Singapore day 2

We wanted to return to the Gardens by the Bay on our second day in Singapore. DJ especially wanted to see the Cloud Forest. There was an MRT (Singapore subway) stop right in the Harbour Centre that is connected to the cruise terminal, so we mapped out our route there using public transit. The MRT is spectacular: modern, clean, and super easy to use. Every platform has a clear system map that makes it easy to know which train you need. On the trains there is a map with live updates showing where you are. It was great.

Walking from the MRT station to the Cloud Forest gave us a chance to see a little more of the gardens. It’s really a beautiful spot. We got tickets for the Cloud Forest and the skywalk that runs between some of the supertrees. The ticket seller advised us to hit the skywalk first because it would close if the weather changed. We heeded that advice and headed right up. The walkway is WAY up there, and it’s a pretty strange feeling having nothing on either side of you. When they say “dizzying heights,” this is the kind of thing they’re talking about. Up next was the Cloud Forest, which did not disappoint. It’s basically a man-made mountain inside a greenhouse, complete with a waterfall. We went to the top and then took the winding path back down to the bottom. Tons of orchids and myriad other plants and flowers; it was really cool.

Our next target was the iconic merlion statue on the bay. The gardens stretch out to the spectacular Marina Sands building, which is next to the Helix bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses the bay. We headed that way, enjoying the gardens along the route. We spotted an enormous water monitor cruising along below a bridge in the gardens. Then over the Helix bridge, which gave us some good views of the bay. On the opposite side we had to negotiate some construction that cut off the sea breeze and it was the hottest part of the walk.

We’d identified a Mexican food place as a target for lunch. Typically we avoid Mexican food on our travels as it generally disappoints when compared to what we can get at home. But this spot was well-reviewed and perfectly positioned, so we thought we’d give it a try. It was a few minutes before their noon opening time, so we wandered back into an air-conditioned mall to kill the extra time. While there we ran into Mike and Sarah having a break during their similar outing. We chatted with them a bit and then headed to lunch. The food turned out to be quite good! It was different than the typical SoCal Mexican, but very nice.

Recharged from lunch, we continued our walk. We got some pictures of the merlion, then walked a bit more around the bay to an MRT stop. Our next goal was to take the cable car (for Thomas and myself anyway). So we took the MRT back to Harbour Centre, then got on the monorail over to Sentosa Island. Then it was up the hill to the cable car station. DJ and Liz passed, meaning it was just Thomas and I taking the round trip across the bay and back. Insignia’s docking station was immediately below the cable car, so we got an interesting view looking directly down at the ship. No a/c in the cable cars and we were a sweaty mess by the time we got back.

Liz and DJ had been waiting at a little café and beckoned us over to see a peacock family they’d been watching. There was a female and a little chick, and a male displaying to the surrounding people to keep them away from his family. The chick even put up his tiny tail as well. We walked down to the monorail station for the short ride back to Harbour Centre where the boys and I got some ice cream to cap off a day full of walking.

Singapore was fantastic, one of those cities where you feel like you could move in and be right at home. We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay.Read more