Waking around 9:30, we went downstairs for the free breakfast, showered and then headed for Arab Street. We first found a beautiful mosque and tried to go in, but because visitors were not allowed inside till later that day so we settled for taking some pictures instead.
From there we accidentally stumbled upon Chinatown. Chinatown was absolutely packed with people and full of energy. Vendors everywhere trying to sell their products, people yelling in what seemed like twelve different languages, and tourists trying to make their way through it all.
Making our way through a couple of blocks we found a Buddhist Temple, but noticed there were no, as Angie said, “…people that looked like us in there.” And those who were inside were praying and making offerings of incense and flowers, so decided again to opt for pictures. A little further down we found a Hindu Temple that was less crowded and decided to spend some time in there.
Absolutely stunning. The temple, though not large was filled with the most beautiful statues and paintings in reds, greens, blues, yellows, and all accented with gold and silver. There was a lady who spoke English that happened to pass by bus and gave us a crash course on the religion and what some of the statues and painted scenes stood for. Amazing. Staying a few minutes longer than we should have, we left the temple, put or shoes back on, and rushed over to the bus stop to head to the zoo. I had heard that Singapore had the best zoo in the world, and I shortly found out why. After a quick bowl of Laksa we began our journey around the zoo grounds. Starting out with these crazy little monkeys that looked something like a cross between elves and really old men, with really big floppy noses, and really small red penises.
Apparently they get really excited when it’s feeding time too! From there we walked down to the White Tiger area, and having arrived just after feeding time they were lounging around and cleaning themselves.
Next to the Pygmy Hippos, and then to the primate area which was an open air, cageless area that housed many different types of monkeys, all just swinging from trees to huts freely.
Sometimes even being just a few feet above our heads. Leaving the primates we decided to sit down and enjoy the Elephants of Asia show. The half hour show was quite impressive, displaying not only the elephant’s strength and abilities as workers, but also showed their personalities and playfulness.
Last stops included the reptiles, Cat Country, Giraffes, Zebras, and a Polar Bear. I was thoroughly impressed with the entire experience at the zoo.
It was so amazing to see these animals in what appeared to be their natural environments, and as I said, only a select few actually in any type of cage. We probably could’ve stayed at least for another hour, but I unfortunately had to get back to the hostel to shower and get ready to catch my plane to Cairo. Back at the hostel, showered and refreshed, Angie and I shared a beer and waited for my airport transfer to arrive. Angie and I discussed our plans to meet up in Europe and as my driver came to claim me, we hurriedly said our “see you laters”, and I was off. I was extremely happy that Angie and I immediately clicked and got along so well because it could’ve been a completely different experience. Instead, I thoroughly enjoyed Singapore and had a great time enjoying it with a new found friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment