Singapore
One of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia, growing strife between the Chinese in Singapore and the Malays in Malaysia led to a negotiated separation agreement within two years.
Singapore split from the Federation of Malaysia in August of 1965 becoming an independent country and never looked back, one of our Grab (the Asian equivalent to Uber) drivers explained to us. Today, Singapore is a successful modern country with an amazing infrastructure and a thriving economy.
Since we last visited Singapore 20 years ago, this nation has catapulted itself into the future. It’s a veritable hive of activities from the amusement parks at Formosa Island to the bird sanctuaries and nature reserves spread throughout the small country.
Gitty discovered this cool fountain at the Changi airport cascading from the ceiling. down to the level below us
I compiled a list of activities worth visiting longer than my arm for our future visits to the area, but there was one place I had to go: The Gardens by the Grove.
It’s a destination I’ve wanted to experience for years, especially the Supertree grove. The Gardens, sprawling below the Skyline bridge, is a nature lover’s wonderland, and the sound and light show at night in the Supertree grove was a colorful delight in illumination perfectly synchronized to classical music.
On one sunny afternoon, Gitty and I grabbed a ride to the Singapore Botanical Gardens. We could live in Singapore just to spend time wandering this amazing tropical paradise which became the first Unesco World Heritage site in Singapore.
We spent, unexpectedly, most of our time there in the National Orchid Garden. Alone the numbers of different areas like the Bromeliad collection, the Secret Ravine, and the Enchanted Garden showcased the splendor of over 1,500 species with their unique and numerous blooms in their natural settings.
By the time we entered the Cool House, we were ready for a respite from the heat and humidity. The beauty and variety of orchid exhibits in the air-conditioned enclosure kept us wandering slowly along the curvy path for a long time.
Although exhausted and ready to depart by the time we exited the Orchid Garden, a lunch break at the Halia Restaurant right off Orchid Plaza with its excellent cuisine recharged our batteries. We wound up roaming another few hours through the wetlands area to Swan Lake observing heritage trees that were centuries old by the time the Botanical Garden was founded. Truly one of the best botanical gardens I’ve ever visited in the world!
Our only other excursion this trip took us to Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve where we spotted a Sunbird feeding her young, a hornbill swooping through the trees and the hawking calls of kingfishers in the mangroves. It was a lovely half day spent in nature with the other half day soaking poolside at our hotel. Not a bad way to spend my life.
Garden Sunbird feeding young
Asian White-headed Hornbill
Nectar drinking Garden Sunbird
We spent much of our time in Singapore hanging around the apartment we rented, cooking in our own kitchen, catching up on some reading and television, swimming, shopping, and planning the next few months as a lot of booking flights and hotels is involved in our nomadic lifestyle. No complaints from me!
Singapore is known for its gorgeous and natural architecture
Even the mall escalators are beautifully designed
In the last nine months, we had our fair share of health scares as well, but nothing too serious. I got a heat rash all over my body, Gitty slipped on a patch of mossy boardwalk and had a knee issue, my ear infection flared up, and we both fought a nasty, month-long cough brought on by the cold and flu season. Whether sick at home or on the road, we always anticipate issues. However, nothing has deterred us so far from our travels as we are relatively fit and still in good shape.
Crimson Sunbird, the national bird of Singapore, seen here at the Botanical Garden
Our original plan was to get health coverage for dire emergencies and otherwise visit local clinics when needed. Until now, knock on wood, we haven’t needed to use the health plan. We’ve been to clinics in a number of countries and the expenses were as low as predicted, including getting several vaccinations against mosquito-borne illnesses that would have cost us at least ten times more in the United States. We certainly had interesting experiences at some clinics along the way as every country has their own methods of dealing with doctor/patient relationships and unique ways of dispensing medications.
Fruit bats wrapping their wings around their babies in Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve
We try to embrace new cultures, new ideas, and new ways of living and learning. We are not trying to squeeze every little bit into the short time we have (it’s really quite a big world out there with plenty to see and do), but rather to really enjoy the things we choose to experience in our own relaxed way. We miss our family and friends and colleagues and acquaintances, but we are also meeting new people here and there. We hope to rendezvous with friends, old and new, in fun places and share our experiences as much as possible while our health and general well being permits.
I’ve learned traveling this long and winding road for nine months that plans can change on a dime, but one thing is still a certainty, many more surprises await us along our nomadic path ahead.
