We've Reached Our Final Destination (2/22/20)
WAHHHHHHH
I woke up today so sad to leave (still excited for what's next) but we truly had the BEST time in Bali. We placed our last minute things in our suitcases, I ironed my hair and we called for people to help us with our bags. The pathway to our room in the Sankara was stone and grass, so we could not roll our (very heavy) bags, and needed to request assistance. I truly felt horrible seeing the poor men put our suitcases on one shoulder and carry them to the lobby.
We followed behind them and went upstairs for our last Bali meal. I had the continental breakfast which included mango juice, muesli and pancakes (I am now so full, but worth it).
We then met Adi and Riki for the last time and got in the car to head to the airport in Denpasar. We left at 8am and the drive was about an hour. As we arrived at the airport, we sadly said goodbye to Adi and Riki (have I mentioned how sad I am to leave Bali). As we walked through the airport, I was surprised at how beautiful and modern it was! (Not sure why - or if I have ever been to an airport that's NOT modern). When we arrived, we saw veryyy little of the airport, so it was lovely to walk through! We stopped at a bookstore before going to our gate. I know everyoneeee reading this is going to make fun of me for this next part (don't worry, Chad 100% did), but it was part of the trip so I am writing it - we bought a book of Balinese children stories for our future child. I thought it would be so nice to have a book from our honeymoon. Sorry, I am who I am.
We then went to the gate, bought our last waterbottles (YAY for almost being able to drink tap water again!) and waited to board our flight.
I woke up today so sad to leave (still excited for what's next) but we truly had the BEST time in Bali. We placed our last minute things in our suitcases, I ironed my hair and we called for people to help us with our bags. The pathway to our room in the Sankara was stone and grass, so we could not roll our (very heavy) bags, and needed to request assistance. I truly felt horrible seeing the poor men put our suitcases on one shoulder and carry them to the lobby.
We followed behind them and went upstairs for our last Bali meal. I had the continental breakfast which included mango juice, muesli and pancakes (I am now so full, but worth it).
We then met Adi and Riki for the last time and got in the car to head to the airport in Denpasar. We left at 8am and the drive was about an hour. As we arrived at the airport, we sadly said goodbye to Adi and Riki (have I mentioned how sad I am to leave Bali). As we walked through the airport, I was surprised at how beautiful and modern it was! (Not sure why - or if I have ever been to an airport that's NOT modern). When we arrived, we saw veryyy little of the airport, so it was lovely to walk through! We stopped at a bookstore before going to our gate. I know everyoneeee reading this is going to make fun of me for this next part (don't worry, Chad 100% did), but it was part of the trip so I am writing it - we bought a book of Balinese children stories for our future child. I thought it would be so nice to have a book from our honeymoon. Sorry, I am who I am.
We then went to the gate, bought our last waterbottles (YAY for almost being able to drink tap water again!) and waited to board our flight.
I planned on finishing the Netflix show I have been bringing (Singapore Social - just trying to get some last minute restaurant/activity ideas from the media) as well as review my notes for our free afternoon in Singapore. I have become so accustomed to extremely long flights, that the 2.5 hour flight was shockingly short and easy! It felt like we touched down immediately after taking off! (Also we landed about 30 minutes early)
Walking through the airport was a BREEZE. Literally no one was there. Chad was so happy to see that no one from China was allowed to enter, there was hand sanitizer everywhere and it was very apparent from our arrival that they were VIGILANT about coronavirus.
As soon as we went through customs (which was like maybeee 20-30 minutes after touch down - it was nuts) a man named Nelson was waiting for us with a Mr. and Mrs. Rosenzweig sign.
We entered into a private VAN and began our journey to our hotel, Marina Bay Sands. Along the journey, Nelson told us about the inception of modern Singapore.
After achieving independence from Britain in 1965 (they were under British rule for over 100 years), Singaporeans had a clear idea of what they wanted their city to become. The original plan was to make the city into a garden, which morphed into a city within a garden. Nelson let us know that when building the expressway that we were driving on (from the airport to the hotel), the gardens were thought about before the street. This was immediately apparent with the beautifully manicured bushes, trees and flowers lining every expressway and street. All along the expressway there were these giant, canopy trees, which are called “rain trees.” It was a beautiful view!
In order to manifest their vision, Singapore has a committee called URA – Urban Redevelopment Authority. This group is one of the world’s best planning committees. They build off of the “Master Plan” for Singapore which was created so many years ago, and no create plans DECADES into the future. Nelson told us there is a plan for 20 years from now as well as 50+ years from now to continue to innovate and design. He stated that Singapore brings in the best people from around the world to learn from them and have them contribute rather than only using the people within Singapore. This ensures the best of everything – it truly shows!
Singapore is not a very large city/state (it is considered both a city and a state). It is less than 50km from side to side. In order to maximize the space, Singaporeans built both upwards (into tall NYC like buildings) and underground. They maximize use of underground space for buildings as well as garbage, recycling and sewage. We did not ONCE see a garbage truck or anything deemed “messy,” it is all underground! (Singapore is also truly immaculate as there are strict rules against littering, chewing gum and anything else that could cause a “mess.” Disobeying these laws comes with hefty fines! Also, there are people that walk around in casual, “civilian” clothes and wear cameras to catch people who litter or disobey any other laws. This, in addition to the many cameras around the city.
We drove past many local housing developments. Nelson let us know that about 80% of Singaporeans stay in public housing as private housing is extremely expensive. There are programs set in place for the government to help pay for housing –which allows there to be no (or very very few) homeless people.
Throughout the car ride, Chad was entranced. He was enamored with the structure, planning, architecture and engineering of this city. (You all know how Chad gets when he’s excited – it’s beyond adorable)
After our short (15-20 minute) drive, we arrived at our hotel, Marina Bay Sands (also called MBS by locals). – And I thought Chad was excited on the drive - HOLY MOLEY. This place is INSANEEE. It is 3 towers, holding up a ship like structure which connects the top of the 3 buildings. It was completed in 2010 and cost 8 billion Singapore dollars to create (about 5.7 USD). What’s even cooler – is the hotel was built on an area that used to be all water! CRAZY!
Nelson let us know that in planning for the hotel, they were going to create a second version just a short walk away. However, in order to preserve the “city in a garden” goal, they opted to not create another building and instead install “Gardens By the Bay.” (I’ll write more about the shortly). Having only one building truly did make an impact and allow the city to keep its garden vibes.
We checked into our “Deluxe Sky View Room,” which was on the 47th floor of the 57 floor building. Our view was of the bay and it was truly stunning. From our window, we could see the Art Science museum, as well as the beautiful skyline.
A couple of minutes after entering our room, someone from the hotel brought us Champagne and a cheese plate (thankful for 2 sets of awesome parents!) We scarfed down the cheese, and saved the champagne for later in the night!
We then went up to check out the Sky Deck. There are 2 parts of the rooftop of MBS. On one side, is the Sky Park/Observation Deck. This is the “diving board like structure near tower 3 (our tower). This structure extends far past the last tower and is truly an engineering marvel (or so my husband tells me). We walked around the observation desk which allows you to see basically the whole city from 3 different directions. It was stunningggggg.
We then moved over to the infinity pool section of the sky deck. It is truly out of a dream. The infinity pool takes up a majority of the rooftop, and it is BEAUTIFUL. We took a few pictures, then went back downstairs to get ready to have a night!
Walking through the airport was a BREEZE. Literally no one was there. Chad was so happy to see that no one from China was allowed to enter, there was hand sanitizer everywhere and it was very apparent from our arrival that they were VIGILANT about coronavirus.
As soon as we went through customs (which was like maybeee 20-30 minutes after touch down - it was nuts) a man named Nelson was waiting for us with a Mr. and Mrs. Rosenzweig sign.
We entered into a private VAN and began our journey to our hotel, Marina Bay Sands. Along the journey, Nelson told us about the inception of modern Singapore.
After achieving independence from Britain in 1965 (they were under British rule for over 100 years), Singaporeans had a clear idea of what they wanted their city to become. The original plan was to make the city into a garden, which morphed into a city within a garden. Nelson let us know that when building the expressway that we were driving on (from the airport to the hotel), the gardens were thought about before the street. This was immediately apparent with the beautifully manicured bushes, trees and flowers lining every expressway and street. All along the expressway there were these giant, canopy trees, which are called “rain trees.” It was a beautiful view!
In order to manifest their vision, Singapore has a committee called URA – Urban Redevelopment Authority. This group is one of the world’s best planning committees. They build off of the “Master Plan” for Singapore which was created so many years ago, and no create plans DECADES into the future. Nelson told us there is a plan for 20 years from now as well as 50+ years from now to continue to innovate and design. He stated that Singapore brings in the best people from around the world to learn from them and have them contribute rather than only using the people within Singapore. This ensures the best of everything – it truly shows!
Singapore is not a very large city/state (it is considered both a city and a state). It is less than 50km from side to side. In order to maximize the space, Singaporeans built both upwards (into tall NYC like buildings) and underground. They maximize use of underground space for buildings as well as garbage, recycling and sewage. We did not ONCE see a garbage truck or anything deemed “messy,” it is all underground! (Singapore is also truly immaculate as there are strict rules against littering, chewing gum and anything else that could cause a “mess.” Disobeying these laws comes with hefty fines! Also, there are people that walk around in casual, “civilian” clothes and wear cameras to catch people who litter or disobey any other laws. This, in addition to the many cameras around the city.
We drove past many local housing developments. Nelson let us know that about 80% of Singaporeans stay in public housing as private housing is extremely expensive. There are programs set in place for the government to help pay for housing –which allows there to be no (or very very few) homeless people.
Throughout the car ride, Chad was entranced. He was enamored with the structure, planning, architecture and engineering of this city. (You all know how Chad gets when he’s excited – it’s beyond adorable)
After our short (15-20 minute) drive, we arrived at our hotel, Marina Bay Sands (also called MBS by locals). – And I thought Chad was excited on the drive - HOLY MOLEY. This place is INSANEEE. It is 3 towers, holding up a ship like structure which connects the top of the 3 buildings. It was completed in 2010 and cost 8 billion Singapore dollars to create (about 5.7 USD). What’s even cooler – is the hotel was built on an area that used to be all water! CRAZY!
Nelson let us know that in planning for the hotel, they were going to create a second version just a short walk away. However, in order to preserve the “city in a garden” goal, they opted to not create another building and instead install “Gardens By the Bay.” (I’ll write more about the shortly). Having only one building truly did make an impact and allow the city to keep its garden vibes.
We checked into our “Deluxe Sky View Room,” which was on the 47th floor of the 57 floor building. Our view was of the bay and it was truly stunning. From our window, we could see the Art Science museum, as well as the beautiful skyline.
A couple of minutes after entering our room, someone from the hotel brought us Champagne and a cheese plate (thankful for 2 sets of awesome parents!) We scarfed down the cheese, and saved the champagne for later in the night!
We then went up to check out the Sky Deck. There are 2 parts of the rooftop of MBS. On one side, is the Sky Park/Observation Deck. This is the “diving board like structure near tower 3 (our tower). This structure extends far past the last tower and is truly an engineering marvel (or so my husband tells me). We walked around the observation desk which allows you to see basically the whole city from 3 different directions. It was stunningggggg.
We then moved over to the infinity pool section of the sky deck. It is truly out of a dream. The infinity pool takes up a majority of the rooftop, and it is BEAUTIFUL. We took a few pictures, then went back downstairs to get ready to have a night!
We got dressed, drank the champagne that our parents sent to us, and enjoyed the view from our room (which is truly unbelievable). Then, we went out on the town! We knew we had a long day of touring tomorrow, so we didn’t want to make a plan, just wanted to get lost and walk around the city! All we did know- was that we wanted to make it to 1-Altitude, world’s highest “al-fresco” bar, which has a view of our hotel. Other than that – we just began walking.
We walked across the “Helix Bridge” which was so cool. It is a pedestrian bridge (no cars at all) shaped like a helix and lit up with red lights on the top. Throughout the walk, there are observation decks that peak out towards the bay in which you have a beautiful view of MBS and the Art Science Museum.
We walked along the bay and began to hear music. There was casually a free performance at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Apparently, most of the performances that happen here are free. The orchestra filled the air with a sense of elegance and was absolutely beautiful! We only stayed for a few minutes, but it was definitely an added treat!
We continued walking towards Esplanade Bridge, directly across the bay from our hotel. Guys – the views, I have no more adjectives, but just like, WOW. We landed in Merlion park. Okay – here’s the story of the Merlion.
The Merlion is the symbol for Singapore. Singapore began as a fishing city. Then, the legend part – it is said that a prince from Indonesia came to this land to hunt and saw a beautiful majestic creature. Unsure of what the creature was, his friend told him it was a lion. The prince believed this lion was a good sign and the city changed from a “fishing villiage” to the “lion city.” “Singa” means lion, “Pora” means city - hence, Singapore! Therefore, the structure of the Merlion shows the city’s merging of its origin and its current/future status. It shoots water into Marina Bay and is beautiful!
We continued past the Merlion to the financial district. Upon entering the club, there was a cover, but the cover also paid for 2 drinks. You had to pick your drink before entering. We each picked, Chad got a Singaporean Beer, Tiger, I got a lychee marini and a sparkling water – I had to be functional the next day – need to hydrate! Then, before entering, they checked our temperature. We found that this was very common practice literally everywhere we went in Singapore. They were always doing multiple temperature screenings!
We went up to the 67th floor, and when we thought we had reached the rooftop, we transferred to another elevator to take us up even higher! We reached the rooftop, which was adorable! Of course, as in NY, in order to city, you needed to pay for a bottle, which we were NOT doing tonight. So we got our drinks and stood at a table overlooking Marina Bay. We enjoyed our drinks, then Chad decided he was hungry. We hadn’t really eaten that day, but the traveling had our stomachs a little messed up. So, Chad ordered chicken wings. The man who brought him his food, said that his reservation wasn’t here yet so we can sit at the table and enjoy. So kind! We ended up relaxing at the table for the duration of the food and a little bit into our second drinks. Then, we headed towards the DJ to dance a little before heading back to our hotel.
We left the bar around 10:15, and began walking the other way around the bay to go back. Our walk back took about 25-30 minutes and every minute of it was beautiful. Along our walk, we saw many pieces of art which further proved the amount of pride that the residents have in their city. For example, we saw one structure that had layers upon layers of figures in an upward spiral representing the “high energy and continuous cycle of progress” within the city (or at least that’s what the corresponding plaque said).
As we approached our hotel, we entered through the water, where our room is looking down upon. From the bottom, it is a lively row of restaurants and bars with live music, adjacent to “The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.” This is literally every designer ever housed in one GIANT shopping mall. It is staggering. I began to prep Chad for my eventual shopping as we walked through the mall towards our room. Lucky for him, at 10:45pm, nothing was open!
Upon entering our room, we saw that the hotel left a heart made from roses on our bed! We are truly spoiled! It was the perfect way to spend our first night in Singapore and we went to bed for an exciting next day!
We walked across the “Helix Bridge” which was so cool. It is a pedestrian bridge (no cars at all) shaped like a helix and lit up with red lights on the top. Throughout the walk, there are observation decks that peak out towards the bay in which you have a beautiful view of MBS and the Art Science Museum.
We walked along the bay and began to hear music. There was casually a free performance at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Apparently, most of the performances that happen here are free. The orchestra filled the air with a sense of elegance and was absolutely beautiful! We only stayed for a few minutes, but it was definitely an added treat!
We continued walking towards Esplanade Bridge, directly across the bay from our hotel. Guys – the views, I have no more adjectives, but just like, WOW. We landed in Merlion park. Okay – here’s the story of the Merlion.
The Merlion is the symbol for Singapore. Singapore began as a fishing city. Then, the legend part – it is said that a prince from Indonesia came to this land to hunt and saw a beautiful majestic creature. Unsure of what the creature was, his friend told him it was a lion. The prince believed this lion was a good sign and the city changed from a “fishing villiage” to the “lion city.” “Singa” means lion, “Pora” means city - hence, Singapore! Therefore, the structure of the Merlion shows the city’s merging of its origin and its current/future status. It shoots water into Marina Bay and is beautiful!
We continued past the Merlion to the financial district. Upon entering the club, there was a cover, but the cover also paid for 2 drinks. You had to pick your drink before entering. We each picked, Chad got a Singaporean Beer, Tiger, I got a lychee marini and a sparkling water – I had to be functional the next day – need to hydrate! Then, before entering, they checked our temperature. We found that this was very common practice literally everywhere we went in Singapore. They were always doing multiple temperature screenings!
We went up to the 67th floor, and when we thought we had reached the rooftop, we transferred to another elevator to take us up even higher! We reached the rooftop, which was adorable! Of course, as in NY, in order to city, you needed to pay for a bottle, which we were NOT doing tonight. So we got our drinks and stood at a table overlooking Marina Bay. We enjoyed our drinks, then Chad decided he was hungry. We hadn’t really eaten that day, but the traveling had our stomachs a little messed up. So, Chad ordered chicken wings. The man who brought him his food, said that his reservation wasn’t here yet so we can sit at the table and enjoy. So kind! We ended up relaxing at the table for the duration of the food and a little bit into our second drinks. Then, we headed towards the DJ to dance a little before heading back to our hotel.
We left the bar around 10:15, and began walking the other way around the bay to go back. Our walk back took about 25-30 minutes and every minute of it was beautiful. Along our walk, we saw many pieces of art which further proved the amount of pride that the residents have in their city. For example, we saw one structure that had layers upon layers of figures in an upward spiral representing the “high energy and continuous cycle of progress” within the city (or at least that’s what the corresponding plaque said).
As we approached our hotel, we entered through the water, where our room is looking down upon. From the bottom, it is a lively row of restaurants and bars with live music, adjacent to “The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.” This is literally every designer ever housed in one GIANT shopping mall. It is staggering. I began to prep Chad for my eventual shopping as we walked through the mall towards our room. Lucky for him, at 10:45pm, nothing was open!
Upon entering our room, we saw that the hotel left a heart made from roses on our bed! We are truly spoiled! It was the perfect way to spend our first night in Singapore and we went to bed for an exciting next day!
All (LOL not all - but a lot of) Singapore in 8 hours
Our original plan was to get up and watch sunrise from the infinity pool, then quickly shower, get ready and have breakfast before meeting our new tour guide, Jasmine for our day of touring. However, Chad was definitely starting to get tired, and we didn’t know how long the tour would last. So we postponed the sunrise infinity pool moment for the next day, and slept in a bit. We had our (complimentary) breakfast at “Adrift” in the hotel. I knew going into it that it was a buffet, so I was not expecting much. But, as I have become accustomed to in Singapore, I was proven wrong. This buffet was on par with that at our first hotel. It had every type of cuisine and anything you could ever want for breakfast! I had fruit (I hadn’t had kiwi in so long – I love kiwi!), pancakes and lox among a lot more (you guys know my self-control when it comes to food).
We then met Jasmine in our tower for our day of touring. Okay – here’s my preface: I have NO idea how I’m going to write about this day. Upon meeting Jasmine, she said that she knows we have one day of touring so she’s going to go off of our itinerary and do as much as possible. We quickly said that we want to see everything, and that as New Yorkers, we move fast. And OMG, she was not kidding. She was faster than Leslie at Disney World! She was efficient, showing us only what we needed to see, but giving us time to stop and look around. She also let us know that she would take all of our pictures on her iPhone 10, and send us a link to a google drive so we could move as fast as possible. I was VERY hesitant about this, but after the first photo, it was clear she was up for the job. (Also, I had my phone and big camera so was subbing in where necessary).
Here it goes –
We started our journey driving in the same direction that we began the night before. Jasmine pointed out a structure called “Esplanade By the Bay.” This is a performance center that was originally built to be a glass dome. However, it was too hot inside, So they hired people to come in and correct the problem. The solution was these metal pieces measured specifically for each window to cut the sun and reduce the heat. Therefore, if on metal piece is damaged, that one needs to be replaced specifically as they all have different measurements. In the dome, there are performances, the majority of which are free to the public. (it became very clear very quickly that the government subsidizes a lot for its citizens!)
We then went to the Singapore Botanic Garden. This was NOT on our itinerary and was a first priority for the next day, so I was thrilled when we approached! The botanic garden is a UNESCO world heritage city- something that they take much pride in – and it is beautiful! They bring in flowers from all over the world, maintaining the theme of taking the best from around the world to optimize beauty and function within Singapore. We walked through the Orchid Garden, a flower Singaporeans hold close to them. There was everyyyy type of Orchid. It was stunning. (I also have a soft spot for Orchids, as I love them and they were a huge part of our wedding decor!) There was also a ginger garden with many signs including, “What are gingers?” Don’t worry – I there are many comical photos (and we filled Jasmine in on the joke so she didn’t think we were tooooo odd). As we walked, Jasmine would stop us at optimal photo spots, as well as explain about each flower, its origin, and importance. It was SUCH a better experience walking through with her than if we would have done it independently!
We then met Jasmine in our tower for our day of touring. Okay – here’s my preface: I have NO idea how I’m going to write about this day. Upon meeting Jasmine, she said that she knows we have one day of touring so she’s going to go off of our itinerary and do as much as possible. We quickly said that we want to see everything, and that as New Yorkers, we move fast. And OMG, she was not kidding. She was faster than Leslie at Disney World! She was efficient, showing us only what we needed to see, but giving us time to stop and look around. She also let us know that she would take all of our pictures on her iPhone 10, and send us a link to a google drive so we could move as fast as possible. I was VERY hesitant about this, but after the first photo, it was clear she was up for the job. (Also, I had my phone and big camera so was subbing in where necessary).
Here it goes –
We started our journey driving in the same direction that we began the night before. Jasmine pointed out a structure called “Esplanade By the Bay.” This is a performance center that was originally built to be a glass dome. However, it was too hot inside, So they hired people to come in and correct the problem. The solution was these metal pieces measured specifically for each window to cut the sun and reduce the heat. Therefore, if on metal piece is damaged, that one needs to be replaced specifically as they all have different measurements. In the dome, there are performances, the majority of which are free to the public. (it became very clear very quickly that the government subsidizes a lot for its citizens!)
We then went to the Singapore Botanic Garden. This was NOT on our itinerary and was a first priority for the next day, so I was thrilled when we approached! The botanic garden is a UNESCO world heritage city- something that they take much pride in – and it is beautiful! They bring in flowers from all over the world, maintaining the theme of taking the best from around the world to optimize beauty and function within Singapore. We walked through the Orchid Garden, a flower Singaporeans hold close to them. There was everyyyy type of Orchid. It was stunning. (I also have a soft spot for Orchids, as I love them and they were a huge part of our wedding decor!) There was also a ginger garden with many signs including, “What are gingers?” Don’t worry – I there are many comical photos (and we filled Jasmine in on the joke so she didn’t think we were tooooo odd). As we walked, Jasmine would stop us at optimal photo spots, as well as explain about each flower, its origin, and importance. It was SUCH a better experience walking through with her than if we would have done it independently!
We then drove to our next stops, visiting different cultural villages throughout Singapore. Jasmine explained that there are about 5.4 million people in Singapore. The make-up of this population is about 67% Chinese, 30% Malay and 9% Indian. The rest is a melting pot of many other races and ethnicities.
We drove through Orchard street, a famous shopping street in Singapore. Jasmine pointed out many stores both designer and local.
We then made it to Little India. Jasmine walked us through the colorful streets with various restaurants, shops, flowers and murals. There was this one alley with a different mural painted every few buildings. It was stunning to see! She let us know that this is one of the only parts in town where the buildings look a little “run down.” This is because they are considered cultural sites. Therefore, the people are able to renovate the interior, but not the exterior to preserve the culture. As we walked, she pointed out stores including a store with various decorated elephant statues, the proceeds from which go to helping/saving elephants. One elephant that was helped through this fund was a little guy whose leg was blown off. The fund created and paid for a prosthetic leg. Although we were not paying the $60 for an elephant statue, we did buy a little magnet! She then brought us to a store where you can customize your own flip flops. I obviously had to do this! You first pick out a color for the base from a set of foam, they then cut the flip flop to your shoe size. Then, I picked the straps (all neutral colors obviously) as well as charms to put on the straps. There were walls and walls of charms. I decided to keep mine honeymoon/Singapore focused. So I put a gold and white orchid on the center of each shoe. Then on one foot, I put my new initials (first item with my new initials!) and a gold merlion on the other! I am so in love with how they came out and how they so perfectly capture this trip! And they’re really comfy! As we turned the corner through an alley in Little India, our driver, Andrew was waiting for us in our van! This was NOT the place that we started at – so the coordination and planning on the part of our tour guide and driver was thoroughly impressive and appreciated!
We drove through Orchard street, a famous shopping street in Singapore. Jasmine pointed out many stores both designer and local.
We then made it to Little India. Jasmine walked us through the colorful streets with various restaurants, shops, flowers and murals. There was this one alley with a different mural painted every few buildings. It was stunning to see! She let us know that this is one of the only parts in town where the buildings look a little “run down.” This is because they are considered cultural sites. Therefore, the people are able to renovate the interior, but not the exterior to preserve the culture. As we walked, she pointed out stores including a store with various decorated elephant statues, the proceeds from which go to helping/saving elephants. One elephant that was helped through this fund was a little guy whose leg was blown off. The fund created and paid for a prosthetic leg. Although we were not paying the $60 for an elephant statue, we did buy a little magnet! She then brought us to a store where you can customize your own flip flops. I obviously had to do this! You first pick out a color for the base from a set of foam, they then cut the flip flop to your shoe size. Then, I picked the straps (all neutral colors obviously) as well as charms to put on the straps. There were walls and walls of charms. I decided to keep mine honeymoon/Singapore focused. So I put a gold and white orchid on the center of each shoe. Then on one foot, I put my new initials (first item with my new initials!) and a gold merlion on the other! I am so in love with how they came out and how they so perfectly capture this trip! And they’re really comfy! As we turned the corner through an alley in Little India, our driver, Andrew was waiting for us in our van! This was NOT the place that we started at – so the coordination and planning on the part of our tour guide and driver was thoroughly impressive and appreciated!
We left little India and headed towards Kampung Glam, the Malay area (aka the Muslim area). On our way to Kampung Glam, Jasmine explained how Singapore is a melting pot of different religions and cultures. This began with Singapore becoming a free trade port, allowing for people from many different places to come and go. However, when Singapore was first being built, by the Chinese, Indian convicts were brought to physically build and do manual labor. This was due to the differences in their skin color – they could not escape the Chinese. However, now, kindness and amnesty is legally enforced. In any living quarter, it is illegal to have more than 90% of one religion/culture. Similarly, it is illegal to negatively comment about another religion or culture. Only 4 years ago, a woman commented that Malay wedding was too noisy. She lost her job and faced fines the very next day.
Okay back to Kampung Glam. This area was similarly brightly colored and vibrant. We went to visit Masjid Sultan, a beautiful mosque built from 1824 to 1826. When Singapore ceded to the British in the 1800s, Temenggong Abdul Rahman (A Temenggong is a Malay title of nobility) and Sultan Hassain Shah of Johor (who were in charge of Singapore), were given money in exchange for their power. In addition, Stamford Raffles (we’ll learn more about him shortly), granted the Temenggong and Sultan an annual stipend and use of the Kampong Glam for their residence. Hussain built a balance therr and brought his family and a complete group of Malay and other muslim people.
When building this mosque, the rich donated money and the poor donated glass bottles. The bottom of the glass bottles was used to create a ring around the gold dome at the top of the mosque – thus demonstrating that everyone can contribute – so beautiful! We walked around the Malay Heritage Centre which included a beautiful garden with the Glam tree, which gave the area its name. This tree is used in a multitude of ways including using the bark to fix leaks on boats (as the bark expands when wet), and using the leaves to create essential oils.
Okay back to Kampung Glam. This area was similarly brightly colored and vibrant. We went to visit Masjid Sultan, a beautiful mosque built from 1824 to 1826. When Singapore ceded to the British in the 1800s, Temenggong Abdul Rahman (A Temenggong is a Malay title of nobility) and Sultan Hassain Shah of Johor (who were in charge of Singapore), were given money in exchange for their power. In addition, Stamford Raffles (we’ll learn more about him shortly), granted the Temenggong and Sultan an annual stipend and use of the Kampong Glam for their residence. Hussain built a balance therr and brought his family and a complete group of Malay and other muslim people.
When building this mosque, the rich donated money and the poor donated glass bottles. The bottom of the glass bottles was used to create a ring around the gold dome at the top of the mosque – thus demonstrating that everyone can contribute – so beautiful! We walked around the Malay Heritage Centre which included a beautiful garden with the Glam tree, which gave the area its name. This tree is used in a multitude of ways including using the bark to fix leaks on boats (as the bark expands when wet), and using the leaves to create essential oils.
We then left the Malay quarter (the last cultural center, Chinatown, comes later - don’t worry) and went to Atlas. One of the 6 “World’s Top 50” bars in Singapore. This bar was incredible. Housed at the bottom of an office building, the grand, gothic decorations were truly breathtaking. It felt very batman-esque. Dark colors contrasted with gold everywhere. In a small square outside of the bar were sculptures by famous artists including Salvador Dali and Roberto Botero.
After a quick walk through and picture stop, (because even if we wanted a drink, it was 11:00 – yes, we did all of this so far by 11:00am, and there is NO way we would have made it through the next 6 HOURS OF TOURING having had a drink…of yeah.. and the bar was closed because it was 11:00am on a Sunday).
After a quick walk through and picture stop, (because even if we wanted a drink, it was 11:00 – yes, we did all of this so far by 11:00am, and there is NO way we would have made it through the next 6 HOURS OF TOURING having had a drink…of yeah.. and the bar was closed because it was 11:00am on a Sunday).
Anyway… we headed to Raffles Hotel. The hotel was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British colonizer of Singapore. He is best known for the founding of Modern Singapore (and British Malaya – but we don’t care about that at this moment). He recognized the strategically advantageous position of Singapore and secured a settlement in 1818, he then declared the foundation of what was to become modern Singapore in February of 1819 by securing the transfer of control of Singapore to the East India Company (and paid Sultan Hussain Shah and Tamenggong Adbdul Rahman a lot of money as I said before).
The hotel (only named after Raffles, not owned by him) began as a beach house in the 1830 and expanded to multiple buildings (and ultimately multiple properties) including “Long Bar” which was where the “Singapore Sling” was invented. (Side note about the Singapore Sling: It is a ubiquitous drink in Singapore, created to entice women to sit at the bar and drink, because drinking was mainly for men – it is a fruity, pink, gin-based drink). The hotel had recently been closed for a major renovation from Jan 2017 until August 2019! So we were so happy we were able to go have a look around!
The hotel (only named after Raffles, not owned by him) began as a beach house in the 1830 and expanded to multiple buildings (and ultimately multiple properties) including “Long Bar” which was where the “Singapore Sling” was invented. (Side note about the Singapore Sling: It is a ubiquitous drink in Singapore, created to entice women to sit at the bar and drink, because drinking was mainly for men – it is a fruity, pink, gin-based drink). The hotel had recently been closed for a major renovation from Jan 2017 until August 2019! So we were so happy we were able to go have a look around!
We then drove towards Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Singapore National Gallery. National gallery is the old Supreme Court and the old city hall - two buildings join together to form the National Gallery. Since both the Supreme Court and City Hall were cultural sites, they could not be changed or altered when merging into one. There was a design contest to combine the two structures. Studio Milou Singapore (a French architectural firm) won the contest and created a draped canopy supported with tree-like columns to link the buildings. The design used an extended staircase linking the basement to the upper levels, making use of solar energy to provide electricity. Additionally, within the canopy, there are little leaf-like holes, making leaf like shadows appear (and thus even more like a tree) when the sun hits!
The National Gallery is an art museum which houses the word’s largest public collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. Unfortunately, it was closed so we were unable to go in, but we still walked around the building! The building faces an open field known as the Padang, which is a Malay word meaning “flat field.” This field is now used to play Cricket, and we saw a game being played while we were there! On one side of the field is the Singapore Recreation Club, which when created (in 1883 by a group of Eurasian men on Waterloo street, then was moved to the Padang in 1884), only allowed Eurasians to play. Therefore, the Singapore Cricket Club was created and erected (in 1837), also on the Padang, facing the Singapore Recreation Club (Have to love when pettiness works). The Singapore Recreation club opened to non-Eurasians in 1955m and was then opened to people of all communities – but don’t worry, it took another year (in 1956) for women to be let in!
We stood on the stairs Japanese claimed victory over the combined British, Indian, Australian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore. Following this victory, Japanese military forces occupied Singapore (from 1942-1945) and renamed it the Syonanto (meaning “Light of the South Island”). In a deliberate move, these stairs were also the location in which Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (on behalf of the Allied forces) accepted the surrender of the Japanese forces in September 12, 1945, as rule returned to the British. (Singapore then gained partial internal self-governance in 1955 and gained independence on August 9, 1965).
As we we walked to our next destination, Jasmine pointed out an elephant statue standing at the front of “The Arts House at the Old Parliament” (That’s the name of the building – way to be literal guys). The statue was a gift from Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to commemorate his visit to Singapore in 1871. This was the first ever foreign trip by a Siamese (Thai) monarch. This official state visit was the start of a close relationship between Thailand and Singapore.
We then moved into the “Victoria Theatre,” a concert hall and theatre. This structure again, was two buildings which were merged. Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), began as a Town Hall wit a theatre in 1862, but it became too small for either function. In 1901, a memorial hall was built to commemorate Queen Victoria who passed away that year, and the Town Hall was incorporated into the design. The Victoria Memorial Hall was built next to the town hall. The two buildings were unified by a clock tower and the combined buildings were renamed The “Victoria Theatre.” In 1979, a gallery was added, the Victoria Memorial Hall was renamed the Victoria Concert Hall and the SSO took up residence there
We walked through the connecting hallway/clock tower, in which you could see the different styles of architecture on each side. As you look through the front of the hallway, we were able to see a clock above. Jasmine told us that it was modeled after Big Ben,
There is one man, Mr. Chan Puay Kiat whose job it is to wind the clock. He has been working as a maintenance contractor for the clock since 1983. He used to do climb the 107 steps from the ground floor to the top of the clock tower this 4 times/week, but now, it has been updated and only requires “check-ups” once a month. (I obviously went to look him up when I got home and there is an ADORABLE YouTube video – he is so cute, my heart hurts.)
In front of the Clock Tower there is a statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (created in 1887 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign). It cost $20,446.10 to construct. Not much to say about this statue (since I already wrote about him), except that the statue used to be located on the Padang (where cricket is played), but he kept getting hit by balls (which was obviously seen as disrespectful), so he was moved to the front of the Victoria Theater.
The National Gallery is an art museum which houses the word’s largest public collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. Unfortunately, it was closed so we were unable to go in, but we still walked around the building! The building faces an open field known as the Padang, which is a Malay word meaning “flat field.” This field is now used to play Cricket, and we saw a game being played while we were there! On one side of the field is the Singapore Recreation Club, which when created (in 1883 by a group of Eurasian men on Waterloo street, then was moved to the Padang in 1884), only allowed Eurasians to play. Therefore, the Singapore Cricket Club was created and erected (in 1837), also on the Padang, facing the Singapore Recreation Club (Have to love when pettiness works). The Singapore Recreation club opened to non-Eurasians in 1955m and was then opened to people of all communities – but don’t worry, it took another year (in 1956) for women to be let in!
We stood on the stairs Japanese claimed victory over the combined British, Indian, Australian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore. Following this victory, Japanese military forces occupied Singapore (from 1942-1945) and renamed it the Syonanto (meaning “Light of the South Island”). In a deliberate move, these stairs were also the location in which Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (on behalf of the Allied forces) accepted the surrender of the Japanese forces in September 12, 1945, as rule returned to the British. (Singapore then gained partial internal self-governance in 1955 and gained independence on August 9, 1965).
As we we walked to our next destination, Jasmine pointed out an elephant statue standing at the front of “The Arts House at the Old Parliament” (That’s the name of the building – way to be literal guys). The statue was a gift from Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to commemorate his visit to Singapore in 1871. This was the first ever foreign trip by a Siamese (Thai) monarch. This official state visit was the start of a close relationship between Thailand and Singapore.
We then moved into the “Victoria Theatre,” a concert hall and theatre. This structure again, was two buildings which were merged. Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), began as a Town Hall wit a theatre in 1862, but it became too small for either function. In 1901, a memorial hall was built to commemorate Queen Victoria who passed away that year, and the Town Hall was incorporated into the design. The Victoria Memorial Hall was built next to the town hall. The two buildings were unified by a clock tower and the combined buildings were renamed The “Victoria Theatre.” In 1979, a gallery was added, the Victoria Memorial Hall was renamed the Victoria Concert Hall and the SSO took up residence there
We walked through the connecting hallway/clock tower, in which you could see the different styles of architecture on each side. As you look through the front of the hallway, we were able to see a clock above. Jasmine told us that it was modeled after Big Ben,
There is one man, Mr. Chan Puay Kiat whose job it is to wind the clock. He has been working as a maintenance contractor for the clock since 1983. He used to do climb the 107 steps from the ground floor to the top of the clock tower this 4 times/week, but now, it has been updated and only requires “check-ups” once a month. (I obviously went to look him up when I got home and there is an ADORABLE YouTube video – he is so cute, my heart hurts.)
In front of the Clock Tower there is a statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (created in 1887 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign). It cost $20,446.10 to construct. Not much to say about this statue (since I already wrote about him), except that the statue used to be located on the Padang (where cricket is played), but he kept getting hit by balls (which was obviously seen as disrespectful), so he was moved to the front of the Victoria Theater.
We then walked to “24 Hours in Singapore” aka (more aptly named” “The Mirror Balls.” This is an art instillation by Baet Yeok Kuan (a Singaporean artist). It consists of 5 stainless-steel spheres with audio recordings of recognizable sounds in Singapore’s landscape (called an “audio time capsule”). You can hear recordings that reflect daily life in Singapore including traffic, neighborhood parks, markets, coffee shops and MRT trains. It hopes to serve as a remembrance of the heritage of daily life in 2015, when the sculpture was created in celebration of 50 years of Independence. Jasmine let us know that the purpose is to look at yourself, listen to the sounds and be present (and of course, take photos – we did not disappoint!)
We then went to walk across a bridge, but before we did, we saw a little stand serving ice cream. Although lunch was approaching soon, Jasmine suggested that we try this ice cream as it is what local children eat routinely. At 1.50 Singapore Dollars, the treat was a little ice cream brick between two biscuits (kind of like a flat waffle cone). You could also get the ice cream between bread, but Jasmine suggested the biscuits. I could not eat ice cream at that moment, but Chad stepped up and got a Mint Chocolate Chip treat – he loved it!
We then continue to the Cavenagh Bridge. It is the only suspension bridge and one of the oldest bridges in Singapore (and the oldest bridge in Singapore that exists in its original form). It crosses the Singapore river, and opened in 1869 to commemorate Singapore’s new Crown Colony of the Straits Settlements in 1867. It was originally called “Edinburgh Bridge” to commemorate the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, but it was changed to Cavenagh Bridge to honor the Major General Orgeur Cavenagh, the last India-appointed Governer of the Straits Settlements, who governed from 1859-1867. The coat of arms of the Cavenagh family is still on top of the bridge at both ends. The bridge links the Civic District on the northern bank to the Commercial District on the Southern Bank of the Singapore River.
The bridge was designed in Glasgow and was shipped to Singapore in parts and reassembled in 1869 by convict labor before opening to traffic a year later. Rickshaws and ox carts used the Cavenagh Bridge to cross the Singapore River. However, the bridge became overloaded by flourishing trade on the Singapore River in the late 1880s and the Anderson Bridge was built in 1910 to replace it. Despite its replacement, the Cavenagh bridge was spared from destruction and converted (and still utilized) as a pedestrian bridge today.
On the South Bank side of the bridge, there are sculptures of cats, aptly named “Singapura Cats.” The Singapura Cat is not a local breed, in fact, they were brought to Singapore by Americans working in Singapore. These Americans, Tommy and Hal Meadows, brought the cats back to the US and presented them as a new, natural, breed. However, these cats look nothing like the local stray cats found in Singapore. Jasmine told us that cats were used by Boat Captains to help detect the weather. Therefore, the cat sculptures remain on the bridge to pay homage to the past. As many as 15 sculptures of Singapura Cats were placed along the river by a (still unknown) artist; however, many were vandalized and one was even stolen. Only these 3 small cats remain on the side of the Cavenagh Bridge.
There was also a statue called “First Generation,” also on the South Bank of the bridge but on the opposite side from the Cats, in front of the Fullerton Hotel (We’ll be visiting there shortly). This piece was created in 2000, by Chong Fah Cheong and shows a scene of Singapore’s past in which the Singapore River was the lifeline of the country. The sculpture depicts 1 boy pushing another, who is connected to another, all jumping into the river, as well as a figure sitting alongside them. It was common, in the early days of Singapore, to see people jumping into and swimming in the river. The people swimming would have to avoid the muddy depths of the water and dangers of boats crossing the river. However, the river would smell due to the polluted water which was sometimes filled with water. The water would smell so bad, that eventually, people stopped swimming, and a 10-year cleanup of the river was initiated. No one swims in the river anymore, but the sculpture stands to remember this time.
Now, onto the Fullerton Hotel. The Fullerton Hotel is a 5-star hotel located on the Singapore River (obviously, if you’ve been somehow keeping track of my location on this very long day!) It was originally known as the “Fullerton Building” and also as the “General Post Office Building.” The Fullerton was named after Robert Fullerton, the first governor of the Straits Settlements (from 1826-1829). The building was commissioned in 1924 as part of the British colony’s centennial celebrations.
The northern end of the building covers the site of Fort Fullerton (a fort built in 1829 to defend the settlement against naval attacks). The fort was demolished in 1872 and gave way to the first General Post Office and Exchange Building in 1874. The Fullerton Building was opened in 1928 with 5 founding tenants: the General Post Office, the Exchange, Singapore Club (now Singapore Town Club), the Marine Department and the Import and Export Department (later the Ministry of Trade and Industry). It also housed the Chamber of Commerce and various government departments.
When you enter the Fullerton now, it looks (as expected) like a luxurious hotel. However, there is a wing which pays homage to the General Post Office that once existed. As we walked through this area, we saw that there were post cards available for use and a functioning mailbox to mail your note! I went to take one, when Jasmine let us know that she brought us even prettier post cards to use which depict the Fullerton Hotel (rather than just blank post card). We wrote our future-selves a note and mailed it back to Manhattan!
As we walked through this area of the hotel, reading about the history, we noticed that it said “The Center of Singapore.” Turns out- this spot was “Mile Zero” (and the point from which all locations got their addresses – at least when the General Post Office was still operational). Therefore we were standing at the literal center of Singapore (or at least it was once upon a time).
We walked through the an underground passage way in the hotel which depicted pictures of the post office and the buildings past. We then reached Merlion Park. It looked so different during the day! Since I already explained the history of the Merlion, I will just share that we took a few photos in front of the statue – different lighting, different experience, different photo! Jasmine let us know that a popular thing to do is pretend you are drinking the water in a photo. Chad’s came out much cuter than mine – so you can find the photo of him doing this below (I will spare you the unattractive photo of me).
We then headed to “Red House” for lunch. We had a set menu which included: jasmine tea, dim sum set, truffle and mushroom dumpling, takesumi cihlli crab bun, siew mai, prawn dumpling, fish slices with egg yolk, broccoli with garlic, fried rice and a “dessert of the day” that looked like opaque jello. Some things were definitely not for me, but it was lovely having this tasting menu and getting to try different types of local foods!
We then went to walk across a bridge, but before we did, we saw a little stand serving ice cream. Although lunch was approaching soon, Jasmine suggested that we try this ice cream as it is what local children eat routinely. At 1.50 Singapore Dollars, the treat was a little ice cream brick between two biscuits (kind of like a flat waffle cone). You could also get the ice cream between bread, but Jasmine suggested the biscuits. I could not eat ice cream at that moment, but Chad stepped up and got a Mint Chocolate Chip treat – he loved it!
We then continue to the Cavenagh Bridge. It is the only suspension bridge and one of the oldest bridges in Singapore (and the oldest bridge in Singapore that exists in its original form). It crosses the Singapore river, and opened in 1869 to commemorate Singapore’s new Crown Colony of the Straits Settlements in 1867. It was originally called “Edinburgh Bridge” to commemorate the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, but it was changed to Cavenagh Bridge to honor the Major General Orgeur Cavenagh, the last India-appointed Governer of the Straits Settlements, who governed from 1859-1867. The coat of arms of the Cavenagh family is still on top of the bridge at both ends. The bridge links the Civic District on the northern bank to the Commercial District on the Southern Bank of the Singapore River.
The bridge was designed in Glasgow and was shipped to Singapore in parts and reassembled in 1869 by convict labor before opening to traffic a year later. Rickshaws and ox carts used the Cavenagh Bridge to cross the Singapore River. However, the bridge became overloaded by flourishing trade on the Singapore River in the late 1880s and the Anderson Bridge was built in 1910 to replace it. Despite its replacement, the Cavenagh bridge was spared from destruction and converted (and still utilized) as a pedestrian bridge today.
On the South Bank side of the bridge, there are sculptures of cats, aptly named “Singapura Cats.” The Singapura Cat is not a local breed, in fact, they were brought to Singapore by Americans working in Singapore. These Americans, Tommy and Hal Meadows, brought the cats back to the US and presented them as a new, natural, breed. However, these cats look nothing like the local stray cats found in Singapore. Jasmine told us that cats were used by Boat Captains to help detect the weather. Therefore, the cat sculptures remain on the bridge to pay homage to the past. As many as 15 sculptures of Singapura Cats were placed along the river by a (still unknown) artist; however, many were vandalized and one was even stolen. Only these 3 small cats remain on the side of the Cavenagh Bridge.
There was also a statue called “First Generation,” also on the South Bank of the bridge but on the opposite side from the Cats, in front of the Fullerton Hotel (We’ll be visiting there shortly). This piece was created in 2000, by Chong Fah Cheong and shows a scene of Singapore’s past in which the Singapore River was the lifeline of the country. The sculpture depicts 1 boy pushing another, who is connected to another, all jumping into the river, as well as a figure sitting alongside them. It was common, in the early days of Singapore, to see people jumping into and swimming in the river. The people swimming would have to avoid the muddy depths of the water and dangers of boats crossing the river. However, the river would smell due to the polluted water which was sometimes filled with water. The water would smell so bad, that eventually, people stopped swimming, and a 10-year cleanup of the river was initiated. No one swims in the river anymore, but the sculpture stands to remember this time.
Now, onto the Fullerton Hotel. The Fullerton Hotel is a 5-star hotel located on the Singapore River (obviously, if you’ve been somehow keeping track of my location on this very long day!) It was originally known as the “Fullerton Building” and also as the “General Post Office Building.” The Fullerton was named after Robert Fullerton, the first governor of the Straits Settlements (from 1826-1829). The building was commissioned in 1924 as part of the British colony’s centennial celebrations.
The northern end of the building covers the site of Fort Fullerton (a fort built in 1829 to defend the settlement against naval attacks). The fort was demolished in 1872 and gave way to the first General Post Office and Exchange Building in 1874. The Fullerton Building was opened in 1928 with 5 founding tenants: the General Post Office, the Exchange, Singapore Club (now Singapore Town Club), the Marine Department and the Import and Export Department (later the Ministry of Trade and Industry). It also housed the Chamber of Commerce and various government departments.
When you enter the Fullerton now, it looks (as expected) like a luxurious hotel. However, there is a wing which pays homage to the General Post Office that once existed. As we walked through this area, we saw that there were post cards available for use and a functioning mailbox to mail your note! I went to take one, when Jasmine let us know that she brought us even prettier post cards to use which depict the Fullerton Hotel (rather than just blank post card). We wrote our future-selves a note and mailed it back to Manhattan!
As we walked through this area of the hotel, reading about the history, we noticed that it said “The Center of Singapore.” Turns out- this spot was “Mile Zero” (and the point from which all locations got their addresses – at least when the General Post Office was still operational). Therefore we were standing at the literal center of Singapore (or at least it was once upon a time).
We walked through the an underground passage way in the hotel which depicted pictures of the post office and the buildings past. We then reached Merlion Park. It looked so different during the day! Since I already explained the history of the Merlion, I will just share that we took a few photos in front of the statue – different lighting, different experience, different photo! Jasmine let us know that a popular thing to do is pretend you are drinking the water in a photo. Chad’s came out much cuter than mine – so you can find the photo of him doing this below (I will spare you the unattractive photo of me).
We then headed to “Red House” for lunch. We had a set menu which included: jasmine tea, dim sum set, truffle and mushroom dumpling, takesumi cihlli crab bun, siew mai, prawn dumpling, fish slices with egg yolk, broccoli with garlic, fried rice and a “dessert of the day” that looked like opaque jello. Some things were definitely not for me, but it was lovely having this tasting menu and getting to try different types of local foods!
If you can believe it – I am STILL NOT DONE WITH THIS DAY! So for now, enjoy and I’ll fill ya in on the rest a little later ;)
Busiest day of touring ever (2/23/20) Continued)
Okay, where were we? Of course, had to finish with the food. Onto our afternoon adventures!
We left lunch and began our afternoon at Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is 250 ACRE (Yes, 250 ACRE) park in the middle of Singapore. This was part of the “master plan” to transform Singapore from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden” with the goal of enhancing the greenery and flowers in the city. It consists of 3 gardens, all right on the water: Bay Central Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay South Garden. However, Bay Central Garden basically doesn’t exist at the moment – the goal is to have it link Bay South and Bay East, but it will be developed in the coming years. (So cool that WHEN we come back to Singapore – we definitely need more time and will be returning eventually), there will be so many changes and updates to the city!) Bay East is the second largest and was originally developed to support the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. It is basically a smaller version of Bay South (at the moment), but apparently, there are plans to make this section of the garden “water themed” with “5 water inlets aligned with the prevailing wind direction in order to maximize and extend the shoreline while allowing wind and water to penetrate the site to help cool the areas of activity around it.” Because that’s obviously what everyone thinks about when you go to a garden. The benefit of Bay East currently (and I assume long-term) is that there is an unobstructed view of the city skyline – and we can never have too many of those!
And now the section that we spent the most time in – Bay South. Bay South is the largest of the 3 gardens and is 130 acres alone. It was designed to show the best “tropical horticulture” and “garden artistry.” In my humble opinion, I’d say mission accomplished. The concept of it’s master plan drew inspiration from the orchid as the orchid is the country’s national flower (specifically the Vanda “Miss Joaquim” – I know everyone was wondering which species of orchid is the Singapore national flower), and represents the tropics. Apparently, this is what each part of Bay South represents in the Orchid
-The Root = the conservatories on the waterfront (will talk about these momentarily)
-The Leaves = the landforms
-The Shoots = the paths, roadways and linkways
-The Secondary Roots = Water, energy, communication lines
-The Blooms = theme gardens and supertrees at key intersections
Now, there are so many parts to Bay South. I truly never thought I would care this much about parts of a garden, but this was no ordinary garden. Even approaching Bay South (and Gardens by the Bay in general) you felt like you were walking into the movie “Avatar.” You felt like you were transported to another world, split between the reality of the physical gardens and the wild imagination of the Supertrees. Speaking of – let’s talk about Supertree Grove.
Supertree Grove is a garden of “Supertrees,” – I know, crazy. These Supertrees are 18 tree-like structures that range between 82 and 160 feet. Now, when you first see them, and coming from America, you are 1000% struck by the beauty. But also, I was absolutely assuming they were just structures put in place to attract tourists. Why have I not learned by now? They not only are absolutely beautiful, but they serve various functions including being VERTICAL GARDENS – like they’re not just buildings, they’re actual gardens that reach up to 160 feet in the air! Within the VERTICAL GARDENS (I will never be over this), there are unique exotic ferns (obviously), vines, orchids and a vastttttt array of bromeliads (which I learned are “flowering plants” and have about 3,590 known species – literally who am I with this knowledge?) The Supertrees were placed specifically to shade flowers in the garden that need it and work as “environmental engines” for the garden. They were created with “environmental technology” to mimic the ecological function of trees. For example, they have photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy (similar to how trees use photosynthesis) and can be used for some of the functions of the supertrees (including lighting them up in the most magical way at night – obviously these people thought of EVERYTHING). Additionally, the supertrees collect rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays (similar to how trees absorb rainwater for growth) AND they serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories cooling systems (obviously – why wouldn’t they).
We had already seen the Supertrees at night, the previous evening, but it was a COMPLETELY different experience seeing them during the day! It truly felt magical, anddd there were far less people at this time, which we know always makes me happy!
So, we walked through Supertree Grove to head to one of two conservatories. Both conservatories are right along the edge of the Marina Reservoir and were designed to be an energy-efficient showcase of sustainable building technology and to provide a weather edutainment (lol – educational + entertainment = edutainment) space within the gardens. Now, as much as I care more about design and beauty, my husband NERDED OUT about the construction of these buildings. Throughout the entire experience, as I was looking at flowers and literally saying, “ohhhh pretty” he was looking for the material that merged the glass together and other words that I zoned out because I was too busy looking at the pretty colors. Buttttt – the construction of the glasshouses is world-renowned. So, here’s the little bit that I wrote down – the construction of the conservatories was special for 2 reasons. 1) It has an extremely large glass roof without support from the inside like a column. 2) A large goal of construction was to minimize the environmental footprint. Therefore, rainwater is collected from the surface and circulated in the cooling system which is connected to the supertrees. The supertrees are used to vent both hot air and to cool circulated water. Additionally, temperature maintenance is key. Usually, glasshouses are warm, but these two conservatories were significantlyyyyy cooler than the outside, and their temperature is vigorously monitored and maintained. The temperature is ALWAYS between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius and 60-80% humidity. This is achieved by cooling air at the lower occupied zones through chilled water pipes in ground slabs while warm air is vented out at the top. Additionally, inside each conservatory, there are some metal X’s below a few windows (which I know sounds odd writing it, but the X’s are so thin and I truly only noticed them because Jasmine pointed them out). These X’s act as temperature monitors. If they reach a certain temperature, it triggers AUTOMATIC shades to ensure the maintenance of optimal temperature for the domes. Also – Chad was freaking out about the shape and how the glass was interconnected and kept saying “no one appreciates the work that went into constructing this” and I said “yepp,” and continued looking at the pretty things. However, I did later learn that his marveling was warranted. The Cloud Forest has 2,577 glass panels of 690 shapes and sizes needed to cover the 12,000 square meter surface of the dome. The Flower Dome has 3,332 panels of 42 different shapes and sizes of spectrally selective glass, making the construction puzzle-like. Fine Chad, I get it.
We left lunch and began our afternoon at Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is 250 ACRE (Yes, 250 ACRE) park in the middle of Singapore. This was part of the “master plan” to transform Singapore from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden” with the goal of enhancing the greenery and flowers in the city. It consists of 3 gardens, all right on the water: Bay Central Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay South Garden. However, Bay Central Garden basically doesn’t exist at the moment – the goal is to have it link Bay South and Bay East, but it will be developed in the coming years. (So cool that WHEN we come back to Singapore – we definitely need more time and will be returning eventually), there will be so many changes and updates to the city!) Bay East is the second largest and was originally developed to support the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. It is basically a smaller version of Bay South (at the moment), but apparently, there are plans to make this section of the garden “water themed” with “5 water inlets aligned with the prevailing wind direction in order to maximize and extend the shoreline while allowing wind and water to penetrate the site to help cool the areas of activity around it.” Because that’s obviously what everyone thinks about when you go to a garden. The benefit of Bay East currently (and I assume long-term) is that there is an unobstructed view of the city skyline – and we can never have too many of those!
And now the section that we spent the most time in – Bay South. Bay South is the largest of the 3 gardens and is 130 acres alone. It was designed to show the best “tropical horticulture” and “garden artistry.” In my humble opinion, I’d say mission accomplished. The concept of it’s master plan drew inspiration from the orchid as the orchid is the country’s national flower (specifically the Vanda “Miss Joaquim” – I know everyone was wondering which species of orchid is the Singapore national flower), and represents the tropics. Apparently, this is what each part of Bay South represents in the Orchid
-The Root = the conservatories on the waterfront (will talk about these momentarily)
-The Leaves = the landforms
-The Shoots = the paths, roadways and linkways
-The Secondary Roots = Water, energy, communication lines
-The Blooms = theme gardens and supertrees at key intersections
Now, there are so many parts to Bay South. I truly never thought I would care this much about parts of a garden, but this was no ordinary garden. Even approaching Bay South (and Gardens by the Bay in general) you felt like you were walking into the movie “Avatar.” You felt like you were transported to another world, split between the reality of the physical gardens and the wild imagination of the Supertrees. Speaking of – let’s talk about Supertree Grove.
Supertree Grove is a garden of “Supertrees,” – I know, crazy. These Supertrees are 18 tree-like structures that range between 82 and 160 feet. Now, when you first see them, and coming from America, you are 1000% struck by the beauty. But also, I was absolutely assuming they were just structures put in place to attract tourists. Why have I not learned by now? They not only are absolutely beautiful, but they serve various functions including being VERTICAL GARDENS – like they’re not just buildings, they’re actual gardens that reach up to 160 feet in the air! Within the VERTICAL GARDENS (I will never be over this), there are unique exotic ferns (obviously), vines, orchids and a vastttttt array of bromeliads (which I learned are “flowering plants” and have about 3,590 known species – literally who am I with this knowledge?) The Supertrees were placed specifically to shade flowers in the garden that need it and work as “environmental engines” for the garden. They were created with “environmental technology” to mimic the ecological function of trees. For example, they have photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy (similar to how trees use photosynthesis) and can be used for some of the functions of the supertrees (including lighting them up in the most magical way at night – obviously these people thought of EVERYTHING). Additionally, the supertrees collect rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays (similar to how trees absorb rainwater for growth) AND they serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories cooling systems (obviously – why wouldn’t they).
We had already seen the Supertrees at night, the previous evening, but it was a COMPLETELY different experience seeing them during the day! It truly felt magical, anddd there were far less people at this time, which we know always makes me happy!
So, we walked through Supertree Grove to head to one of two conservatories. Both conservatories are right along the edge of the Marina Reservoir and were designed to be an energy-efficient showcase of sustainable building technology and to provide a weather edutainment (lol – educational + entertainment = edutainment) space within the gardens. Now, as much as I care more about design and beauty, my husband NERDED OUT about the construction of these buildings. Throughout the entire experience, as I was looking at flowers and literally saying, “ohhhh pretty” he was looking for the material that merged the glass together and other words that I zoned out because I was too busy looking at the pretty colors. Buttttt – the construction of the glasshouses is world-renowned. So, here’s the little bit that I wrote down – the construction of the conservatories was special for 2 reasons. 1) It has an extremely large glass roof without support from the inside like a column. 2) A large goal of construction was to minimize the environmental footprint. Therefore, rainwater is collected from the surface and circulated in the cooling system which is connected to the supertrees. The supertrees are used to vent both hot air and to cool circulated water. Additionally, temperature maintenance is key. Usually, glasshouses are warm, but these two conservatories were significantlyyyyy cooler than the outside, and their temperature is vigorously monitored and maintained. The temperature is ALWAYS between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius and 60-80% humidity. This is achieved by cooling air at the lower occupied zones through chilled water pipes in ground slabs while warm air is vented out at the top. Additionally, inside each conservatory, there are some metal X’s below a few windows (which I know sounds odd writing it, but the X’s are so thin and I truly only noticed them because Jasmine pointed them out). These X’s act as temperature monitors. If they reach a certain temperature, it triggers AUTOMATIC shades to ensure the maintenance of optimal temperature for the domes. Also – Chad was freaking out about the shape and how the glass was interconnected and kept saying “no one appreciates the work that went into constructing this” and I said “yepp,” and continued looking at the pretty things. However, I did later learn that his marveling was warranted. The Cloud Forest has 2,577 glass panels of 690 shapes and sizes needed to cover the 12,000 square meter surface of the dome. The Flower Dome has 3,332 panels of 42 different shapes and sizes of spectrally selective glass, making the construction puzzle-like. Fine Chad, I get it.
We entered the Flower Dome first. Although both structures are HUGE (about 3 acres), the flower dome is the world’s largest column-less glasshouse AND is also the world’s largest greenhouse (because obviously the flower dome is an over-achiever). It replicates a “cool-dry, Mediterranean climate.” Although it was shockingly chilly entering the dome from outside where it was about 88 degrees, it (obviously) was not shocking for long as we quickly adjusted to the temperature. Despite my (very little) dress, we did not feel cold because these people literally think of everything and it is insane. There are some permanent flowers such as The Baobabs, the Succulent Garden, the Australian Garden, the South African Garden, the Olive Grove, the California Garden and the Mediterranean Garden as well as a few changing displays. For example, right upon entering there was an Alice in Wonderland Exhibit called “Aloes in Wonderland” – so punny! This featured beautiful flowers amongst Alice in Wonderland bronze statues. Additionally, there was a large exhibit for the Chinese New Year.
Below is a bunch of info about Chinese New Year – skip this blurb to return to my trip (I feel like this dissertation needs a roadmap)
(Side note about Chinese New Year while we’re here and there are many many many Chinese people in Singapore – Each Chinese New Year is associated with an animal. There are 12 animals that cycle through, representing each zodiac (which makes sense since the Chinese New Year is also called the Lunar New Year and is based on the calendar of the moon). Apparently, the year that you were born and the associated animal says something about your personality. Chad and I were born in the year of the Monkey. According to Jasmine, the defining trait of the Monkey is its intelligence. As children they win the praises of teachers and as adults they gain professional recognition and make great leaders. They are goal oriented, overcome obstacles and are clever. They view everyone as their teachers and are willing to learn from everyone and learn from their mistakes. They can be competitive which can be both positive and negative. Finally, they are calm and logical, and are always able to triumph and be the final winner. Now – all of that sounds LOVELY but likeee does everyone born in 1992 (and 1980, and 1968, and 2004 and 2016….) have these traits?. But what do I know?)
((Side note to the side note – here are some customs of the Chinese (lunar) New Year: every corner of the home must be cleaned, people buy something new for the new year - it symbolizes welcoming new things and getting ready for a new start, red decorations are widely used as it symbolizes wealth and good fortune as well as wards off Nian (a lion like monster that is afraid of the color red), decorations include “couplets” which are vertical banners with 2 lines of poetry, folk paintings, paper cuttings with intricate designs, and scrolls, there is a lot of food including dumplings, rice cakes, spring rolls, fish, etc., gifts of money are exchanged in red envelopes from older to younger, bosses to employees, etc. and people are able to spend their “lucky money” however they want, there are various festivals such as Jie Cai Ceng- welcoming the Gods of Wealth and Prosperity by setting off firecrackers on the fifth day of New Year, Yuan Xiao Jie – the festival of lanterns which is celebrated by lighting all types of lanterns on the 15th day of the new year and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This celebration also includes fold dancing, eating rice balls with different fillings, setting off fireworks, parades and is sometimes known as China’s Valentine ’s Day as single people hope to meet a mate. Andddd there are many many other customs and traditions that I did not have the time to learn. It is such an interesting culture – butt I did learn that “Guo Nian Hao” means “Happy New Year!”))
Back to the trip…
Throughout the exhibit for the Chinese New Year, there were adorable floral sculptures of rats (as this year is the year of the rat) and bright, beautiful flowers. Specifically there were many “dahlia” flowers in all different colors which I was in love with. (Dahlia flowers come in almost every color but blue and have a wide range of sizes from 5cm to 25cm across) We took a photo in front of the Archway “Auspicious Omens.” The name of the archway in the exhibit came from the legend of Lao zi passing the border station at han gu. The guard saw purple (qi – meaning “life force”) coming from the east and knew that a sage was about to pass the station. And thus, Lao zi arrived, riding on a green ox. Which is why the gate is called “Auspicious Omens” or “zi qi dong lai” meaning, “purple haze from the east.” Also – it was really pretty. We also took a photo in front of this beautiful floral sculpture of the Chinese symbol for “prosperity.”
As we walked through the 7 other exhibits (there are 9 in total including the Chinese New Year + Alice in Wonderland), the theme of “taking the best from around the world” was apparent yet again. The garden beautifully displays flowers from around the world. Jasmine pointed out a few rare flowers including the “fynbos,” a flower dominated by thickets of fire-prone, hard-leafved shrubs that live in sandy, low-nutrient soil. It is called “fynbos” as it is an Afrikaans word for “fine bushes” due to the many needle like leaves. Additionally, within the flowers, there were beautiful hidden treasures such as animal carvings in trees, photo areas, and little bronze statues hidden throughout. There was one statue that Jasmine pointed out of a little boy holding an Umbrella, I’d guess about 2 feet in height. It is decently hidden within the leaves and can only be found if you know what to look for. The umbrella drips just one drop from 2 of the umbrella points from a pipe that is fed up the sculpture. So dainty and detail-oriented! Aside from the beautiful flowers, the view from inside the dome is truly incredible. The layout allows for varying heights as you move throughout the dome. At the highest point, it was beautiful to look around and see all of the different plant species so perfectly manicured, living under this one beautifully constructed roof. And with that, we moved on to the next conservatory.
Below is a bunch of info about Chinese New Year – skip this blurb to return to my trip (I feel like this dissertation needs a roadmap)
(Side note about Chinese New Year while we’re here and there are many many many Chinese people in Singapore – Each Chinese New Year is associated with an animal. There are 12 animals that cycle through, representing each zodiac (which makes sense since the Chinese New Year is also called the Lunar New Year and is based on the calendar of the moon). Apparently, the year that you were born and the associated animal says something about your personality. Chad and I were born in the year of the Monkey. According to Jasmine, the defining trait of the Monkey is its intelligence. As children they win the praises of teachers and as adults they gain professional recognition and make great leaders. They are goal oriented, overcome obstacles and are clever. They view everyone as their teachers and are willing to learn from everyone and learn from their mistakes. They can be competitive which can be both positive and negative. Finally, they are calm and logical, and are always able to triumph and be the final winner. Now – all of that sounds LOVELY but likeee does everyone born in 1992 (and 1980, and 1968, and 2004 and 2016….) have these traits?. But what do I know?)
((Side note to the side note – here are some customs of the Chinese (lunar) New Year: every corner of the home must be cleaned, people buy something new for the new year - it symbolizes welcoming new things and getting ready for a new start, red decorations are widely used as it symbolizes wealth and good fortune as well as wards off Nian (a lion like monster that is afraid of the color red), decorations include “couplets” which are vertical banners with 2 lines of poetry, folk paintings, paper cuttings with intricate designs, and scrolls, there is a lot of food including dumplings, rice cakes, spring rolls, fish, etc., gifts of money are exchanged in red envelopes from older to younger, bosses to employees, etc. and people are able to spend their “lucky money” however they want, there are various festivals such as Jie Cai Ceng- welcoming the Gods of Wealth and Prosperity by setting off firecrackers on the fifth day of New Year, Yuan Xiao Jie – the festival of lanterns which is celebrated by lighting all types of lanterns on the 15th day of the new year and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This celebration also includes fold dancing, eating rice balls with different fillings, setting off fireworks, parades and is sometimes known as China’s Valentine ’s Day as single people hope to meet a mate. Andddd there are many many other customs and traditions that I did not have the time to learn. It is such an interesting culture – butt I did learn that “Guo Nian Hao” means “Happy New Year!”))
Back to the trip…
Throughout the exhibit for the Chinese New Year, there were adorable floral sculptures of rats (as this year is the year of the rat) and bright, beautiful flowers. Specifically there were many “dahlia” flowers in all different colors which I was in love with. (Dahlia flowers come in almost every color but blue and have a wide range of sizes from 5cm to 25cm across) We took a photo in front of the Archway “Auspicious Omens.” The name of the archway in the exhibit came from the legend of Lao zi passing the border station at han gu. The guard saw purple (qi – meaning “life force”) coming from the east and knew that a sage was about to pass the station. And thus, Lao zi arrived, riding on a green ox. Which is why the gate is called “Auspicious Omens” or “zi qi dong lai” meaning, “purple haze from the east.” Also – it was really pretty. We also took a photo in front of this beautiful floral sculpture of the Chinese symbol for “prosperity.”
As we walked through the 7 other exhibits (there are 9 in total including the Chinese New Year + Alice in Wonderland), the theme of “taking the best from around the world” was apparent yet again. The garden beautifully displays flowers from around the world. Jasmine pointed out a few rare flowers including the “fynbos,” a flower dominated by thickets of fire-prone, hard-leafved shrubs that live in sandy, low-nutrient soil. It is called “fynbos” as it is an Afrikaans word for “fine bushes” due to the many needle like leaves. Additionally, within the flowers, there were beautiful hidden treasures such as animal carvings in trees, photo areas, and little bronze statues hidden throughout. There was one statue that Jasmine pointed out of a little boy holding an Umbrella, I’d guess about 2 feet in height. It is decently hidden within the leaves and can only be found if you know what to look for. The umbrella drips just one drop from 2 of the umbrella points from a pipe that is fed up the sculpture. So dainty and detail-oriented! Aside from the beautiful flowers, the view from inside the dome is truly incredible. The layout allows for varying heights as you move throughout the dome. At the highest point, it was beautiful to look around and see all of the different plant species so perfectly manicured, living under this one beautifully constructed roof. And with that, we moved on to the next conservatory.
Ohhh the Cloud Forest. This is an adjacent dome, constructed similarly, but is definitely distinct. The cloud forest replicates the cool, moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 3,300 and 9,800 feet above sea level found in South-East Asia, Central and South America. The temperature ALWAYS maintained at 23-25 degrees Celsius and 80-90% humidity with similar temperature controls as the Flower Dome. It is about 2 acres large (compared to the 3 acre flower dome), but is much taller. This is because of the GIANT main attraction, “Cloud Mountain.” Cloud Mountain is the second largest man-made waterfall (115 feet) second only to the even bigger, new man-made waterfall housed in the airport (we go there tomorrow). The conservatory follows a path on the ground floor which leads you to an elevator to the top of the mountain which you then walk down for beautiful views of the waterfall as well as the many flowers the mountain adorns (including orchids – obviously, ferns, peacock ferns, spike and clubmosses, bromeliads and anthuriums). Similar to the flower dome, the Cloud forest had various sections, each with their own unique personality. There is the Lost World, the Cavern, the Waterfall View, the Crystal Mountain, the Cloud Forrest Gallery, the Cloud Forest Theatre and the Secret Garden.
Upon entering the Cloud Forest, you are smacked in the face by this incredible waterfall. It truly looks like a giant green mountain with a water falling from various heights and locations on the front-facing side. We paused for a picture, then began walking the path to get to the top! On our way, we saw similar (but distinct) wood carvings, sculptures (like giant colorful orchid sculptures because orchids are the best), and gardens. We arrived at the elevator to “the Lost World.” When we exited the elevator, it truly felt like we were teleported to an alternate universe. We walked through the interior of the mountain which had beautifully designed holes with greenery around them, allowing you to see the dome structure and the city of Singapore. Once we were on the path outside (and on top) of the mountain, we were in a beautiful green-filled jungle. As we turned the corner, Jasmine explained that a local artist makes sculptures out of legos and lo and behold, there were giant lego flower sculptures of the same flowers that sit beside it as well as bronze boat and animal sculptures in the water. This happened to be a carnivorous plant section, so the lego sculptures included a Venus Fly Trap (or Snap Trap). There are 6 known snap types (Venus Fly Trap, Suction Trap, Lobster Pot Trap, Passive Glue Trap, Active Glue Trap and Pitfall Trap) all of which were present and labeled in the exhibit. As we moved through the dome, we noticed flowers of all sizes, including micro flowers, which were sometimes accompanied by magnifying glasses so you can see the structure. It was so interesting how the magnifying glasses were included into the design and did not deter from the natural feel of the gardens. As we walked, Jasmine again pointed out rare and interesting plants including “Lady Slippers” which do look like little ballet flats, so cute! As we turned the corner, we were able to look down from the top of the mountain. Having recently hiked a real mountain, it is amazing to think of the foresight and planning that went into creating this man-made one, and ensuring that every detail was functional and beautiful! The path down the mountain has 2 “wings” that allow for viewing of different areas. We walked along the beautiful path, taking many many photos along the way (I love my husband for dealing with me). As we reached the bottom of the mountain, there was an exhibit with local plants and flowers including “Zingber Singapurenese” aka “Singapore Ginger.” Don’t worry – I took a photo of it. Then, there was an ENTIRE educational component about climate change and environmental protection including a video about the prospects of our environment, how we can change it, etc. Jasmine explained that many schools come here to learn about the environment, which is so cool! Yet another way this space is super functional.
Oh, by the way, the cost for Gardens by the Bay (NOT including the price of the land) was over 1 billion dollars. As if that wasn’t hefty enough, the annual operating cost is about 58 million, 28 million of which is for operation of the two conservatories. I mean, it’s not in my budget to create or maintain one, but I am BEYOND THRILLED I had the opportunity to visit!
Upon entering the Cloud Forest, you are smacked in the face by this incredible waterfall. It truly looks like a giant green mountain with a water falling from various heights and locations on the front-facing side. We paused for a picture, then began walking the path to get to the top! On our way, we saw similar (but distinct) wood carvings, sculptures (like giant colorful orchid sculptures because orchids are the best), and gardens. We arrived at the elevator to “the Lost World.” When we exited the elevator, it truly felt like we were teleported to an alternate universe. We walked through the interior of the mountain which had beautifully designed holes with greenery around them, allowing you to see the dome structure and the city of Singapore. Once we were on the path outside (and on top) of the mountain, we were in a beautiful green-filled jungle. As we turned the corner, Jasmine explained that a local artist makes sculptures out of legos and lo and behold, there were giant lego flower sculptures of the same flowers that sit beside it as well as bronze boat and animal sculptures in the water. This happened to be a carnivorous plant section, so the lego sculptures included a Venus Fly Trap (or Snap Trap). There are 6 known snap types (Venus Fly Trap, Suction Trap, Lobster Pot Trap, Passive Glue Trap, Active Glue Trap and Pitfall Trap) all of which were present and labeled in the exhibit. As we moved through the dome, we noticed flowers of all sizes, including micro flowers, which were sometimes accompanied by magnifying glasses so you can see the structure. It was so interesting how the magnifying glasses were included into the design and did not deter from the natural feel of the gardens. As we walked, Jasmine again pointed out rare and interesting plants including “Lady Slippers” which do look like little ballet flats, so cute! As we turned the corner, we were able to look down from the top of the mountain. Having recently hiked a real mountain, it is amazing to think of the foresight and planning that went into creating this man-made one, and ensuring that every detail was functional and beautiful! The path down the mountain has 2 “wings” that allow for viewing of different areas. We walked along the beautiful path, taking many many photos along the way (I love my husband for dealing with me). As we reached the bottom of the mountain, there was an exhibit with local plants and flowers including “Zingber Singapurenese” aka “Singapore Ginger.” Don’t worry – I took a photo of it. Then, there was an ENTIRE educational component about climate change and environmental protection including a video about the prospects of our environment, how we can change it, etc. Jasmine explained that many schools come here to learn about the environment, which is so cool! Yet another way this space is super functional.
Oh, by the way, the cost for Gardens by the Bay (NOT including the price of the land) was over 1 billion dollars. As if that wasn’t hefty enough, the annual operating cost is about 58 million, 28 million of which is for operation of the two conservatories. I mean, it’s not in my budget to create or maintain one, but I am BEYOND THRILLED I had the opportunity to visit!
We left Gardens by the Bay and headed to Chinatown. We began our visit at Thian Hock Keng (also known as Tianfu Temple) and literally means “Palace of Heavenly Happiness.” It is the oldest temple of the Hokkien (or Hoklo) people. Jasmine pointed out the curved roof with the ends pointing upwards as the traditional style of Hokkien temples. “Guarding” the doors to the temple are two stone lions (or door gods). Jasmine asked us to guess which was the male and which was the female. Chad guessed that the male was on the right, using the logic that it may be similar to the Balinese order which we learned about a few days ago (men are in charge, since Balinese drive on the right, the male goes on the right to symbolize power), I (using my super-female charged powers of observation), noticed a mini dragon attached to the chest of the statue on the right and therefore stated the female was on the right because the mini-dragon was the baby. And OBVIOUSLY I was right *pat on the back for Dani* Jasmine stated that the female was on the right with a baby attached, and the male was on the left with a ball under his right paw. She stated that the female was on the right because women are always right – who knows if that is true, but either way it works for me!
The entrance to the temple has one main door and two side doors with a step at the front. Civilians are not allowed to enter through the main door. The right door (when looking at the temple) is ONLY for entrance, which means the left door is ONLY for exit. The entrance door has a high step (at least a foot and a half-ish, I think) which forces you to step over it. Jasmine explained the reason for placing this step is that all visitors must look down in order to step over (and ensure they don’t face plant) which forces you to bow your head as you enter the temple – so cool! Additionally, the entrance side has an image of a dragon to symbolize that you are entering the world of God; while the exit side adorns an image of a tiger to symbolize danger in the outside world. There are also images of the Buddhist swastika which symbolizes good luck, eternity and immortality. (I know that the swastika was originally used for beautiful reasons in Hindu and Buddhist culture but seeing a swastika will alwaysss be jarring
The entrance leads directly into the main courtyard. Directly behind that is a a shrine dedicated to Guanyin, the God of Mercy who had many arms attached to her. Jasmine stated that since this is the God of Mercy, she has many hands as she tries to help as many people as she can. Behind the main shrine is a small, outdoor courtyard. In this courtyard, there is a wishing well with 6 bells which have labels in Chinese corresponding to each bell. You ring the bell in hopes of what the label says. For example, Chad and I rang the bell for a “happy marriage.” I think it’s working so far ;)
At the exterior corner of the building where the bells are, Jasmine told us about the original construction of the temple. The people wanted to build the temple using an interlocking system, and therefore without using a single nail to build. When the Chinese stated their plan, the Indian people told them that they were crazy and would not be able to achieve this. Alas, they achieved their goal of creating the building without using a single nail. Not only has it withstood the test of time, the builders of the temple placed a small statue of an Indian man holding up the roof at this corner of the building. Gotta love some pettiness.
We then hopped back in the van and were dropped off at these beautiful murals. They had looked familiar to us, as Jasmine had shown us postcards with these murals. One of the murals had a man dragging along a cart with various faces and a sign stating “Paper Faces” “Earn a living for Ban Kok.” Jasmine explained that this man existed when she was young in Singapore and would sell these paper masks. There was also a mural of little shops (kind of like NYC bodegas), which Jasmine explained was where people shopped before Singapore became so modernized. She told us to pose with the murals as if we were in the paintings – and of course, we obliged. So cute!
After the murals, we went to our final stop – Buddah Tooth Relic Temple. This is a Buddhist temple (p.s. in case it wasn’t clear from the multiple Buddhis temples we visited in Chinatown – most Chinese people (according to Jasmine – I am not stereotyping – are Buddhist). Which houses a relic of Buddha within the temple (or so it claims). We did not go inside, but the building is beautiful. It is grand, and red and is apparently based on Tang Dynasty architecture.
As we walked by Buddah Tooth Relic, we saw many old men playing Chinese Chess. Jasmine explained that this is a popular area for Chinese retirees, who spend most of their days either playing Chinese Chess or betting on games of their peers.
On our way back to the hotel, Jasmine began recommending bars to go to later that night (all of us forgot that it was a Sunday and no bars were open because who goes out drinking on a Sunday night – although we didn’t actually get to go to the bar, learning about this one was interesting!). She told us about a speakeasy called “Operation Dagger.” Now, we are no strangers to “speakeasy” bars in NYC. However, I put speakeasy in quotations for a reason – all of our speakeasy bars are basically normal bars that you have to go through a “special door” which everyone knows. However, this bar was different. In order to find it, you had to track “hobo signs.” These are symbols used by homeless people to communicate. Jasmine showed us different symbols including “religious service, free meal,” “doctor who will not charge,” and the ones that helped us find the bar, “alcohol here” and “this is it.” So cute! I am sad we didn’t get to actually go to the bar as the drinks Jasmine showed us looked so cool, but – I guess we’ll have to come back.
The entrance to the temple has one main door and two side doors with a step at the front. Civilians are not allowed to enter through the main door. The right door (when looking at the temple) is ONLY for entrance, which means the left door is ONLY for exit. The entrance door has a high step (at least a foot and a half-ish, I think) which forces you to step over it. Jasmine explained the reason for placing this step is that all visitors must look down in order to step over (and ensure they don’t face plant) which forces you to bow your head as you enter the temple – so cool! Additionally, the entrance side has an image of a dragon to symbolize that you are entering the world of God; while the exit side adorns an image of a tiger to symbolize danger in the outside world. There are also images of the Buddhist swastika which symbolizes good luck, eternity and immortality. (I know that the swastika was originally used for beautiful reasons in Hindu and Buddhist culture but seeing a swastika will alwaysss be jarring
The entrance leads directly into the main courtyard. Directly behind that is a a shrine dedicated to Guanyin, the God of Mercy who had many arms attached to her. Jasmine stated that since this is the God of Mercy, she has many hands as she tries to help as many people as she can. Behind the main shrine is a small, outdoor courtyard. In this courtyard, there is a wishing well with 6 bells which have labels in Chinese corresponding to each bell. You ring the bell in hopes of what the label says. For example, Chad and I rang the bell for a “happy marriage.” I think it’s working so far ;)
At the exterior corner of the building where the bells are, Jasmine told us about the original construction of the temple. The people wanted to build the temple using an interlocking system, and therefore without using a single nail to build. When the Chinese stated their plan, the Indian people told them that they were crazy and would not be able to achieve this. Alas, they achieved their goal of creating the building without using a single nail. Not only has it withstood the test of time, the builders of the temple placed a small statue of an Indian man holding up the roof at this corner of the building. Gotta love some pettiness.
We then hopped back in the van and were dropped off at these beautiful murals. They had looked familiar to us, as Jasmine had shown us postcards with these murals. One of the murals had a man dragging along a cart with various faces and a sign stating “Paper Faces” “Earn a living for Ban Kok.” Jasmine explained that this man existed when she was young in Singapore and would sell these paper masks. There was also a mural of little shops (kind of like NYC bodegas), which Jasmine explained was where people shopped before Singapore became so modernized. She told us to pose with the murals as if we were in the paintings – and of course, we obliged. So cute!
After the murals, we went to our final stop – Buddah Tooth Relic Temple. This is a Buddhist temple (p.s. in case it wasn’t clear from the multiple Buddhis temples we visited in Chinatown – most Chinese people (according to Jasmine – I am not stereotyping – are Buddhist). Which houses a relic of Buddha within the temple (or so it claims). We did not go inside, but the building is beautiful. It is grand, and red and is apparently based on Tang Dynasty architecture.
As we walked by Buddah Tooth Relic, we saw many old men playing Chinese Chess. Jasmine explained that this is a popular area for Chinese retirees, who spend most of their days either playing Chinese Chess or betting on games of their peers.
On our way back to the hotel, Jasmine began recommending bars to go to later that night (all of us forgot that it was a Sunday and no bars were open because who goes out drinking on a Sunday night – although we didn’t actually get to go to the bar, learning about this one was interesting!). She told us about a speakeasy called “Operation Dagger.” Now, we are no strangers to “speakeasy” bars in NYC. However, I put speakeasy in quotations for a reason – all of our speakeasy bars are basically normal bars that you have to go through a “special door” which everyone knows. However, this bar was different. In order to find it, you had to track “hobo signs.” These are symbols used by homeless people to communicate. Jasmine showed us different symbols including “religious service, free meal,” “doctor who will not charge,” and the ones that helped us find the bar, “alcohol here” and “this is it.” So cute! I am sad we didn’t get to actually go to the bar as the drinks Jasmine showed us looked so cool, but – I guess we’ll have to come back.
After a long long long day of touring (and many many many thousands of steps later), Jasmine and Andrew dropped us back off at our hotel. When deciding where to relax our very tired feet, the choice between our hotel room and the beautiful infinity pool on the hotel roof seemed extremely easy – so we put on bathing suits and headed up to the infinity pool. Needing something sweet after our long day of hard work (LOL) we got some drinks (I got a mojito, Chad got an “optimist) and I got some chocolate sorbet. Talk about the perfect way to recover, I cold drink and some sorbet on a rooftop infinity pool – life is good!
After the sun was heading down, we headed back to the room to shower and get ready. We ate dinner at a buffet at the hotel which (obviously) was incredible! There were crab legs and sushi and muscles and scallops (and other meat stuff that I obviously didn’t eat). It was lovely! We had already figured out that no bars were open that night (party poopers), but there was one bar open…the one on the hotel roof! So we went up to the rooftop once again for drinks on our last evening in Singapore.
Chad (finally) tried a Singapore Sling. It was soooo sweet – I am happy I stuck with a prosecco! We enjoyed a beautiful view (although it was quite windy that high up) and reflected on an amazing trip. But don’t worry, we had one more adventure before we went home ;)
After the sun was heading down, we headed back to the room to shower and get ready. We ate dinner at a buffet at the hotel which (obviously) was incredible! There were crab legs and sushi and muscles and scallops (and other meat stuff that I obviously didn’t eat). It was lovely! We had already figured out that no bars were open that night (party poopers), but there was one bar open…the one on the hotel roof! So we went up to the rooftop once again for drinks on our last evening in Singapore.
Chad (finally) tried a Singapore Sling. It was soooo sweet – I am happy I stuck with a prosecco! We enjoyed a beautiful view (although it was quite windy that high up) and reflected on an amazing trip. But don’t worry, we had one more adventure before we went home ;)
The Last Horrah (2/24/20)
Well, since Chad got to sleep in yesterday, he knew today he had to wakeup for sunrise at the infinity pool. He did not object, as he was just as fascinated by the area as I was – although certainly for different reasons. And lucky for him – sunrise wasn’t until 7:15!
We woke up, threw on bathing suits and headed immediately up to the infinity pool. For 7:00am, there were a surprising handful of people who had the same idea! It was quite chilly at 7am, but I got in the pool anyway. It was amazing to have the pool largely to ourselves. The view is indescribable. You peer over the pool and can see all of Singapore.
We swam in the pool and laid on a lounge chair for about 1.5 hours before I got ancy and starving (why am I like this?). Luckily, we had planned to go to our final (complimentary) breakfast on the rooftop. The restaurant is called Spago – it is a (WHICH CHEF) restaurant. Although the food has been incredible the entire trip, my stomach was definitely starting to feel the effects of not eating the way I normally do. This kind gentleman kept trying to get me to try the local breakfast, and although I would normally dive 100% into it, I knew I needed a standard American breakfast to make it through this long day. So – I had some bread, lox and fruit (and lots of coffee!).
After breakfast we went to lay out again, but both decided that since it wasn’t that warm yet, we should go do our activities and come back to the pool when it was warmer. So, we went downstairs, got changed and went out on our final adventure.
We went to the Art Science Museum. Located conveniently right outside of our hotel, we arrived about 15 minutes after opening. Now, let’s be clear about something, this is a museum for kids. Did I lean in and enjoy every second? 100% Did I convince Chad to lean in and participate too? 83% - I did what I could.
Upon entering, we were told there were two exhibits, the X exhibit and the Disney exhibit. We chose to visit both. We began with the X exhibit. The first room was this beautiful butterfly and flower projection in a dark room. As you touched the wall, the flowers bloomed around you. We then turned into the next, interactive room. This included a slide that you climb up, and digital animations move with you as you move down the slide. Did I slide down? Yes! Did Chad also slide down? Yepp! (Bet you thought I was going to say no to that one!)
Then, there was a sketch aquarium and town. At this station, you colored in a fish/car on a given sheet and scanned it into the aquarium/town. Seconds later, you saw your drawing projected onto a the multi-wall surface! All of my drawings said adorable things such as “The Rosenzweig’s” “DNR <3 CAR” etc. Chad just colored. But, it was adorable to see them floating and driving on the wall!
Then, we went into the crystal room. This was a room with a pathway, the rest of the floor was covered in mirrors with crystals hanging from the ceiling. It looked so beautiful! And that brings us to the conclusion of this exhibit (and part 1/2 of Dani being a 4 year old).
We then rode the glass elevator up 3 floors to the Disney exhibit. It was actually beautifully done! As you traveled through the exhibit, there were blurbs about Disney’s feature films including Steamboat Willie, Snow white, Sleeping Beauty, all the way through Frozen and Frozen 2. For each film there was information about its importance in Disney’s history as well as sketches from the planning and creation of each film.
We woke up, threw on bathing suits and headed immediately up to the infinity pool. For 7:00am, there were a surprising handful of people who had the same idea! It was quite chilly at 7am, but I got in the pool anyway. It was amazing to have the pool largely to ourselves. The view is indescribable. You peer over the pool and can see all of Singapore.
We swam in the pool and laid on a lounge chair for about 1.5 hours before I got ancy and starving (why am I like this?). Luckily, we had planned to go to our final (complimentary) breakfast on the rooftop. The restaurant is called Spago – it is a (WHICH CHEF) restaurant. Although the food has been incredible the entire trip, my stomach was definitely starting to feel the effects of not eating the way I normally do. This kind gentleman kept trying to get me to try the local breakfast, and although I would normally dive 100% into it, I knew I needed a standard American breakfast to make it through this long day. So – I had some bread, lox and fruit (and lots of coffee!).
After breakfast we went to lay out again, but both decided that since it wasn’t that warm yet, we should go do our activities and come back to the pool when it was warmer. So, we went downstairs, got changed and went out on our final adventure.
We went to the Art Science Museum. Located conveniently right outside of our hotel, we arrived about 15 minutes after opening. Now, let’s be clear about something, this is a museum for kids. Did I lean in and enjoy every second? 100% Did I convince Chad to lean in and participate too? 83% - I did what I could.
Upon entering, we were told there were two exhibits, the X exhibit and the Disney exhibit. We chose to visit both. We began with the X exhibit. The first room was this beautiful butterfly and flower projection in a dark room. As you touched the wall, the flowers bloomed around you. We then turned into the next, interactive room. This included a slide that you climb up, and digital animations move with you as you move down the slide. Did I slide down? Yes! Did Chad also slide down? Yepp! (Bet you thought I was going to say no to that one!)
Then, there was a sketch aquarium and town. At this station, you colored in a fish/car on a given sheet and scanned it into the aquarium/town. Seconds later, you saw your drawing projected onto a the multi-wall surface! All of my drawings said adorable things such as “The Rosenzweig’s” “DNR <3 CAR” etc. Chad just colored. But, it was adorable to see them floating and driving on the wall!
Then, we went into the crystal room. This was a room with a pathway, the rest of the floor was covered in mirrors with crystals hanging from the ceiling. It looked so beautiful! And that brings us to the conclusion of this exhibit (and part 1/2 of Dani being a 4 year old).
We then rode the glass elevator up 3 floors to the Disney exhibit. It was actually beautifully done! As you traveled through the exhibit, there were blurbs about Disney’s feature films including Steamboat Willie, Snow white, Sleeping Beauty, all the way through Frozen and Frozen 2. For each film there was information about its importance in Disney’s history as well as sketches from the planning and creation of each film.
After this, we went to the Dani part of this day – shopping! I had planned on buying myself a present to commemorate our honeymoon. However, after walking through the shops, I saw this one store, Charles and Keith. Now, throughout the past few days in Singapore, I had seen EVERY trendy and stylish girl holding a shopping bag from this store. I entered and looked at the price of a wallet - $20 Singapore dollars (aka 14 USD). After some independent research (aka google) and speaking with the sales rep, this was a Singaporean brand. Every item in the store was unique and so cool. Chad got lucky with this one! My present ended up being veryyyyyyyyy cheap, but SO cool. I am so proud of my purchase.
After shopping, we went back up to the infinity pool to commence the relaxation. Well, it lasted for about an hour and a half, but then it began to drizzle. So we decided to take that as a sign to get our butts up and do one last walk/exploration before we left. We began walking around the city, and went to this adorable restaurant “Overeasy” right on the bay. It was delicious. On the walk home, Chad decided he NEEDED another one of the ice cream treats that he had yesterday because it was so incredible. He convinced me that it was something I needed to try too. So we found a little stand and each got an ice cream treat. It was really really delicious!
We said goodbye to some of our favorite spots and sadly went inside to pack up for our 7:00 pick up for the airport. Chad and I each checked the room 6,000 times to ensure we didn’t leave anything (even though all of our belongings had been confined to one small area the entire time - because we’re both insane), and independently commented that we love when there are structures under the bed so that nothing can get lost down there. I think we spend too much time together and are morphing into one.
We met Jasmine downstairs and walked towards the van. On our walk we saw a fleet of world’s most amazing cars (I don’t even know what kind of cars they were, but they were fancyyyy). Further demonstrating the prestige associated with this hotel. As we began to drive towards the airport, Jasmine handed us about 10 photos that she printed of us from the day before – SO KIND! She truly went above and beyond! She then began to tell us where each of the attractions at the airport are!
Rather than going to the terminal, she brought us to the Jewel. This an exhibit, attached to the airport, but before security. We were able to do early check in (aka get rid of our bags) and explore the area. The area is called Jewel as it looks like a gem in the center of all of the airport terminals from planes. Inside the center of the gem is the world’s largest man-made waterfall. We thought Singapore couldn’t get more impressive, then here we stood, in this circular structure, with a circular waterfall raining from the rood – AND – just in time for the light and sound show to begin. It was a sight! After the light and sound show, we went upstairs to the exhibit section of the Jewel. There was a 2-for-1 exhibit promotion so we chose to do the mirror maze, and walking nets (as suggested by Jasmine). With our tickets, we entered the “Canopy Walk.” This was a glass bridge right in front of the waterfall, but very close to the top. Looking straight down, to the many stories below us was terrifying, but it was a beautiful place to look at the waterfall. We then moved onto the mirror maze. This was way cooler than we had expected! As we walked in, we were given a foam stick (that looked like a foam roller or one of those floaties we used to use in the pool) and were instructed to use this to guide us, rather than place our hands on the mirror. I did not fully understand until we entered and it became very clear that they were needed! We walked through about 3 different rooms within the maze. It was so cute!
Then, I had to go to the restroom. Yes, I recognize, that I am writing about my bathroom experience – but just wait. So I entered the restroom which was obviously beautiful (I have become accustomed to beauty and cleanliness in this city). But then, I went to place toilet paper on the seat and felt that it was warm. A gaze to my left brought my attention to a remote. A REMOTE FOR AN AIRPORT BATHROOM TOILET. This remote controlled the heat of the toilet seat, a bidet imbedded within the toilet with options for location and pressure among other commands. Literally – what planet am I on that this is in the airport?!
After my lovely bathroom experience, we moved onto the final attraction in the Jewel – the walking nets. At the beginning of the attraction, it seemed just like I would be walking across ropes, which had a safety net underneath. Cool. Well then, as I turned the corner, you could see about 4 floors straight down the mall within the Jewel. And then I freaked out! So scary, but so cool, but so scary! I made it through, with obvious photo stops (gotta smile for the photo). Chad then decided to “make me feel better” by telling me that he scales building with ONE of the many ropes beneath my feet, holding his entire weight. He always knows what to say *enter face palm moment here*
After this attraction, my adrenaline was PUMPING. We walked through the bridge to our terminal at lightening speed. Security was super duper quick and customs was all automatized (of course it was). We had a quick dinner and headed towards our gate.
I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sad that this trip has come to an end. We had the honeymoon of our dreams. Every person we met and worked with went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. I am so grateful for an amazing husband and to have worked with such amazing people. As we were boarding, I told Chad how sad I was to be ending this trip. He said that he’s not sad because his reality is even better than the dream world we were living in. UGH, I love him. And with that, we return to our normal lives.
I love you all!
After shopping, we went back up to the infinity pool to commence the relaxation. Well, it lasted for about an hour and a half, but then it began to drizzle. So we decided to take that as a sign to get our butts up and do one last walk/exploration before we left. We began walking around the city, and went to this adorable restaurant “Overeasy” right on the bay. It was delicious. On the walk home, Chad decided he NEEDED another one of the ice cream treats that he had yesterday because it was so incredible. He convinced me that it was something I needed to try too. So we found a little stand and each got an ice cream treat. It was really really delicious!
We said goodbye to some of our favorite spots and sadly went inside to pack up for our 7:00 pick up for the airport. Chad and I each checked the room 6,000 times to ensure we didn’t leave anything (even though all of our belongings had been confined to one small area the entire time - because we’re both insane), and independently commented that we love when there are structures under the bed so that nothing can get lost down there. I think we spend too much time together and are morphing into one.
We met Jasmine downstairs and walked towards the van. On our walk we saw a fleet of world’s most amazing cars (I don’t even know what kind of cars they were, but they were fancyyyy). Further demonstrating the prestige associated with this hotel. As we began to drive towards the airport, Jasmine handed us about 10 photos that she printed of us from the day before – SO KIND! She truly went above and beyond! She then began to tell us where each of the attractions at the airport are!
Rather than going to the terminal, she brought us to the Jewel. This an exhibit, attached to the airport, but before security. We were able to do early check in (aka get rid of our bags) and explore the area. The area is called Jewel as it looks like a gem in the center of all of the airport terminals from planes. Inside the center of the gem is the world’s largest man-made waterfall. We thought Singapore couldn’t get more impressive, then here we stood, in this circular structure, with a circular waterfall raining from the rood – AND – just in time for the light and sound show to begin. It was a sight! After the light and sound show, we went upstairs to the exhibit section of the Jewel. There was a 2-for-1 exhibit promotion so we chose to do the mirror maze, and walking nets (as suggested by Jasmine). With our tickets, we entered the “Canopy Walk.” This was a glass bridge right in front of the waterfall, but very close to the top. Looking straight down, to the many stories below us was terrifying, but it was a beautiful place to look at the waterfall. We then moved onto the mirror maze. This was way cooler than we had expected! As we walked in, we were given a foam stick (that looked like a foam roller or one of those floaties we used to use in the pool) and were instructed to use this to guide us, rather than place our hands on the mirror. I did not fully understand until we entered and it became very clear that they were needed! We walked through about 3 different rooms within the maze. It was so cute!
Then, I had to go to the restroom. Yes, I recognize, that I am writing about my bathroom experience – but just wait. So I entered the restroom which was obviously beautiful (I have become accustomed to beauty and cleanliness in this city). But then, I went to place toilet paper on the seat and felt that it was warm. A gaze to my left brought my attention to a remote. A REMOTE FOR AN AIRPORT BATHROOM TOILET. This remote controlled the heat of the toilet seat, a bidet imbedded within the toilet with options for location and pressure among other commands. Literally – what planet am I on that this is in the airport?!
After my lovely bathroom experience, we moved onto the final attraction in the Jewel – the walking nets. At the beginning of the attraction, it seemed just like I would be walking across ropes, which had a safety net underneath. Cool. Well then, as I turned the corner, you could see about 4 floors straight down the mall within the Jewel. And then I freaked out! So scary, but so cool, but so scary! I made it through, with obvious photo stops (gotta smile for the photo). Chad then decided to “make me feel better” by telling me that he scales building with ONE of the many ropes beneath my feet, holding his entire weight. He always knows what to say *enter face palm moment here*
After this attraction, my adrenaline was PUMPING. We walked through the bridge to our terminal at lightening speed. Security was super duper quick and customs was all automatized (of course it was). We had a quick dinner and headed towards our gate.
I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so sad that this trip has come to an end. We had the honeymoon of our dreams. Every person we met and worked with went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. I am so grateful for an amazing husband and to have worked with such amazing people. As we were boarding, I told Chad how sad I was to be ending this trip. He said that he’s not sad because his reality is even better than the dream world we were living in. UGH, I love him. And with that, we return to our normal lives.
I love you all!