I did a very quick stopover in Singapore on my way back home. Sometimes I love just having 48 hours in a place because I can only do a couple things. It places a limit on my explorations and I have to prioritize what I really want to visit. For this trip, it was going to the Gardens by the Bay since it wasn’t even open the last time I was in the country. They have a confusing mess of ticketing options, but I finally settled on seeing the Floral Fantasy garden first.

beautiful orchids, entry to the garden, more orchids

Inside are a range of beautiful sculptures and bouquets crafted from both living and formerly living vegetation.

rooster, troll, dragon

The whole thing is stunning and a bit overwhelming. It’s artistically interesting, visually stimulating, and very, very lush. I walked back and forth along the pathway a few different times, not wanting to miss anything, but sure that I had.

bird, bouquet, pond of raining water

I still had a bit of time before it got dark, so I got tickets for the Cloud Forest, which the ticket seller said would be the best choice since the sun was setting. There were more beautiful orchids and an entire waterfall inside this dome, but I spent much of my time marveling at the hidden sculptures.

spider, glass sculptures, hidden snail

Finally it was time for the main attraction. The Supertree Grove hosts a sound-and-light show every evening. My videos didn’t come out so well, but here’s a few of the different trees with their colorful lights. Perhaps next time, I’ll plan a bit better and get tickets to be up on the canopy walkway during the show.

colorful supertrees!

The real reason I stopped in Singapore was to see these two lovely women. We met in 2009 in Chengdu, China when we stayed at the same hostel and went on a tour together to see pandas. They took me under their wing and made me eat Sichuan hot pot and even helped me buy painted sneakers which were all the rage back then. At the end of that trip, I stayed with Anya in Singapore and they took me all over the island. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and every decade or so, we manage to get together for a meal.

Wai Ling, me, and Anya then (2009) and now (2024)

After lunch, I still had an afternoon to wander and I walked over to the Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. They host mostly contemporary art with a focus on Southeast Asian artists.

me playing with light and shadows

I like to walk through modern art galleries and just enjoy the randomness of the art. I obviously don’t always understand the deeper meaning of some of the pieces, but I think it’s okay to enjoy art just because it is interesting and aesthetically pleasing.

cat sculpture (outside Floral Fantasy), two other exhibits from SAM

Two of my favorite exhibits were at the end. One was in a giant round room where clouds were being constantly formed in the ceiling. All the guests were lying on the carpet staring at the ceiling. The other was in a big room with one very long table covered in white (and only white) legos. There were some grand architectural masterpieces already on display from previous guests.

With my trip almost at an end, I took an Uber to the airport and my lovely driver told me since I was a bit early, I should go hang out at the mall once I checked-in my luggage. I walked over to Jewel Changi and saw the HSBC Rain Vortex, which is apparently the largest indoor waterfall in the world. I love that the airport has a whole mall attached to entertain folks while they’re waiting for their flights.

cloud ceiling, white lego buildings, HSBC Rain Vortex