SINGAPORE—Thursday and Friday, April 4 and 5, 2013

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Thursday, April 4, we all set off to tour the Gardens by the Bay, an addition to the waterfront that opened about 6 months ago in Singapore. It is a fabulous place with two huge domed glass conservatories, 6 or more themed Heritage gardens, and 10-12 metal stylized trees at staggered heights up to a 180 foot one with a restaurant on top.

The trees were placed in the center plaza and we watched a light show that evening with various colored lights blinking to music. The trees serve dual purposes: first each “top” is covered with photo electric cells and can power all the electricity the garden uses and, second, each tree catches and stores all the rain water the park needs for watering the plants.

The first dome we went into (Cloud Mountain) was filled with a tall plant covered “mountain” that you walked around and around looking at the plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers. You entered on the ground floor and were immediately confronted by a huge waterfall falling half way down the side of this mountain. Orchids of all colors and sizes, ferns, azaleas, rhododendrons in colors we have never seen, and other blooming plants were side by side with vines covering every bit of space.

After you walked around to the far side you took an elevator to the top and then walked down metal catwalks in a corkscrew pattern. Tucked in various corners were carved wooden art from several nearby cultures like Timor and New Guinea. At the very top of the mountain in the “cloud forest” was a pond filled with pitcher plants and lady slippers. Inside the mountain was a showroom filled with a collection of stalagmites and stalactites and some huge geode-like-rocks filled with amethyst crystals.

After spending a couple hours there, we decided to take a tram around the park and through all the heritage gardens set up in various themes such as the Colonial garden, the Chinese garden, etc. There were several statues, fountains, interesting rocks and wooden garden accessories throughout. Just as we completed the tour it opened up and poured. We decided to have a snack and some drinks while we waited the rain out.

We went next to the Flower Dome that was filled with all kinds of succulents and Baobab trees on a mezzanine level and then thousands of flowers on the bottom floor. It was really strange to see hydrangeas next to roses next to geraniums, next to a huge display of orchids.

After a couple hours in this dome, some areas still decorated with huge Easter eggs, we walked back through the park to the center plaza so we could see the light show at 8:00 that night. At night, the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is perched high up in the sky is quite a sight. After the tree show, we had dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.

We then walked on bridges across a river, then the freeway, and through a hotel and into a very upscale mall (also part of the Marina Bay Sands)—you know the likes of Tiffany’s, Hermes, etc. We continued our straight line trek through the mall and out onto the waterfront where they were having a fabulous water show, the likes of which we have never seen. Pictures were projected onto the water mist. Valerie got a really good video of part of it. After that was over, we queued up for a taxi and headed home.

Friday, April 5--it was time to pack up, say goodbye, and get ready to sail away on our cruise. We got a taxi and put all of our luggage in the trunk and headed for the new cruise terminal near Marina Bay. We checked our luggage in and then went over by another taxi to the Burgis area and had lunch at a Thai restaurant as there were no food venders open yet at the terminal.

We then walked across the street to have dessert at a traditional Chinese dessert place that Christopher and LeeLi wanted us to experience before we left. LeeLi and I had a dish of black rice, cooked until it was pudding like, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Valerie had Mango ice cream and Christopher had something made with aloe. (I know you are supposed to put it on your skin to soothe a burn but, they drink it and make a dessert out of it here.)

The embarkation was as wearisome and time-consuming as always when you have to load 1800 people and their luggage on board in a couple of hours. Got settled a bit in our room and then found our table for our assigned dinner at 6:00. Looked around the ship a bit and then crashed.

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