogs and fish swimming through under your feet made you feel as though you were walking on water. The amazing part was that as you stepped, it appeared you were moving the water with your steps.

Bob was having a Big Mac attack by the time we finished the Cloud Forest and the day before, we had spotted a MacDonald’s nearby inside the park. We found our way there and ordered our usual, one meal and an extra sandwich and drink. We were surprised later when we learned how inexpensive it was after the currency exchange.

There was no way we were going to take the MRT back to the ship. The walk the day before, while in the A/C was way too long and then the walk to the ship outside would be very warm, hot even. While it was a bit of a walk to get back to the cruise shuttle pick up, it still didn’t seem as long.

And, did I mention that we didn’t have to use the escalators in the MRT station? What was wrong with that? Well, you have never seen such a fast escalator. Trying to judge your step onto the moving stairway was the most dangerous thing we’ve done in a while. Unfortunately, we discovered later that one of the friends Bob played Pickleball with on the ship wasn’t so fortunate. His wife hesitated and when she did, he fell. Six hours later, he was well bandaged but not up for Pickleball for a while.

As we ate dinner, we watched a tug boat as it lurked nearby waiting for our ship to move on. It looked a little eerie as you couldn’t see anyone on it. Soon enough we were on our way. There would be two more days of ports before we would get some sea days. It could be a little tiring especially since it was predicted to be hot and humid again.

World Cruise--Singapore, Excursion To The AIrport?

 Yes, let me confirm that we are a bit crazy sometimes with the adventures we choose in our ports of call. This was our third visit to Singapore and we had done all the introductory tours and visited the botanical garden twice before. As we planned this world cruise, we searched for something new and different to do—and found it!

The Queen Anne was to be in port overnight so we had two days to fill with fun things to do. We found that the airport, the Changi Airport that serves Singapore, had all sorts of unusual things that were available to explore mainly for those with long layovers but also many of them were open to the public including a huge shopping mall that was at least six levels.

The main attraction, and entirely free, was the 400 meter high (around 1200 feet) vortex waterfall in the middle of Terminal 1. People looked a little funny at us when we said we were going to the airport even though we weren’t on our way home. They had no idea what they were missing.

Part of the fun was in the getting there. Near the Marina Bay Cruise Center where we docked was an MRT (Metro Regional Transit) stop. It was a little bit of a walk but the walkway was covered thankfully because it was raining slightly. Once there, we went to the customer service booth and asked the best route to get to the airport. There were quite a few lines and more than one way to get there. She outlined the stops on our transit map and informed us that there are no tickets to buy. All we needed to do was to tap a credit card on the gated machine. We did need to have two credit cards though.

There were no other riders around and the attendant at the gated machines jumped up to show us what to do. I went through one gate and Bob another with basically the same account card without a problem. The attendant made sure we knew where we were going and how to get there. So far the journey couldn’t be easier.

The MRT train arrived and we boarded. It was practically empty and in pristine condition. We made our two connections and in about an hour’s time we arrived at the airport. I must say that all the trains were pristine and there was only one nearer the center of the city that actually had most of the seats filled.

At the airport we followed the signs that led to “Jewel” which was the large geodesic dome in which the waterfall would be found. The waterfall was to begin about fifteen minutes after we arrived. There were levels of walkways and some seating surrounding the waterfall with green plants and orchids adorning the walls from top to bottom. It was amazing.

People gathered with trolleys full of suitcases and waited as we did for the show to begin. There was a little theater smoke released at the top just before the trickle and then the full waterfall began. iPhone everywhere recorded the event as well as documented many of the viewers in various poses with the waterfall behind them.

We explored the mall a bit, stopping for a cup of brewed coffee at Starbucks. We’re not Starbucks fans but that’s where we usually find brewed coffee when we are abroad. The cups were huge even though we ordered “tall” which is their small. The unique thing we found was a little robot who was making rounds and stopping for people to put their used cups, etc., in the back trays. It would fill up and then go into the back where the dishwasher was to be unloaded. Every so often it would wink as it went by you.

So much coffee was consumed that we weren’t the least bit hungry for lunch so we opted to go to our second destination, the Marina Sands Hotel and shopping center. The hotel has an observation deck (57 floors up) where you can go to the top and get quite a few of the area. We had talked with a couple who had stayed in Singapore a few days and they talked of a bar/restaurant at the top where the cover charge was about the same as the cost of a ticket to the observation deck. Sounded like a good deal.

We found the way up and said we were just there for “drinks and bites” and were welcomed in without a reservation. The weather was still a bit iffy and had started to pour rain just as we got to the restaurant. You could not see anything out the window. We were finally hungry so we ended up with a pizza and of course we had to try a Singapore Sling. Definitely met our cover charge. By the time we were done, the weather cleared and we were able to walk on the outside deck to get some good pictures.

The area near the cruise terminal is known as Marina Bay Gardens By The Sea. It is a huge park area with all sorts of gardens including some huge man-made trees in the center of it. It was a lot muggy and warm and even hot-damp after the rain by the time we got out to walk around. Our plan had been to stick around the park, explore, have a light dinner and be there for the 7:45 light show that they have each night.

Sometimes the planning looks better than the reality. It was way too hot and we were way too tired. We started for the MRT station near the end of the park where we were. It looked close on the map and it was. Well the entrance was. Once we got inside, we must have walked almost a mile, at least it felt like it before we got to the gate to enter. At least it was in the A/C. The ride to the ship was easy enough with only one connection. Have I mention that the MRT is very easy to figure out and very cheap to ride?

On the ship we ate dinner and then sat on one of the upper decks where we could view from a distance the Gardens and watch the light show. It was not as spectacular as we thought it might be but we were watching from a distance.

I was still glad we made the decision to return to the ship. We called it an early night. The next day promised to be full as we would return to the Gardens to visit their two special indoor exhibits, The Cloud

Through My Lens - Singapore's Orchids

The Botanic Garden of Singapore has spectacular orchids. Unfortunately we visited back in 2007 before I had a really good camera. Still, the beauty of the orchids speaks through and past the quality of the camera.

From My Travel Journal - Singapore

Friday, November 16, 2007--Singapore

            Singapore is like a return to civilization as we know it. The country is mostly English speaking. All the signs are in English. There are recognizable stores and food places. And, what’s this? An automatic flush toilet! We have to pay ten cents each to enter but oh, is it worth it!

            All of this however is countered with a guide who is inconsiderate of her tour group. She forges ahead before the last person is off the bus and starts her commentary before everyone is gathered together. The driver rushes through the city so fast I think I am going to get whip lash from turning my head to see things.

            We visit Mount Faber for a bird’s eye view of the city. The guide points outward in one direction and says, “Malaysia” and in another direction, “Indonesia.” The other islands are so close it is difficult to distinguish between Singapore and the other countries. Singapore is so near to Indonesia that they complain to the Indonesian government about the smog that is created and floats their way from them burning trees to make fertilizer.

            There is a big distinction between poor housing and the wealthy homes. Still the poor here look better off than what we have seen on our prior stops this trip.

            The city is neat and cosmopolitan. There are lots of green areas and everything is decorated for Christmas—compliments of Hitachi. Their advertising is all over it.

            We stop in Chinatown long enough to see a Hindu temple. Unfortunately our guide is done with her talk by the time our half of the bus arrives. I feel uncomfortable. This temple is very busy with worshippers who are kneeling and praying. There are fires burning in pots and whatever is burning smells bad and is creating a lot of smoke. For three dollars, we can take pictures. We decline and leave. Outside we take pictures of the temple’s roof which is dotted with statues of white cows.

            We wander through a side street full of vendors’ stalls but not seeing anything of interest, we return to the bus. Unfortunately we do not have time to explore some of the other streets in Chinatown which look interesting with older historical buildings that date back to the 1820s according to our ship’s information sheet.

            Our final stop is the botanical gardens where we wander down paths lined with graceful orchids of all sizes and colors. The garden is known for its hybridization of orchids. There are many plants dedicated to world leaders and celebrities. I stop to take a picture of a pure white delicate orchid dedicated to the princess of Japan. I know Aya will be interested in that.

            We opt to leave the bus at the Duty One Plaza where the shuttles leave for the ship. There is plenty of time to wander on our own. We find an upscale shopping mall in a tall building and locate an ATM to get some Singapore dollars for a McDonald’s lunch—a taste of home and a reminder that our cruise will soon be done. 

After another walkabout (as the Auzzies say) we return to the mall area and a McCafe that is selling lattes and cappuccinos. We enjoy two large cappuccinos in the sidewalk café and watch the traffic. When we are finished, the attendant is quick to take our cups and napkins. There are large fines for littering in Singapore and gum chewing is not allowed. That’s what keeps the city so clean.

            The air conditioning on the ship is a welcome relief from the heat and humidity. The temperature is only 88 but the humidity makes the air heavy. Singapore is one degree north of the equator. Whew! No wonder it’s so hot!