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.