Singapore 5th April

That was unfortunate….I forgot to load the battery into my main (Lumix) camera. The up-side is that all but a handful of pictures taken after I returned to the ship are on my ‘phone, the best of which can be shared on this blog. I did two things today; this morning, I gave the Canyon Ranch Spa a try. For the first time in my life, I immersed myself in a magnificent jacuzzi, and then, (not the first time) sweated it out in a steam room. I also braved the swimming pool, confident that being 5ft. deep I, a non swimmer, could stand on the bottom. Refreshed, I returned to my stateroom with just enough time to prepare for this afternoon’s shore excursion “Gardens by the Bay and Afternoon Tea)”. This was a treat. Gardens by the Bay are a complex of huge glass covered “domes”, housing hundreds of plants and species in a controlled environment in which they can thrive. I suppose it’s a bit like the Eden Project in Cornwall, but several times larger. In the same location are a number of huge tree like structures. They serve several purposes including water gathering during wet weather. One of these trees, the tallest, houses a splendid restaurant near the top, I believe 53 metres from ground level. An observation deck affords aerial views through the tree’s branch like structure, and atop a further flight of stairs, clear views can be enjoyed at that higher level. Afternoon Tea took the form of a small oriental buffet which I enjoyed thoroughly. The flower and other displays in the futuristic glass structures defy adequate description. There were other areas including a section warning in graphic detail man’s contribution to the now serious state of our planet, and the present day effects of global warming, forest exploitation, and all sorts of other human activities. I hope to add to this later this evening. Thanks for reading, David.