Part Three: Fun in the Sun Island-hopping Singapore's St. John's, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands.

At last!

My love has come along,

My lonely days are over,

And life is like a song.

Etta James

No, that's not Etta James, the famous American singer who crooned the song At Last. Darren was delirious with delight that we finally reached our initial destination, St. John's Island, Singapore. 

The journey from the pier to St. John's Island went by quickly. You'll notice in the photo above that the skyscrapers of Singapore were still quite distinguishable -but distant enough to make us all feel as if the boisterousness of the city was far, far away. It was hard to believe that we were in such close proximity to the busiest port in the world. 

It seemed as if everyone wanted to pose for pictures under that sign. We were just glad to have arrived. We all felt a sigh of relief! 

When most of us think of Singapore this is not at all what we envision. The waters were relatively clear and calm. There was hardly a soul in sight, too. It was plain to me why this place would be so valued by my two friends and many Singaporeans. What a convenient and unspoiled place to escape to! 

Here is Darren Ng modeling the chocolate-covered macadamia nuts I brought with me from Hawaii. We did not have long to savor them. It was hot -very hot. These melted very quickly. The energy-boost came in handy. 

What an interesting history this place has! Once upon a time this island was used as a quarantine station. Formerly known as Pulau Sekijang Bedera, Chinese immigrants were held and screened here, as were Malay pilgrims returning from Mecca to Singapore. 

It does not stop there. I learned that political detainees and secret society ringleaders were held on St. John's island pending their deportation. It was even used to rehabilitate opium addicts. 

It was on the grounds of this former penal colony that I learned from Darren and Siow Har a new English language expression, one unbeknownst to me:

Source: Urban Dictionary. 

This term originally referred to certain souls who excessively displayed themselves suggestively online. The definition displayed above more accurately delineates the term as it is commonly used today. 

And so my foray into the wonderful world of "camwhoring" was underway! It was all in good fun, of course. 

Both Darren and Siow Har are talented photographers as well as travel bloggers. From them I learned quite a bit about posing, lighting, and location this day. The images produced can be simple, powerful, expressive and imaginary -and entertaining, of course! 

The prison grounds included a building that was used for toilets. This made for an unconventional backdrop. Posing is much more challenging than I realized. Good photos that incorporate poses adds a dimension of emotion to the visual experience. Darren is covered to protect himself from the sun as he photographed Siow Har on the platform. 

Darren is posing Siow Har in this reclining position. He was quite fussy! Such a perfectionist! 

Here is Siow Har leaning against a tree and smiling with the former prison ground toilets in the background. The lawn here was surprisingly green given the severe drought conditions. In the distance the trees reminded me that we were in a pristine location, a sharp contrast to the urban environment Singapore is better known for. The shade provided welcomed relief from the sun. 

Siow Har climbed up this observation tower to take photos of a nearby steep hillside. The words 'St. John's Island' were spelled out with white concrete blocks. 

We met these tourists who were visiting from Europe. They climbed up the hillside as Darren and I had done. Note the burned out grass. It was hot and dry, trust me. Our new tourist friends became caught up in the fun. Oh, and just to let you know, ladies, Darren and I did help them down the steep hillside. No tumbling allowed! :)

My goodness! Darren is not wearing his mirrored sunglasses! 

More lighthearted 'camwhoring' fun. Siow Har and Darren coached each other on poses and angles. They did the same for me, too. 

Yes, they even convinced me to pose for a few photos. The hand gesture I am displaying is called 'Shaka' in Hawaii. 

Fearless, whimsical and bodacious as ever, Siow Har made herself right at home! 

Yes, even an idle, abandoned tractor and wagon could be used as creative subject setting. As I grew up on my father's gentleman's farm in the Round Hill section of Greenwich, Connecticut USA, I thought my late father would have laughed uproariously at us. Goodness knows he loved his bulldozer and his Cub Cadet riding tractor. I confess: So did I!

Not to be held back, Darren dashed off to explore the stone jetty. Siow Har and I were not far behind. 

There was no stopping these two when they had cameras in hand. The stone jetty near the pier and the former prison grounds furnished us with another setting to pose for photos. 

What were these? They looked historic. This, I learned, was a kampong. The word is Malay for a small village or community of houses. I found them to be quite attractive though in need of some restoration. They reminded me of an earlier time in the island's history. I would have liked to have learned about those who lived here and what life was like. 

The first chapter of our day trip to the Southern Islands was complete. Our fun-filled camera adventures were well underway. I was certainly getting quite an education from my two  friends in a remarkably peaceful setting.

St. John's Island is such a gem. This is a perfect spot for Singaporeans and visitors like me to venture off to. Some of you might complain that there is no grocery store or convenience shop on the island. Picnic tables and benches dot the island's landscape, providing visitors with places to gather and enjoy the views an scenery. It's not bad for a 20 minute ferry boat ride. I felt sedate, calm and comfortable -but I must give the major credit for that to Darren and Siow Har. We did not have plans to camp here. I heard that with prior permission it was possible to spend overnights. I could imagine how placid and pleasant it would be to sit on the beach and take in Singapore's city lights under the stars above. 

The day was young! Lazarus Island lay before us. What adventures and settings would await us as we began to cross the land bridge from St. John's Island? Stay tuned for Part Four! 

*Click here for a ChannelNewsAsia story about a retired teacher who lived on St. John's Island. 

Part Two: Fun in the Sun Island-hopping Singapore's St. John's, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 
Ferris Bueller's Day Off.


In addition to missing out on life you could also miss an important left turn and be late for a Sunday 9:00 a.m. ferry boat ride in Singapore. 

Uh oh! This did not happen to us. We'd go for a dip in the waters off Lazarus Island later.

That is, if you are a clueless but nevertheless well-intentioned taxi driver.

Never mind. 

Our taxi zoomed off into the drought-stricken, wild burnt-out yonder. Our destination? Marina South Pier. We were off to catch a ferry boat to St. John's Island. It was departing at 9:00 a.m. 

What I never knew until this time was that the Republic of Singapore is made up of over 60 separate islands. Click here for a list.  The three we were visiting are south of Sentosa on the right side of the map above. 

Marina South Pier is used as a terminal for day-tourists bound for and returning from the Southern Islands. Ferry boats operate regularly to St. John's and Kusu islands. Lazaraus Island is connected to St. John's by a manmade land-bridge. 

Eventually a dedicated MRT (underground subway system) will service the pier. Better late than never right? Well, maybe not this day. 

It was clear that our taxi driver -who did not speak English- was a tad bit flustered. He did not quite know the territory. Apparently he even got lost bringing Darren to pick Siow Har and I up at the MRT station. 

When people speak languages other than English in front of me I do not mind. Seriously. I was in Singapore as a (paying) guest. I was here to immerse myself in local experiences, and that includes languages. I happen to love listening to locals here speak 'Singlish.' 

I just sat in the back seat next to Siow Har and behind Darren. Words and expressions flew around like fireworks. I did not understand one word between the three of them.  I'd ask Darren later if the three of them were speaking to each other in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, or what. "All of the above," he replied. I let it go. 

Body language, facial expressions and heightened voice tones were a convenient giveaway to what was really going on. It all added up. Apparently the GPS maps on their smart phones were not all that cooperative or accurate, too. 

Conclusion: we were lost. 

It was not like we were in the nearby Strait of Malacca and threatened by pirates. In hindsight an intervention by some friendly pirates might have helped expedite things. I would have put in a good word with the International Maritime Bureau!  

Around and around and around we went through Singapore's version of the Bermuda Triangle. I am a quick-study, so when we drove around the third or fourth time I did opine aloud that, "I think we should have taken that left turn we just passed." Oops! 

I was not angry. Far from it. 

I remember when our family would take long road trips we would sing songs to pass the time! Didn't yours? Here's one: 

I wonder what Darren, Siow Har, and our disheveled taxi driver would have done if I started to sing 'Ninety-nine bottles of Tiger Beer on the wall! Ninety-nine bottles of Tiger Beer!'

But I did wonder at one point is we had missed the Point of No Return, wondering if The Straits Times or ChannelNewsAsia would report our disappearance, whether the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) would be mobilized -and if they all would spell my surname properly in any press releases. 

Just for your information we do not spell Mead with an 'e' on the end. It drives us bonkers. 

You think travel is smooth sailing? I recall learning that classical music composers and utopian scientists during the European Age of Enlightenment mistakenly thought the Universe (that big place up in the sky) was perfectly synchronized, that it all went on like clockwork. The Hubble telescope and other advances would in part prove that otherwise!

Travel is much the same. It's an imperfect Universe, including this little corner of the "Little Red Dot," an epithet for the Republic of Singapore. 

Fate would have it that we would eventually reach the gates of Marina Pier South. What finally happened? An act of God? Pure luck? Did someone hear me suggest that left turn way back when? Sometimes it is better to just accept things and move forward. Quickly. 

I think the taxi driver was elated. We certainly were. 

Darren urged us to jump out and run. We did. We smiled with elation! Like Welcome Wagon Hosts, the affable security guards saw us running to the marina gate and smiled back. So friendly! So Singaporean! 

But...

...they told us that the ferry we hoped to board had already departed. We would have to wait for the next one. That would be at 11:00 a.m. Two hours and 45 minutes. 

I actually did not mind. To be honest I had skipped breakfast at Hotel 1929, which is where I was staying since my arrival early Friday morning. A food concession at the pier caught our attention. I was hungry. So, we settled down at a couple of benches and waited for the next ferry to depart for St. John's Island. The conversation was fun-filled as we enjoyed Sunday breakfast at the pier. 

Darren Ng and Hoh Siow Har at the food concession. 

In my left hand was my first authentic Singaporean breakfast: a hot dog, a fish cake and noodles. The bottled water was on the floor. Not bad!

For some reason Darren and Siow Har couldn't wait to take pictures. Put cameras in their hands and these two are like giddy children in a candy store. What you see here was tame compared to what was to come. 

No, this is not the ferry boat. I think it was a little too fancy. Still, Siow Har and I walked over to check it out. If we took this to St. John's Island at least we'd be in style. 

While we were waiting Darren and I decided to go explore the Singapore Maritime Gallery.  It was upstairs on the third level. 

Did you know that Singapore is the world's busiest port? It's true. This was a great place to learn about how this small island nation was transformed into the leading maritime center it is today. 

        

As an historian, I was impressed by most of the exhibits. It was here that I was able to learn experientially about Singapore's maritime past. To go from an island dotted with fishing villages into the bustling port city-state it is today is phenomenal. 

Here is Darren trying out one of the interactive exhibits. This particular one did not function very well. Nevertheless, the Gallery hosted a number of outstanding interactive exhibits. One of the dilemmas that museums face is the expense involved in developing such hands-on things. They are regarded by educators as an effective method of conveying complicated information. 

Not sure what to do with your trash? You could try turning it into modern art and hang it from your ceiling! This section of the Gallery provided visitors with a sampling of the types of products that are shipped into Singapore -and often end up polluting its surrounding waters. It's a reminder that we need to continuously take responsibility for our environment. 

Education professionals have known for years about the value of using timelines. Using such ordered representations of history assists learners understand the progression of events as they happened. I liked this one because it efficiently used graphic organization as a tool for studying the development Singapore's maritime heritage. 

I was also impressed by the detailing found in each of the many ship models distributed throughout the Gallery. I wondered if I would have the patience to build these? 

Here is Darren at one of our favorite interactive, hands-on exhibits. This was a simulation of the control center of the Port of Singapore. From here students could visually see just how busy the world's busiest port is. You could role-play being in charge of ensuring sea traffic ran smoothly. 

We encountered a few students from Japan who were touring the Gallery. One left without her smartphone. Darren to the rescue! He found the smartphone's rightful owner. What a guy! 

From this classroom teachers could "keep the fun going for your little ones at our specially-designed 'Fun at Sea!' children's corner. Enjoy the panoramic view from the playground on our roof terrace. Maritime Singapore awaits your discovery." 

I enjoyed the Singapore Maritime Gallery. I met with the front-desk staff, only to discover that one of them had been to a conference in Honolulu a few years before. 

When Darren and I rejoined Siow Har in the waiting area we learned that our ferry boat was getting ready to board passengers for the first leg of our island-hopping adventure, St. John's Island. 

Here I am with Siow Har. At last we were on our way!

Here I am with Darren, and yes, I asked him to take off the sunglasses. Some people are shy in front of a camera! Can you imagine?  LOL!  

Here's someone from Japan who was not terribly camera-shy at all. She and her friends enjoyed acting silly. Darren, Siow Har and I shared the cabin with a couple visiting Singapore from the UK. These college students were busying taking pictures of each other in amusing poses. They were more than happy to offer to entertain us, which they did. 

Hooray! We were on our way to St. John's Island. Singapore's skyscrapers and bustling streets grew distant as we made our way past Sentosa Island. 

What thrills, adventures and surprises were in store? Stay tuned for Part Three. 

Part One: Fun in the Sun Island-hopping Singapore's St. John's, Lazarus, and Kusu Islands.

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."  

Coco Chanel

(Pictured above are my favorite irreplaceable tractor trash: Singapore-based travel-bloggers Hoh Siow Har, Darren Ng and abandoned tractor. They taught me that 'cam-whoring' is a many splendored thing.)

One of the first things you notice about Singaporeans is that they work long hours, often six days a week. Indeed, there is a Singaporean work ethic! Everyone works. Everyone. One quote I found sums it up. "The state's attitude can be simply put: Being poor here is your own fault. Citizens are obliged to save for the future, rely on their families and not expect any handouts from the government unless they hit rock bottom."

So, it really is no wonder that the Lion City has rapidly emerged as one of the most important business and financial centers of Asia, if not the world.

In the USA my siblings and I grew up in Southern New England, in Greenwich, Connecticut. New York City was not far away at all. Working such hours is routine, and throw in the ever-changing seasons things are complicated at the very least.

My point? We have something very much in common. Leisure time is a valuable commodity. We all have a need to recharge our batteries, so to speak.

When you are blessed with the company of good friends in a new, relatively unexplored setting then the enjoyment-level increases.

With that said, ladies and gentlemen, please put your seats and tray tables in the upright position, and prepare for take-off.

Why? March 9, 2014 was a day I shall hopefully not forget, and -I confess- I hated to see end.

Let me start by inviting you to click this link to Travel-blogger Darren Ng's SAFRA blog. It's terrific. You'll love it. I was there!

What you are about to hear from me is the behind-the-scenes story on this Singaporean magical island-hopping tour. This would turn out to be one of the most hilarious travel adventures I'd been on in years. No holds barred.

Darren and I were out the night before. After a spicy hot dinner in Bugis (click here) we ventured to Marina Bay Sands to see the light show near the ArtScience Museum. Later, Darren extended an invitation to get together the next morning.

By the smile on his face I was going on an adventure, you know, the kind the tourists are not privy to. Oh, goody!

"Meet at the Marina Bay MRT at 8:00 a.m.," Darren texted. I was to bring something to wear swimming and a towel. Given how hot it was I was delighted to go for a swim.

I arrived at the MRT station. It was like a cavern. It was also empty. It was cold, too. I loved that! I found the ticket counter per Darren's instructions and waited.

Out of nowhere a woman approached me. She looked uncannily familiar. "Hi! I'm Hoh Siow Har!" 

I recognized her as travel blogger whose adventures thither and yon I had been following for some time. Here is Siow Har's travel blog. 

She and Darren are good friends, photographers and occasional travel buddies. Her warmth, zest for life and travel is infectious. Energy level? Off the scale, thank you very much! We clicked instantly.

Honestly, by the time we emerged from the station I felt as if I had met up with an old friend I'd not heard from in years.

The day was just starting. When Siow Har and I reached the street-level the heat belted me in the face.

Hells bells, who needed coffee after being slapped around like that? I was still adjusting to the time-change and seventeen hours of flying from Hawaii and Japan, too.

One observation about the MRT station: it was in the middle of nowhere in a field of burned out grass on reclaimed land. The most enduring drought in Singapore's previous 154 years had taken its toll.

Siow Har was sending and receiving text messages from Darren. We were to proceed to a nearby street corner at the intersection of Central Blvd. and Marina Station Road.

We did. We waited. A few minutes later Darren waved at us from a taxi. Siow Har and I bounded back between both sides of the street.

Shhhhhhh! We might have violated a pedestrian law or two. I'll take full responsibility, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. If anything it will prove that chivalry is not dead by any means. ;)

Siow Har and I boarded the taxi. We strapped ourselves in. Darren was co-pilot riding shotgun in the front passenger seat. An elder gentleman was our driver. Off we zoomed!

That's when the fun started to unfold...

Click here for Part Two.

Made in Singapore: The Iconic Super Trees at Gardens by the Bay

Stunning. Out of this world. Eye-catching. Grand. Ingenious.

These and other words characterized my first impressions of Singapore's futuristic Super Trees in Bay South, located not far from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

English theologian Gilbert Chesterton is quoted as saying. "There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds." It was clear that the architects of this spot freed themselves from pure convention, giving themselves permission to transcend status-quo reality. By doing so they created a destination like none other anywhere.

When I posted on Facebook my first picture of the scene before me one of my former students in South Korea exclaimed, "Avatar trees!" 

This was breath-taking on a grand scale. Talk about being on Cloud-Nine! I certainly was.

My decision to come for a visit was late in the day, and rather spontaneous. I did not have the time that afternoon to visit the Flower Dome or the Cloud Forest. I reserved those destinations, along with the sky park at Marina Sands, for my final full day.

That was rained out -though at least Singapore emerged from its worst dry spell in 154 years. So, I promise to return!

At the time I was staying in the Centrepoint Apartments off Orchard Road. I was looking for an escape from the touristy throngs, the ostentatious shopping malls and unabashed traffic.

After departing the MRT station, I walked through the convention center. This is just one section of it. 

 I raced by the Singapore Flyer and found my way to the Super Trees.

The Super Trees. Note the skywalk connecting them. I would traverse it a little later,. In doing so I would confront my fear of heights. 

I learned from one of the park staffers that the area is on reclaimed land. A global competition was launched by the Singaporean government in 2005 for this project. This took imagination.

As the Lion City is a sprawling metropolis of 4.8 million people on an area the size of the Hawaiian island of Molokai, efforts are being made to transform the "Garden City" into a "City in a Garden." Anything that can be done to grace this city or any other with additional greenery is worth it.

What we have here is not an end-result but rather a process, one that will improve the quality of life for Singaporeans and visitors alike. This represents a grand first-step.

As I strolled around the bases of the Super Tree structures I was impressed by their height. They range from 82 feet to 160 feet high. Each functions as a vertical garden. All feature a variety of flowering plants, vines, ferns, and bromeliads -pineapple, which we are quite familiar with in Hawaii, is an example.

The trees also serve environmental purposes and functions associated with the nearby Cloud Forest and Flower Dome (seen above from the Super Tree Skywalk). 

The creators of the super trees adapted them to serve, or I should say imitate, the natural functions of trees. Photovoltaic cells are used to pull in energy from the sun. The collected energy is distributed throughout the gardens for various purposes. These included irrigation, fountains, collection of rainwater and so on. It's been many years since I was in a biology class, but I could understand that this was all an attempt to mimic the process of photosynthesis. It appeared to be going well.

By the time I arrived many local residents and visitors alike were enjoying afternoon strolls. I noted a line to the base of one of the larger super trees.

People were queuing up to ride the elevator or walk the stairs to the elevated skyway. I paid my SG$5.00 for a ticket and took my place in line. One little boy was running around, much to the consternation of his parents. He finally stopped causing his mom and dad to work overtime when he encountered me. There wasn't a blond, green-eyed soul around so I suppose he found this resident space-alien worth a study. In hindsight I should have moved my face closer to his and said, "Jeffy, phone home! Phone home!"  ;)

After waiting in line for roughly thirty minutes I rode the elevator with a group of my fellow visitors. 

When I emerged from the elevator this is part of what I saw. The sun was rapidly setting. The ever-present 'haze' from Sumatra partially blotted the moon. The views from up on high were amazing. Quite breathtaking! 

A few of us exchanged cameras and took photos of each other. That's me with the skywalk, other super trees and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel behind me. 

After I posted this picture on Facebook my younger sister Tracy in Paris remarked that "you look gr8!!"  Xie-xie! Thank you! Merci!

And then there it was: the skywalk. Here is where things got a little complicated.

You see, I have a fear of heights. Or, more accurately, a fear of falling. Uh oh!

As I snapped photos of the surrounding vistas I noticed young and mature alike making the journey from one end of the skywalk to the other. I saw staff members dressed in special self-identifying apparel urging visitors along. The path becomes narrower near the middle with just enough clearance for one person to move by.

I was alone that evening. I did not have anyone around who would do the honors of encouraging me. Sure, I would have liked to have someone there providing me assuring words that I could make it and all would be fine. I was to be my own personal coach. "You can do it! You can do it! I will catch you!" 

As the skies darkened I finally summoned the nerve to make the journey. It was a spontaneous decision. I forced myself not to look down, but instead to look out and across towards faraway buildings and the horizon. I held the railings rather loosely as a man walking in front of me was doing. That in itself was reassuring; I was not bearing these difficulties alone.

Without doubt the most annoying aspect of this exercise was running into fellow visitors who blocked the way -and did not notice. I would just stand there, smile, and wait. People usually got the message rather quickly.

I encountered a woman with camera in hand. She continued her photo taking at the narrowest point of the sky path. It took her a couple of minutes to realize she was blocking the way. Did the fact I had a line of reinforcements behind me help? Two came to me later and mentioned that they were following my example. That was flattering!

Fortunately, one of the Gardens staff with his Jedi-Knight styled flashlight wand came and urged her on.

About ten minutes later I emerged on the other side. I was elated! I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I noticed some light smiles on the faces of my fellow sky trekkers, too.

It was just at that point a Gardens staffer approached me with a big smile. "You better get to the ground level. The light show is about to start!" 

So, I dashed down the stairs. I needed to run-off my nerves anyway.

The Super Trees were coming alive! The Grand Rhapsody and evening light show was underway. It was bold, majestic, assertive and amazing -and free. Many families and groups took positions on the ground. I found a place and relaxed.

My camera could not do proper service to this experience. I think the fact my camera's batteries were running low did not help.  Instead, click this link to YouTube and enjoy the light show. 

It was time to go back to my apartment off Orchard Road. The Super Trees were brightly lit, as was the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background.

As I bid a final farewell to the super tree grove two words came to mind: It's great! 

I felt elated by my experience. The light show, the fact that I conquered one of my worst fears on the sky walk, the friendly visitors and staff I shared my time with, the great photo shots of the trees, and learning about how sustainable technologies were being used in such an ingenious way made it all worthwhile. 

True, my visit to Gardens by the Bay was incomplete without the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Those will be high on my list when I return to the Lion City again. 

The super trees roared with excitement! It was hard to leave. Will I be back? You betcha!