We've Only Just Begun...

...to pack and this is just the beginnings of our packing... gifts and souvenirs... can you find yours?

Oh boy, oh boy!

'Top Up' Our Energy Please?

Since Steph and Raelee have been here, we have been going full speed ahead and don't intend to stop.  We are all exhausted, pleasantly so, but exhausted.  We have yet to start packing and today we intend to build the best sand castle ever on east coast park.  Punkin' is antsy to go right away.  We are waiting - we need to get some things tidied and start making a pile of loot to go back with us.


Just as a quick recap, so you can see how busy we have been, here are the things we have done:


China Town
Giant Super Market
Funan Shopping Center
Science Center (x2)
Sentosa Island
Aquarium
Luges
Song of the Sea
Ate at the Indoor Stadium
Chijmes
Singapore Zoo (x2)
Fed and rode the Elephants
Fed the Giraffe
Indonesia (friends place)
Orphanage in Indonesia
Bukit Timah
Jurong Bird Park
My birthday
BBQ with the guys and gals
Thanksgiving
Baked pies with punkin' (She ate them too)
Decorated the Christmas Tree
Walked on 3 beaches picking up sea shells
Swam
Tay Guan Heng for my nativity
Little India
Learned to ride the MRT
Orchard Road
Fishy Pedicure
Facial Threading
Vivo City/ Vivo City play area
Singapore Flyer Day
Arab Quarters
Malaysian Heritage Center
Made Orgami Birds
Pottery Jungle
Turkish Restaurant
Mustafa's
Temples
Sand Castle Lessons
East Coast Park
Rainbow Tree
Swinging in the Park
Tecca Center
Tea 
Buddist Temple
Tokashamya
Ion Orchard
Singapore Night Safari
Clarke Quay (night and day)
Boat Quay (night and day)
Merlion
Esplanade (durian buildings)
Walked around downtown
Singapore Flyer night
Orchard Road Christmas Lights
Chili's
Tanglin Mall
Raffles Hotel
Malaysia to shop
Fullerton Hotel
Harbor Front
Walked to by groceries
Shopped 'til we dropped
and did not rest.


We are 2 days from being done.

What else can we squeeze in there?


Can't wait to see!


But we have to pack.  


Too.  
Much.  
Stuff.

Boat Quay, Clark Quay and The Singapore Merlion

Singapore is not at a loss for things to take pictures of so my photography skills improve probably because I take so many stinking pictures!  Thursday we started out at Funan (no I didn't buy anything Leone ;-) and walked around downtown - I guess that is where you call it...  Anyway, there are some beautiful sights and buildings out there so we just went about our merry way snapping shots of the area.  

We started with the Central Fire Station across from Funan.  It is where Mr Tan used to work until he retired in October.  It is a beautiful building all by itself and I can finally take a picture of the entire thing - thanks to my Tokina lens:

Next we passed the Hill Street Building, housing the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA). This former Police Station building has 911 rainbow-coloured windows! Don’t believe it? Count them! These multi-hued windows reflect Singapore’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural heritage. The building’s former main courtyard has been converted into an ARTrium, for – you guessed it – art activities including exhibitions and performances. 

When it was constructed in 1934 to house the island’s police force, the six story Hill Street Building was actually considered a Sky-Scraper!  We can laugh at that thought today considering today's sky scrapers in Singapore.  I love this building - it is such an interesting sight:

Next we crossed the river to Clarke Quay, named after Sir Andrew Clarke, second Governor to Singapore. Once a major loading, unloading and redistribution point for cargo, this popular riverside village today thrives with commercial activity of a different nature.  

Clarke Quay is a colourful kaleidoscope of buildings housing antiques, old-world curios, gifts and knick-knacks, restaurants, casual eateries, hip cafes, jazz clubs, blues pubs and more.  All have breathed new life into the restored buildings, warehouses and shop houses.  

The colors and sights in Clarke Quay are breath taking:

The bumboats are a quick way for tourist to get around:

They commute from one end of the Quays to the other, going by the Merlion and Esplanade buildings and all the sights around the area.  They are a constant sight on the river and I am sure a great source of income for those who run it.  The bumboats are very busy night and day alike.

Raelee has hung in like a trooper.  For a 6 year old, she has done amazingly well.  Some days she hangs back just a bit (I think she wants her quiet time) but she keeps plugging along like the a super trooper.  I am so proud of her!  I can't imagine how tired she is because I *know* how tired Steph and I are:

She has gotten awfully tired of taking pictures though (imagine that!) but Steph figured out how to get her to take them with a smile. One, Two...

THREE!

Great idea mom!

Across the bridge is Boat Quay, just an extension of Clarke Quay with a quieter area to dine on the river.  Located on the southern bank of the upstream portion of the Singapore River, Boat Quay is a place of historical importance that dates back to the 1860s as well. Though Boat Quay no longer plays any role in the aquatic trade, its buildings have been carefully preserved and it houses many restaurants, bars and pubs and is quite a site on the river as well:

There is a huge amount of restaurants to choose from between Clarke Quay and Boat Quay.  However, we have realized that Raelee is not much into the foods here either:

Don't worry, she has not gone hungry - she has carrots, apples and cheerios - enough to get her back home to 'safe' foods  ;-)  We giggle at the girls lack of bravery trying foods here.

Finally she found a bit more solitude:

She looks so peaceful here - we let her just sit and contemplate life a bit.  She barely moved for 5 minutes.

After a bit of rest, she got up and had a little fun:

This is a series of statues of boys jumping into the river - and they are butt naked.

Raelee wanted her picture taken with this one holding his hand:

And then she got busy taking her own pictures with her camera - God knows what THOSE show!

Next we took pictures of the Fullerton Hotel:

The Anderson Bridge:

City Hall

The Esplanade (or better known here as the durian) buildings:

There are two of them, but only one shows above.

This is what they like together:

And finally we made it to the Merlion   :-)

And finally we were...

One...

Two...

Three! 

DONE!

That's all folks!  I am trying my best to keep up - but honestly I am getting fatigued trying to keep up with our adventures, the laundry, house cleaning and meals.  My side also hurts like garbage and I don't rest well at night, but I promise I will get back on track soon.  

Thanks for stopping by  :-)

The Show at the Night Safari :-)

The Show at the Night Safari was amazing - these guys were great!

They danced:

They showed off their wares:

And protected them too:

And had tribal squabbles:

Raelee had no idea they were next to her in this picture:

2 seconds later, she had pounced in her moms lap!

And they played with fire:

Things certainly got hot!

The girls loved the show:

Raelee thought the guys were hot.

So did her mom.

Singapore Zoo Night Safari

We went to the Singapore Zoo night safari on Wednesday.  Granny misunderstood what was going on and thought the zoo opened for the night safari at 3:30.  What was really happening was that the giraffe could get fed at 3:30 - and it was imperative that Raelee feed the giraffe!  Boy did granny sweat bullets when she realized we were on a timeline for a very different reason and one that was super important for a princess.  

The gods were with us though, and much to everything going against us, we made it!

Here is one very happy girl:

And my favorite animal sights were the bats.  Noelle, this is for you - I KNOW how much you would love the bats!  I took special close-ups just so you can see them good   ;-)

They were hanging around waiting on us:

I am sure they were chatting about the people sights:

They sure looked funny:

And had huge claws!

I know where the term 'vampire bats' came from:

This one was my favorite:

He was just hanging out  :-)

The other critters did not pique my interest as much.  

These are the only other two pictures I took of critters:

The bats certainly had my interest.  Just for you Noelle... just for you  :-)

And that is it folks - except 'the show'...