March 26, 2018 – Singapore, Singapore – Day 2

Yesterday we bought a one day pass on the train. You have to turn in the pass to get your deposit back on the card. Our plans were to take the shuttle bus from the ship to Marina Bay Sands hotel and then walk to the train station to get our money back. Then we had some activities we wanted to do.

But the best plans often have flaws. Ours was that the station where we were did not refund the money we had to go to another station. Second issue was we did not have enough Singapore dollars to get the ticket to get to the other station. Third issue was that the money changer was not going to open till 11 AM.

So, we changed our plans and decided to walk through the Gardens by the Bay. Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. There are many different parts to this garden and I will try to share a few with you.

The Super Trees are manmade and in the evening, they are all lit up.

After this we went to the money changer and got some cash and took our subway to where we could get our deposit back. It only took us about 20 minutes and we were back by 11:30.

The other thing we wanted to do today was to take a boat ride on the Singapore River. We had done it last time but wanted to do it again. Now we are off with a group of Chinese to do the river tour.

The type of boat we are on is called a Bumboat. They used to be used to ferry cargo at Singapore’s historic trading port. Today they have electric engines but are the same boats.

We started at the Marina Bay Sands stop and got on about 12:15. You proceed out of Marina Bay, pass the museum and then pass the Helix Bridge. The Helix, commonly referred to as Helix Bridge, is the longest pedestrian bridge in Singapore.  Opened in 2010, the bridge has a distinctive double helix structure modelled on the DNA structure.  It overlooks Marina Bay, forming a curve next to the vehicular Bayfront Bridge and the Youth Olympic Park, and connecting Marina Centre with the Bayfront area.

Next were the Esplanade Theaters on the Bay. Very beautiful structures. After passing them we went under the Jubilee Bridge, the first of many.

And then quickly we went under the Anderson Bridge and the Cavanaugh Bridge.

The next bridge was the Elgin Bridge. Here is some of the scenery on our way to this bridge.

The next bridge we went under was the Coleman bridge, which brought us to Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay was named after Sir Andrew Clarke, Singapore's second Governor and Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1873 to 1875, who played a key role in positioning Singapore as the main port for the Malay states of Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong.

Clarke Quay is also the name of a road along the quay, part of which has since been converted into a pedestrian mall. Clarke Street, located next to Clarke Quay, was officially named in 1896, and was originally two streets known simply as East Street and West Street in north Kampong Malacca. Similar to Clarke Quay, Clarke Street has since been converted into a pedestrian mall.

The last bridge we went under was Reed Bridge. At this point we turned around and headed up the other side of the river.

Next, we passed Boat Quay. It was the busiest part of the old Port of Singapore, handling three-quarters of all shipping business during the 1860s. Because the south of the river here resembles the belly of a carp, which according to Chinese belief is where wealth and prosperity lay, many shophouses were built, crowded into the area.

Though serving aquatic trade is no longer Boat Quay's primary role, the shophouses on it have been carefully conserved and now house various bars, pubs and restaurants. Therefore, Boat Quay's social-economic role in the city has shifted away from that of trade and maritime commerce, and now leans towards more of a role accommodated for tourism and aesthetics for the commercial zone of which encloses the Singapore River. It is the soft front to the cosmopolitan banking and financial sectors lying immediately behind it.

Now we are at Merlion Park. The Merlion is a fish and lion mix and the national symbol of Singapore. The Merlion figure with the head of a lion and the body of a fish perched on a wave became so popular it became a cultural icon. It represents Singapore’s origins as a fishing village. The Original name was Singapura or “lion city” in Malay. The Merlion is 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tons. The Merlion faces east which is the traditional source of prosperity and a fountain pours out of its mouth.

We dropped the Chinese off there and then went back to Marina Bay where we started. The last shuttle from there was leaving at 2, though the ship did not plan to leave till 4. We thought we would catch the 1:30 shuttle and got there at 1:15 to find, there was no 1:30 shuttle. So, we said let’s just walk back, about 1.8 miles. It was a very nice walk and thus ended our day.

In the next three days, we have three more ports. We have pretty much decided we are not doing a tour in Kuala Lampur tomorrow as we have been there before. We will take the shuttle to a nearby town and look around. Then two more ports after that before we have another sea day.