Matt and I woke up at 8.45am (12.45am UK time) very much ready to start the day. After another much needed shower, we went to have our complimentary breakfast of tea and toast.
We decided to visit the zoo today, and before we left, Jenny gave us a map and circled everything that we needed to know. Against their advice of using a tour bus to get to the zoo, Matt and I decided to make our own way there.
We stopped off at the mall to get cash and water, and it was here that we truly realised how clean Singapore is. Within the mall there is no litter, everything is so clean and sterile. Even the supermarket was spotless, and after much looking around, we were amused by the price of things. For example, an iceberg lettuce will set you back a cool S$7.50, or £3.75.
We made our way to the MRT, and whilst on here I noticed the various fines you can obtain for things. Littering will set you back S$500 (£250), smoking S$1,000 (£500), and possession of firearms (!) S$2,000 (£1,000). Seeing how clean everything was, and how little everyone smoked, perhaps these fines aren't such a bad idea! However, not being able to have a drink of water seems a tad extreme.
At the appropriate station we got on the zoo shuttle bus, and we were soon there. We stopped for some lunch, where Matt braved the devilishly spicy curry, however I opted for the Singapore favourite of toast (no joke, they have entire shops devoted to the stuff!).
The zoo was amazing, and I am not sure I will ever be able to go to another zoo and look at it in the same way again. The animals are not kept in cages, instead there are paths around the zoo that have a simple one bar wooden fence on either side; more to keep the people out rather than the animals in. Even the lions, tigers etc only had an additional deep moat, although they are pretty disinterested in the people staring at them. The only animal with a cage was the cheetah, I presume because of its extraordinary jumping abilities.
My particular favourite moment was hearing a bell ring, and upon further investigation, we discovered some elephant walking with their trainers. It was a lovely, natural sight, and summed up the zoo precisely. After an enjoyable few hours wandering and soaking up the heat, we made our way to Chinatown. After wandering through the various markets, we made our way to our first hawker centre for dinner.
Hawker centres are a South East Asian tradition, although they are especially popular in Singapore, where they love to eat cheaply. After enjoying a good dinner for only £1.50 each, we were feeling quite tired so we decided to have a quick wander through Little India, where our hostel is located.
Little India is completely different from the rest of Singapore, it is disorderly, chaotic, and never sleeps. It smelt absolutely amazing, all the different types of incense and spices spilling out onto the street. A truly remarkable place.
After a long, but enjoyable day, Matt and I made our way back to the hostel for some much needed rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment