VacAsian Day Thirteen (Thursday, 15 May, Singapore)

Before we go any farther, Huey would like to emphasize to all of you who are not familiar with Singapore's geography (which we were not prior to the VacAsian) that Singapore is a mere 85 miles from The Equator. This location lends itself to three things:

1. Heat;

2. Humidity; and

3. Humidity.

Singapore is the kind of place where it is socially acceptable to coat yourself in baby powder on a crowded sidewalk. Singapore is the kind of place that makes you long for the "dry heat" of Houston or New Orleans or the Amazon Basin. Singapore is the kind of place that when folks ask "How much more humid could it be?" you are inclined to answer "None. None more humid," a la Nigel Tufnel. If you have ever used a towel to dry yourself, only to realize that the towel was using YOU to dry itself, you MIGHT have been in Singapore. With that in mind, you should infer at the end of each sentence of our Singapore postings "and we were drenched in sweat."

This morning began with breakfast at a little "mom and pop" place called Starbucks (they're small and local now, but look for 6 or 19 of them to open up on your block any minute now), before we hoofed it over to the Bugis Street Market, which is, like the markets we have and will encounter throughout Asia, cramped, crowded, hot, and busy. From there, we made our way to the internationally-known Orchard Road shopping area, followed by a stop at the World-renowned Raffles Hotel, where we sampled The Singapore Sling in the place where it was created, the famous Long Bar.

Next, we took a scenic "flight" 50 stories above Singapore on the World's tallest Observation (Ferris) Wheel, The Singapore Flyer. We had dinner at the aptly named The Steakhouse in Clarke Quay, where Huey enjoyed a delicious Wagyu (akin to Kobe) steak. (Said Huey of his steak, "It's like there's a party on my plate, and everyone's invited!") Dinner was capped off by a scrumptious chocolate souffle (HACS rating of 7.5) and a delightfully rich chocolate lava gateaux (HACS rating of 8.8).

After dinner, the night was just getting started. We doused ourselves in insect repellent and headed for the Night Safari at The Singapore Zoo. The Night Safari is a completely different zoo experience than any you've had anywhere else in the World. Most significantly, the Singapore Zoo has no cages or enclosures, but instead is made up of habitats that are landscaped with pits, moats, and other natural elements that separate the animals (us) from the Zoo's inhabitants. The Night Safari features well over a hundred species of nocturnal animals, lit by ambient lighting that simulates natural environments in the wild. A 40 minute silent tram ride through the park is coupled with three walking trails, all of which get you up close and personal with the Zoo's inhabitants, some of which are within arm's reach. For two animal lovers like us, it was a once in a lifetime experience.

To quote one of the nocturnal animals we saw on the Night Safari, it was a "hoot"! (That joke courtesy of Robin.)