Flowers and Clouds

Last time we were in Singapore I was too hot and grumpy after walking through the Gardens By The Bay to go through the Cloud Forest and Flower dome. If I’d known then they were cooler…

These amazing feats of engineering are built with a view to preserving and promoting the natural environment, conserving  resources and educating visitors about mountain micro climates. Designed with glass that sits on a steel grid which acts like an eggshell, the two Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay are the world’s largest columnless greenhouses.We decided to opt for the open shuttle from the MRT station to the domes and in the process were able to buy combo tickets thereby skipping the longer queues to buy tickets (handy tip!) to the two domes at the dome entrances. The tourists are not quite so polite when it comes to queues.

The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy plus Australia, and is the largest glass greenhouse in the world as listed in the 2015 Guiness World Records! Orchids were ever present, and what I’m calling tree-root sculptures were a random extra. The dragon and eagle were magnificent, the jack rabbit and goose not so much.

The Cloud Forest showcases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000 metres above sea level. It features a 35-metre-tall mountain covered in lush vegetation, shrouding the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. You can wind your way up and through then across a ‘walkway in the clouds’ to get an aerial view of the mountainside and the gardens below. The pathways then wind you back down again, with lifts and escalators assisting the descent. 

When you go, time your visit the Cloud Forest to coincide with the mistimes (watering) of the plants as it is not only cooling, but creates a mysterious ambience that enhances the whole experience.

The ads on the Emirates flight indicate to me their target clients are very high flyers indeed. A certain residential development in London where every apartment overlooks the Thames and just the car spaces are £50,000, is still in need of investors a year after launch. If the fact it was created in association with Versace Home would swing your vote their way, here’s a photo to tempt you 🤔.Then there’s the recently released Audi R8 V10 Plus, retailing for A$390,00, pitching at those who want to be ‘star men’, a la David Bowie. Or the diamond studded watches, which maker’s name escapes me right now. However I can tell you, TrendSpotter didn’t list them in the top 20 luxury watch brands I should know. 

reproduced from http://www.multivu.com

And then there’s us, sitting in economy class, on free tickets (courtesy of being bumped by Emirates last year on our way through Singapore in return for free flights because they had overbooked the plane), wondering how anybody on this deck of the lovely A380-800 could afford anything shown on the inflight advertising. I think they were playing the wrong ad playlist 😳.

I did note on the Singapore Immigration Card there were only two boxes to choose from when it came to gender –  M and F only. The MyTax app I recently wrestled my annual figures into, gave me a third option – Indeterminate. What an awful world we live in where confusion and indecision reign.

Two words describe Singapore for me.

Courteous and orderly. I’ve been to Singapore several times in the last 30 of its now 51 years of independence, and I’m always struck by the signage, transport connectivity, usually patient queues, generally good manners and cleanliness (high employment I’m guessing contributes to such a clean place) and rules. 

Car free is carefree.

No chewing gum.

Longest wait time on the MRT is 2 minutes in peak time. 

Queuing lanes on the MRT platforms are followed (two for getting on and one for getting off for each doorway). 

No kite flying. At least not from the Supertree skywalk.

There are many commentaries on the authoritarian nature of Singapore’s laws, some quite negative, but to me as a law-abiding visitor, I appreciate the dedication to keeping the country safe and clean.

My poor feet had major blistering from having worn thick woolly socks and shoes for the past few months, and they didn’t have any chance against the humidity and heat when walking miles and miles through Singapore’s malls, streets and gardens. The application of bandaids didn’t do too much, so obtaining a more comfortable footwear item was high on my shopping list! I picked these up for RM10 in Jonker St in Melaka the other day and they’ve been so much better. Plus the sunshine and fresh air have healed them nicely.

Lollipop Flip Flops

Our stay at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront was comfortable despite being 1.05km from the closest MRT…we took cabs S$5-10) to a couple of different stations, until we discovered as we left that there was a free shuttle to the MRT! Note to self! 🙄

The position on the river was really lovely and we had a very decent view from our room, especially at night. We strolled along its banks a couple of times, and ate dinner one night at Limoncello’s on the opposite bank which I would recommend for sure, the food was great!

Next: The Cloud and Flower Domes.