Singapore 2024

Wednesday13November

So it is after three weeks in Malaysia that we arrive, in the rain  , at Changi airport in Singapore. We take a VTC to reach the Ibis hotel which will be our residence for the next six days... Low-cost luxury accommodation in Malaysia will be missed...  

Dinner just next door, at Get Some @ Guillemard.

One room, one window, two beds and a shower room. Fortunately, we will manage to open the (condemned) window so that everything breathes!  

Thursday14November

Day 1 of our Singaporean stay. The rain has swapped its water for rays of Sunshine!  

We are in the Geylang district. Here, low and old dwellings face large modern residential complexes.

The Mountbatten station that we will constantly frequent.

Let's start with a little greenery. The Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a historic scientific institution. It played a key role in the development of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) cultivation, the main rubber tree.

The Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), recognizable by its red stripe on the temples, is an invasive exotic species. It competes with local turtle species in Singapore's water bodies...  

At the base of the Arenga palm (Arenga undulatifolia), a tangle of aerial roots forms a plant skirt. This structure, favored by ambient humidity, firmly anchors the tree in the ground and optimizes nutrient absorption at the surface.  

The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a regular in the park. It repopulates the waterways of Singapore, after having been considered a locally extinct species. Its successful return testifies to the improvement of urban water quality.

The smooth-coated otter lives in family groups. Its daily life is punctuated by searching for food in the water and periods of rest and grooming on the banks.

Giant grasses like bamboos are in XXL size. In the gloom of the undergrowth, it is the fan-shaped leaves of the Licuala grandis palm that unfold.

The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is one of the largest lizards in the world, frequently observed in Singapore parks.

For now, he searches the forest litter in search of large worms.

Here is another one looking for some food on the ground: the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), wild ancestor of all domestic chickens.

The Pandanus is characterized by its important system of stilt roots. These roots start from the trunk to anchor solidly in the ground, ensuring the stability of the tree. This structure is an adaptation to the loose soils of tropical environments, such as coastlines or swampy areas.

A quiver in the neighboring tree catches the eye of my lens... It's a hyperactive plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus).  

Heliconias.

Giant Amazon water lilies (Victoria amazonica) spread their large floating trays on the "Symphony" basin.

Lotus and water lily belong to different families. The leaves of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) rise above the water, while those of the water lily (genus Nymphaea), as here, float on the surface.

The Shaw Foundation stage, a space dedicated to open-air concerts.

Its small frontal crest and yellow iris make it easy to identify, the Javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus). The name 'Sad Martin' (Martin triste in French) is confusing. Its name comes from the Latin tristis meaning 'dark' in reference to its plumage.

We now enter the orchid garden where it is in all its forms.  

After flowering, the heliconia reveals its fruits grouped in its bracts.

Crepe ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus). Each flower lives only for a day, but the inflorescence produces several successively over a long period.

Middle photo: the fruit of Tabernaemontana dichotoma known as Eve's apple. A Sri Lankan legend tells that it was this fruit, and not that of the apple tree, that was the forbidden fruit... Its singular shape is due to its two follicles, parts of the fruit that often develop asymmetrically. Despite its attractive color, it is toxic and unfit for consumption.

The Lady's Slipper (left photo) owes its name to its slipper-shaped labellum, which is actually a pollination trap.

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis).

These orchids, Dendrobium, are distinguished by their fleshy stems, called pseudobulbs. These structures store water and nutrients, allowing the plant to survive climatic variations.

Pitcher plants, carnivorous plants native to North America. Insects, attracted by the nectar, slide inside and are digested by an enzymatic liquid.

Watering the plants, but in a few moments it is the clouds that will water us in a great downpour...  

During the 45 minutes of rain, we are blocked in the shop facing this large clock... It was offered in 1981 by the Seiko company for the 125th anniversary of the park.

After so many vegetables, I fall back on a hamburger at the restaurant Harry's Dempsey Hill.

We return to the center of Singapore. Here we are at the foot of Parkview Square, nicknamed the "Gotham Building". Example of Art Deco architecture, it was nevertheless built in 2002.

In front of the entrance, a golden crane symbolizes longevity and good fortune, while the generous volumes of the Dressed Woman are staged by the Colombian Fernando Botero.

The esplanade of Parkview Square also hosts the red ochre silhouettes of Italian artist Roberto Barni. Some around a cage...

Others in a human column...  

The Art Deco style, the guiding line of Parkview Square.  

Let's leave the art deco of the 20s for the streets of the historic district of Kampong Glam, one of the oldest urban districts of Singapore, historically devoted to the Malay and Arab communities.

The narrow alley "Haji Lane", formerly lined with 'shophouses' welcoming Muslim pilgrims, is today the epicenter of independent fashion, housing young local designers and specialized boutiques. The facades of buildings serve as canvas for street artists.

"Shophouses" constitute an architectural heritage of the colonial era. These terraced and narrow buildings were designed for dual use: a shop on the ground floor and a private residence upstairs.

On the wall of a shophouse at 92 Arab Street, artist Yip Yew Chong painted a scene from the life of a Malay family in the 60s.

Trompe-l'oeil or reality? The shophouse window fits perfectly into the painting of the street vendor of satay skewers... Not sure if the customer knows that she thus becomes part of Yip Yew Chong's work.   On another fresco by the same artist, Javanese shadow theater is highlighted.

The Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan) is a national monument in the heart of the Kampong Glam district. Its particularity is the black line that goes around the golden dome... To involve as many people as possible in the reconstruction of the mosque in 1932, the base of the dome was belted with glass bottle bottoms provided by the faithful.  

The pedestrian street of Bussorah, a clever mix of colorful facades of shophouses, royal palms (Roystonea regia) and hotel building...

Return to the apartment passing over the banks of the Kallang basin lined with its coconut trees facing the Merdeka bridge.

Behind the bridge stands the Singapore National Stadium, whose retractable roof constitutes one of the largest dome structures in the world.

In the distance, it's not Disneyland hotels that have sprung up, but the Tanjong Rhu residential complex, and its luxury condominiums with red tiles. Formerly a shipyard area, the sector has been completely redeveloped to become a popular district.

In the distance, we distinguish two icons of Singapore Bay: the Singapore Flyer, a 165-meter high observation wheel, and the Marina Bay Sands, a hotel recognizable by its boat-shaped terrace. We will be there in a few days!  

Evening dinner on the theme of skewers, at the restaurant Little Charcoal Stove.