Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

A 35 meter waterfall dropping from a man-made mountain greets you as you enter the Cloud Forest. The immediate chill in the air and the rushing sound of water is a world away from the heat outside this specially constructed dome.

Beautiful orchids grew from the surface of this mountain covered with different types of ferns and plants.

We took a lift up to the 6th floor level and climbed the stairs to what was deemed "The Lost World" and walked our way down along the specially constructed walkway, the Tree Top Walk, that gave us a bird's eye view of the plants, flowers as well as the trees in the Cloud Forest.

We also had a good view of the buildings outside this Dome.

As we made our way further down, the type of plants were different.

Then we came to where there were displays of crystals.

There were two videos that showed how the Dragonfly Lake is used to sustain the system in the Gardens by the Bay and a 3D model that showed how it worked.

The time spent in the Gardens was time well spent and it is certainly worth going again although the entrance fees are a tad on the high side.

Supertrees by NIght, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

By night, the supertrees undergo a Cinderella change. What looked like giant steel structures with its vertical trunks clothed with plants and flowers are now transformed into lovely graceful columns of twinkling colors with its cups at the top changing colors in tune with the music entitled OCBC Rhapsody.

One can view the spectacle from the vantage point of the OCBC Skyway 25 meters above ground or from below, looking up.

The hundreds of cars parked in the underground car park testified to the hundreds of people including children, thronging the gardens to watch this magnificent display of lights. There are two shows each night.

Fortunately the skies were clear after the heavy rain in the afternoon. These pretty lights light up the walls of the path leading into the Supertree Grove.

This one shows the Golden Cluster with the Cloud Forest Dome in the background.

To appreciate the beauty of these super trees, one needs to see them in the light of day as well as by night. A most enchanting experience it was for me.

A Feast Undampened by Rain

When the heavens opened to the angry roars of thunder with lightning streaking in jagged lines, lighting up the dark skies in the late afternoon,what was uppermost in my mind was the aftermath of the storm. The traffic would be hopelessly snarled as commuters struggle to make their way home. My daughter would be among them and we were looking forward to the birthday dinner which had been planned for that evening.

When she got home we immediately set out for the restaurant, in bumper to bumper traffic and what should have been a five minute journey took more than half an hour.

Some of our guests were already waiting for us while the rest were still on the way, caught in the horrendous jams. It took my brother two hours before he made it to the restaurant and it was another half an hour before my youngest brother stepped up to our table.

Everyone was hungry but the dishes were worth waiting for. We began with a starter called "The Three Treasures" which consisted of scallop, shrimp in some kind of sauce and soft shelled crab.

The next course was Roast Suckling Pig, its crispy skin with a thin layer of meat accompanied by a sweet dark sauce.

Fried cod fish was next, followed by "Hokkien" towfoo with minced pork and mushroom topping in lotus leaf.

Then we had spinach soup with "Teochew" fishballs with pork filling followed by the birthday longevity noodles.

The last dish was dessert, a clear sweet drink boiled with aloe vera, longan and sea coconut.

A chocolate black forest cake ended the evening.

Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

The Flower Dome is a huge structure that is air-conditioned so that the flower gardens within it flourish at optimal temperature. There are different gardens offering displays of plants that grow in that particular region, e.g. the South African Garden, the Australian Garden, etc. The variety of plants and flowers is amazing. The colors are a visual feast that takes your breath away.

The Hibiscus flowers are of different colors and variety, some of which are achingly beautiful. Their blooms are much larger than our local hibiscus.

There are different types of cacti and unusual Baobabs from the Mediterranean and sub-tropical regions.

I took so many photographs of the beautiful flowers that it is impossible to post them all here.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino is a stone's throw away and stands imposingly in the background just across the highway. You can easily walk from the hotel to the Gardens via an overhead bridge that takes you across to the Dragonfly Bridge, leading to the Supertree Grove.

Iconic Supertrees, Gardens By The Bay, Singapore

This morning we got off the Bayfront MRT and walked the short distance that took us across the Dragonfly Bridge to the Gardens by the Bay, the latest attraction in Singapore.

A pair of sculptures of dragon flies rise from the waters of the lake.

Several paths lead to different gardens viz., the Malay Garden, the Colonial Garden, the Chinese Garden and the Indian Garden but we opted to head straight to the Supertree Grove where the iconic supertrees towered above us.

There's a restaurant at the top of the highest supertree from which vantage point you can view different parts of Singapore while savouring either Western or Asian cuisine accompanied by signature cocktails.

The hot and humid weather, however, had us heading for the air-conditoned domes, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.

Open Day & Health Awareness Campaign At Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu

This morning the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu held its Open Day and Health Awareness Campaign which drew a large number of people, especially the middle-aged and elderly.

They queued up and registered to have their blood pressure and blood sugar levels checked. Some registered to see the doctors in the various departments such as the eye clinic, the genito-urinary clinic, gastro clinic, dermatology, etc.

Hospital staff were at hand to address queries and there were many pictorial charts disseminating information.

The following picture speaks for itself and is targeted at smokers to make them aware of the risks they expose themselves to each time they light up.

Here the sports medicine doctor is teaching the youngsters the importance of a healthy diet and what constitutes healthy eating. Later she showed them how to do certain exercises. I was walking on the treadmill. I clocked 3 kilometers in 33 minutes, expending 233 calories.

Two departments also held painting competitions.

The open day was quite well attended despite the lack of publicity about it. There were no banners in the vicinity of the hospital to indicate that it was Open Day & Health Awareness Campaign. More people would have come in then. However it was a good effort on the part of the hospital staff and doctors, as today is Saturday and it is their day off. It befits their motto " Ever Ready to Serve" ( Kami Sedia Membantu )