Traveling

{Singapore 2012} One day in Sentosa Island

It was an oddly gloomy day when we decided to go over to Sentosa. The whole trip was in fact filled with rain, and it annoys me when the weather is like this during a trip abroad. And yet we can never let a little rain stifle our sense of adventure, can we?

There’s a peculiar feeling being at this height when the weather is like this. It put me in a pensive mood as I stared out the window, watching the greens of the trees and the multicoloured buildings pass me by.



You can get to Sentosa by land, but for me the best way to get to there is via cable car because of the stuff you see from high up. From the cable car you can already get a taste of what to expect from teeny Sentosa Island. The easiest landmark to spot is the Hard Rock Cafe compound, right beside Universal Studios. Sentosa also houses the old Underwater World and the newer SEA Aquarium. Below, say hello to my favourite animals on earth! I heart dolphins. 🙂



We also happened upon these docked cruise ships. I’ve been on a cruise before but not on a ship as impressive as this! Check out that water slide! I want to experience traveling on a Star Cruise Virgo ship someday.



Anyway, upon touching down at Sentosa, the first thing we did was ride the Tiger Sky Tower for a 360-degree aerial view of Singapore. We can’t seem to get enough of it. I just adore the balance between modernism and nature around the city.



Another high point from which you can appreciate the view is by going up the smaller version of the iconic Merlion.



Once inside, you ride the elevator all the way to the mouth of the lion-head and you can have your picture taken. Go up higher and you get to see a full 360-degree glimpse of Singapore. I inevitably focused on one particular place as I looked about:



Yes I was mighty excited about going to Universal Studios the next day! But before we talk about that, there’s this nice little gimmick they do here at the Merlion tower. They give you a coin before you ascend to the top of the lion-head, and then before you head down, there is an area full of small golden merlion statues with coin slots positioned in their mouths. Drop your coin and then a card comes out with the corresponding letter of your mystery gift. Mine was A and it meant I was getting a fan. It’s a small prize, I know, but it was a nice way to give souvenirs.



Now it was time for us to head to the attraction we came here for in the first place: SEA Aquarium.



Touted as Asia’s biggest aquarium, I was expecting to be blown away by this place especially because sea creatures are pretty fascinating to me. The line was so long outside and it was so long inside too. It was verging on ridiculous how many people were here and I kept thinking the whole time, ‘This better be worth it!’ At least there were a lot of things to keep people occupied as they wait to enter the aquarium itself.



It took maybe about half an hour in line before we got into the aquarium. Luckily my dislike for lines is balanced off by my love for aquariums.

Don’t you feel like they are one of the most peaceful places one can ever be in? When I visit one, it’s almost like I am transported into the same kind of quiet I find when submerged underwater. It doesn’t matter that there are a sheer number of people chattering ceaselessly around me; that there are children screaming and running about (and crying when they trip), when I step inside an aquarium, a peacefulness comes over me. The ever flowing and swirling of the water reminds me of the aurora against the backdrop of a deep blue sky. It’s simply a wonder to watch.



Eventually we got to an area of the aquarium that contained this gorgeous gigantic cylindrical aquarium. I stayed here for a bit ogling the colours of the corals and the fishies. Imagine if you had an aquarium like this in your home.



I also took my time watching the jelly fish, glowing like orbs in the water. Nature’s creatures are a beautiful mystery. Though I would never want to swim amongst the jelly fish thanks to that scene in Finding Nemo, the way their tentacles flowed like pieces of cloth dragged in the water was mesmerizing and hypnotic.



Near the end of the aquarium we came upon this massive cinema-like glass screen. People would literally sit on the carpeted floor under the dim light and watch the fish swim aimlessly about like they were watching a movie.



If there was a place like this close to my house I would no doubt keep coming back during the days my heart feels heavy. Sometimes there’s worth in just sitting in the dark and letting your thoughts run away from you.

Once we were done with the aquarium, it was late in the afternoon and we were exhausted from all the walking inside the gigantic aquarium. We took a moment to sit outside and I was greeted by the sight of these kids playing about by the water fountains. I never got to do this as a child so I was feeling a bit envious of how carefree they looked. 😉

After SEA Aquarium 1

Dinner was at the nearby Malaysian Food Street pavilion, which is this massive food court designed in the style of street food stalls. I was greatly impressed by the interior design of the place. It really captured that street vibe, and the sheer number of people bustling about definitely contributed to the whole feel.



Ironically, I had a lot of yummy Malaysian food here and discovered my new favourite Malaysian dish– the Penang Assam Laksa! So lip-puckeringly yummy! And I also loved the variety of Malaysian shaved ice desserts we tried.

After dinner we decided to catch a show called Songs of the Sea. It’s very kid-friendly quite frankly, but the projection of images against the water was impressive even if the theme, performance, and the songs they sang really were not meant for people aged 15 and up.



Still, the water works and the special effects definitely saved this show for me.

~~~

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