In an hour I'll be leaving Singapore for Bangkok. Seems such a strange thing to be doing on Thanksgiving! I don't imagine there will be much turkey and stuffing served at the Bangkok market food stalls.
My last evening in Singapore was fantastic. I absolutely loved the Night Safari, which neighbors the Singapore Zoo and is only open from 7:30pm to midnight. You can walk and/or take a tram through the park to see animals native to Asia and Africa. You get to see animals as they go about their nightly activities, which is interesting both since it's a time period you don't usually see at zoos and also because you get to be up close and personal with nocturnal animals. The park itself is absolutely gorgeous - I'm sure there are fences somewhere, but you can't see them through the darkness and the lush rainforest, so it really feels like you're just wandering through the jungle and have come upon leopards, lions, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and hippos. The "Creatures of the Night" show I saw at the end of the visit was the highlight by far. The funniest and most interesting animal show I've ever seen, and after working in Orlando for 2 1/2 years, I've seen a lot of them! My favorite part would have to be the otters, which the park use to emphasize the importance of recycling in preserving the rainforests. They bring out a recycling center with holes for cans, bottles and paper. Three otters come out, each trained to pick up one of these items. For example, Felix dashed back and forth, picking up large plastic bottles and depositing them in the correct slot. It's especially hilarious because these are Asian otters, the smallest in the world and only about the size of my foot, and it takes some maneuvering for them to walk and hold their selected item as well. The one in charge of cans would spin its can around for ages in its little paws before finally depositing it. The trainer (the main reason for the show being hysterical) commented, "Yes, yes, very good quality control. Now please put it in the bin!" If you ever get to Singapore, I highly recommend this place - and it's only about $20 to visit.
As I already mentioned, I had stayed at the Le Meridien for 2 nights and then a hostel, "The Hive" for one. I had cashed in some hotel points in order to stay at the hotel for only $30/night, and was pleasantly surprised to find that this was 30 Singapore Dollars, so significantly less than I had expected. The hostel was fine - it's quite new - and I didn't even really need to unpack, since I left early this morning and took my shower here at the airport lounge. (Not actually in the lounge area, of course, they do have separate shower facilities for that.) The hostel included free internet (both wireless and on the 4 computers in the reception area), free breakfast and a nice lounge area. They also sold pop, snacks and ice cream for what it would cost at the supermarket. Since it was also next to a subway stop, it was pretty much ideal. In the list of amenities in their brochure, they also list "Itinerary Planning (if needed)". I'm glad they don't require you to have them plan your itinerary. Not too bad for about US$12!
I'll be spending a few days in Bangkok before heading down south to Phuket and the neighboring beaches to meet up with the Swedish and English couples I met in Australia. After getting in my beach time, I'll be off on a tour to Chiang Mai. But first, I am going to shop like crazy in the cheap Bangkok markets! I am so tired of my clothes (and they're looking a little tired as well)!
No comments:
Post a Comment