My Day on Sentosa


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Asia » Singapore » Sentosa Island
July 8th 2006
Published: July 8th 2006
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Monday was my last full day in Singapore, and I spent it at Sentosa Island with Sarah and her parents, Cindy and Robert. Sentosa Island was formerly a British military installation. During World War II Singapore was captured by the Japanese. Apparently, the personnel charged to guard Singapore from attack were focused on threats from the sea. When the Japanese occupied Singapore, they did so by land via Malaysia. Thus, apparently the stronghold at Sentosa did Singapore little good in this instance.
THE Stevenson family and I visited Underwater World which had a touch pool. The pool was about three feet deep, and many fish species were swimming in it. Cindy helped me to touch the back and head of a baby shark! The shark's skin felt something akin to a combination of canvas and leather. It was completely different than the skin of fresh water fish I've felt in the past. As the shark flung himself away from my touch, I sensed how powerful these creatures are in their element. The shark moved with such speed and strength that a shiver literally ran down my spine as I imagined meeting it as an adult in the ocean.
We then strolled through a butterfly park where these insects flew freely around us. The air was incredibly humid and warm, just as a rain forest should be. As compared to the Underwater World, there were few people walking through the abode of the butterflies as we were. For this Westerner who has been spoiled by the big, open spaces of the U.S., the absence of people on every side, jostling for positions to see the exhibits was a most welcome reprieve.
Robert, my main guide for the day, helped me to stretch out my arm to feel a butterfly's wing and its body as the butterfly rested on a banana leaf. Of course, it flew away from my touch, just as the shark had wrenched himself away too. As I touched the butterfly, I felt sad that my ability to understand its visage was contingent on me scaring it. Anyway, the butterfly's wing was moist and so very delicate. The wing's thinness required the lightest of touches.
The other new experience I had in the butterfly park was learning what a banana tree looks like. The bananas hang down off of the trunk of the tree. The leaves of the banana tree are huge! They're as big as the length of a hand towel!
Our day at Sentosa drew to a close with a dolphin show complete with Indian-type music and a Singaporean announcer who was practically unintelligible to my non-Singaporean ears, even though he was speaking English. The trainers even brought out sea otters for display as an enticement for the dolphin show. Our lovely day to Sentosa ended with our cable car ride back across the Malaccan Strait to the main island of Singapore.


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