I sat in the foyer after lunch and the bus taking me to the tour arrived on the dot of 2pm, and we then proceeded to two other hotels where other folks were being picked up for the same tour. Five of us eventually got to the Gardens by the Marine Bay which was humming with tourists waiting for trips. There was a 15 minute wait and we heard thunder just grizzling in the background and the clouds were darkening by the minute. That should have been my first warning !
We boarded our bus which had about 25 people in a coach for 52, so it was very comfortable, and very cool. Our first stop was in Little India, which was colourful, vibrant and much how imagine it must be in Goa, or a holiday destination in India ! We were told we had 15 minutes to mooch around, which was fine as it was not a large area, and I enjoyed a fresh coconut water, the top being cut off the young green fruit by an expert and his machete ! It was quite a different experience than mainstream Singapore, they expected bargaining, which in the swish Singaporean shops and markets was a definite no no !
Sights of Little India
Back on the bus we drove around the colonial centre to look at the many beautiful buildings to which I had already been. I did see some others though, especially the beautiful City Hall and Victoria Concert Hall, gorgeous in their ‘Raffles’ white and green colours. There is, if you can believe it, an MTR underground station directly under the City Hall, bet that took some shoring up when it was being built !!
City Hall and the darkening clouds.....
We wandered to see the Merlion statue at this stop as well, and learnt about the story of the man who, a very long time ago, and possibly even a legend, was drifting at sea sure of his inevitable death by drowning but found himself on a beach of this as yet unnamed island. He wandered inland and found a lion. In his culture ( can’t quite remember which that was.....) a lion signified a very good omen so he decided on the spot to call it Singa ( lion) Pure ( city or town, or possibly village !) and so Lioncity was born, long before any colonists arrived !
The Merlion
We got back in the bus and rain drops the size of chocolate drops began to fall.......we did not alight at Chinatown as it was a positive monsoon, but by the time we got to the wonderful Botanical and Orchid Gardens it had more or less ceased. Ha ! Confidently wandering around the gorgeous tropical garden was amazing, the rain had made the fragrance of the orchids so strong, and the succulent leaves dripping and sparkling with the rain. We arrived at the building which was a museum of orchid growing and happily read the information. Within 10 seconds the sky unloaded a downfall the like of which I have never seen, even living on Skye.
A few of the glorious exhibits at the Orchid Garden
This is how I felt when the rain came down !
Post monsoon......
The drops were the size of golf balls. Of course we were then half a km from the bus. Not much in the great scheme of things. Try it in a monsoon ! I was drenched through to my skeleton in around three minutes or less and then gave up trying to hurry as it was not going to make the slightest bit of difference - my dress and blouse were already fully soaked and dripping. It was almost funny, but not quite........the thought of sitting in the bus for 30 minutes was less than cheery ! We all made it back and I wondered what the collective noun for a group of wet through tourists is - a ‘shower’ is probably the best ! I leave you all to imagine how uncomfortable and sticky the journey back was. I am sitting in my hotel now, about three hours later, and my hair is still wet........hope the clothes dry before they have to go in the suitcase for tomorrow’s flight home, otherwise I may be growing my own penicillin by the time I get to Petworth !
Dinner maybe hotel room service tonight.....more carbs - Agh !!!
Goodbye Singapore and the Lotus Flower Arts and Science Museum
Singapore is lovely, great architecture, wonderful food ( well not really for me but.....) but a bit too equatorial and today’s monsoon rains made me glad that I live in a temperate climate ! I am ready to come home now, have a bit of cool weather and get life back to normal. I have lived the whole thing and once again thanks to all the folks who have been wonderful with Gretel the dog, looked after the house and helped me recover from pneumonia to make it all possible.
Blighty here I come !
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