Statues, Macaws, and the Merlion at Midnight
I started my day by going to Ya Kun Kaya Toast, another eatery recommended by the receptionist in my hotel, and had the Traditional Breakfast the fourth time/last time, except that I finally was able to eat it properly. The kaya bread was thicker in butter than in Toast Box, and was as tasty as in Toast Box. On the street near Ya Kun, I noticed a group of crows flying between branches, and other species of birds flying across the sky, which is a very common scene in Singapore, showcasing its clean and habitable environment for wildlife to live and thrive.
I stopped by Haji Lane nearby and took a walk down the narrow street with color and life. The façade of buildings flanking the street is decorated with striking colors and street art. Boutique Café, small restaurants are thriving next to each other. The narrow street is attributed to its history, with it initially used as storage spaces for businesses located along the busy Arab Street.
I didn’t dive into the history and atmosphere of the street for too long because I was going to the last zoo of Mandai Wildlife Reserve – River Wonders. As usually, I got on the train at Bugis station, got off at Khatib station and transfer to Mandai shuttle bus to the final stop.
The attractions in River Wonders are arranged in a circle, so taking a walk clockwise can ensure visitors to take a look at every one of them. There’s a thunderstorm upon my arrival, but luckily, most of the walkways are covered so it didn’t really matter, except that some animals were hiding from the deluge, so it’s hard to spot them. I actually visited most of the animals twice because I was going counterclockwise before realizing the recommended direction was clockwise. It’s also interesting that every time I came by the same spot I could observe different behaviors of the same animal, or spot them whilst missing them the last time. I also missed the only show in the park because it’s fully booked minutes after it’s available for booking and I forgot to book right after the booking was opened every time. Some aquatic animals were fun to watch, like giant river otters andmanatees, but in general, watching more of less visually similar fish swimming back and forth was not as enjoyable as watching the various behaviors of birds, and one of the most memorable moment I had in the park was actually watching 2 scarlet macaws fighting in an aviary! There’s also Amazon River Quest, a simulated boating experience on Amazon River, during which you could watch some species that live in Amazon Rainforest, but I could only find a small portion of what I was supposed to see so the River Quest was not intriguing to me.
On the shuttle bus back to Khatib, a Swiss man sat next to me and we talked really well. From his perspective, at least, Singapore is as expensive as Switzerland, and he also told me that he nearly travels in his country because everything is too expensive there. Before saying goodbye, he hoped that he could see me in the train once again, which unfortunately, didn’t happen.
Since I left River Wonders pretty early, I decided to go to Fort Canning Park as my next stop. The park was free to access with different varieties of trees, flowers and large area of grassland, very enjoyable for those who love being immersed in the nature. The lanes were well-maintained and a lot of people came here to do exercise, talk a walk or jog. There were also groups of students taking graduation photos and friends or families gathering for beers and food. Generally, it’s a very environmentally-friendly place serving as an entertainment center for people of different needs. I happened to know from the CNA news I watched on TV last night that a set of new statues of Stanford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore and his Danish botanist friend, Nathaniel Wallich, were just newly installed in the park, so I took it as a scavenger challenge to find these statues. I searched nearly every corner of the park, including the First Botanic Garden in the nearby district, from daylight to darkness, and still failed to find them. Even locals who live nearby and come to do exercise here every week didn’t know these statues exist.
Just when I decided to give up and was leaving the park, the statues stood right besides me, next to the exit path I was walking on.
What a surprise! It’s not easy to see clearly what the statues were like since the sky was completely dark and only some small lights were shedding weak lights on them, but I still couldn’t help but taking billions of photos of the statues, information boards and plants nearby, to celebrate the hard-earned success of this scavenger hunt!
With the fulfillment from completing my task, I treated myself a juicy chicken burger at Shiok Burger and a cup of chocolate shake at Godiva in Raffles City Shopping Center, before embarking on a journey to the most recognizable and iconic statue in Singapore – Merlion. On my way to Merlion Square, I came across 2 durian-shaped glass-wall buildings, the Esplanade, as known as Theatres by the Bay, besides a serene and beautiful garden with little fountains. I was amazed by how Singapore can build gardens and greenery everywhere, even at the most hustling area, a real testament to Singapore’s dedication to fulfill the concept of “City in the Gardens”.Walking along Jubilee Bridge to cross Singapore River, which offered stunning views of the skylines of Singapore, lit up by the dramatic lights at night. Even late at night, there were still lots of tourists hanging around and taking photos around the iconic symbol. Near the park is a park lined with boutique restaurants where locals and travelers alike dined in and chit chatted. I wandered around, helped a foreign couple take a few photos and was taken photos of myself by them and a businessman who have been living in Singapore for more than 10 years.
