A DOWNTOWN DAY IN SINGAPORE

We only had one evening with Laura before she was off the next day to Bali for the weekend. A teacher in the Canadian school, she had long planned this escape, but offered her apartment for the next few days. Very nice, as hotel rooms are very pricey.

It was in 2010 when we first met on a Habitat Build in Nepal and it has been neat to connect again. Dinner last evening at Les Bouchons, a French culinary treat.

Before departing, she suggested that James and I take public transportation into town, and left a couple bus passes. We did ride the #196 bus, but ended up at the bus terminal, definitely not where intended. Ooops, must have boarded a bus going the wrong direction. Taxi to the rescue and left us at Marina Sands, a 3- building complex with restaurant on the 57th floor overlooking the city. A deck surrounds with outdoor seating and in the background behind is a swimming pool!

From here it was an easy walk to visit the nearby bay gardens, a indoor cloud forest, an art and science museum, and take a sunset ride on the famous Singapore Flyer. The Flyer, completed in 2009. Is the world's largest at 541 ft. Photos follow:

Art Science Museum and a chance to hear a lecture by Nobel prize winner in chemistry, 1996, Harry Kroto. The museum is a national monument, whose design was inspired by the lotus flower.

Across the bay, once the central post office in the early 1900s and now renovated as the ritzy Fullerton Hotel.