Homeward Bound 2013.

Flying home out of Singapore the next morning bound to Auckland.  I have never sseen so many ships steaming into one place. Where are the traffic lights?

What a wonderful trip I had in 2013. I met new friends, rekindled old ones, had a wonderful time with all. I love travelling with my daughter. She looks after me well and always makes sure that I'm okay. I'm truly lucky to have her in my life.

Day Two of Singapore - Evening...

After my snooze by the pool all afternoon, I began to feel human again, and when Robyn got home from work, we all headed into Singapore... The architecture is quite something...

Keith, Lara and Robyn...

I'm not exactly sure what these were but they were colour and there were a few around...

When it rained it really rained.

We found a bar and I tried my very very first Singapore Sling. And YES I loved it!  Who wouldn't?

Then we went to another bar which had trees growing through the canopies...

There were lots of question marks around, which were questionable!

And we drank our alcoholic beverages and watched the sunset...

The buildings dwarfed me!

Lots of Sculpture...

It was a rather pretty sunset...

More Sculpture.  I think this one is quite clever!

After the rain...

We started wandering down to the food...

Amazing food hall, and one of the oldest in Singapore.

After dinner we headed to here to watch the laser lightshow.  Really pretty and fortunately it didn't rain!

Singapore has a lot to offer, great food, city sights, rainforest, wildlife, zoos, birds. Two days probably wasn't enough. Not sure if I could get used to that heat though!

Robyn, Keith and Lara were great hosts. Thanks for having me to stay :)

Day two of Singapore - the Morning...

I was staying at the Daintree Apartments no far from a National Park area, and there were plenty of monkeys in this area..  Keith got me up early and took me up into the Rainforest looking for them before the heat of the day.  It was still hot despite it being early though!  

Here a monkey is unperturbed b a worker walking to work... He snarled at me though after though - obviously doesn't like Papparazzi.  The monkey that is, not the worker!

I often feel like this baby.  Wouldn't it be lovely to run away sometimes...

I often feel  like this too!

Up in the rainforest were several people doing yoga, and a swordsman.  I wondered for a minute if I were safe!!

The quarry lake was calm with great reflections.  I had hoped that I would see Kingfishers, but there were none that morning!

I had this feeling of being watched, so looked up.  Sure enough..

It was hot, so while waiting for the Kingfishers, I sat down, and watched an ant crawl past my foot.  I wondered if it was a biting ant as it was quite big. I din't try and find out though!

Turtles swam lazily past...

And the sunrise lit up the leaves...

On the way back down I found gorgeous orchids, covered in ants...

And I was amused by some of the signage on the road going back to our apartments...

Back at the Raintree, I grabbed my togs and headed to the pool and slept there for two hours as I was so jetlagged and I hadn't slept that well that night. I always find jetlag is worse on the way home from Europe than on the way there. It was rather pleasant by the pool.  I could get used to the life, but not sure I could get used to the heat!

Homeward Journey - Singapore

I arrived in Singapore in the afternoon. Keith and Lara were there to meet me and we got a taxi back to their apartment at Raintree.  It was really hot in Singapore - muggy - the type of weather I don't like that much! But so lush and tropical and beautiful

I spent the afternoon in the pool and when Robyn got home catching up with their news.

The next day Lara and I went to the Jurong Birdpark together for some bird photography.  It started out with a show - which was okay - but I prefer to see the birds in their habitat rather than being shown unnaturally like this...

The first time I've ever been close up to a Toucan...

Not the lady taking the photo of the bird flying with her ..... iPad!

there were lots of lush tropical plants in flower which were beautiful, all around the park...

Carribean Flamingo-  this image has done well in competitions since...

Mandarin Duck

Now my favourite part of the park - the Rainforest Aviary.  Nicobar Pigeon..

Black Naped Oriole..

Peacock who was showing off for us...

Can't identify this one but am wondering if it's a juvenile..

Blue Faced Honeyeater...

A Mynah of some sort but not sure which one...

More lush tropical plants...

Can't remember what this one is either...

I was pretty jet-lagged and it was hot, so we headed back to the apartment and swam in the pool. Robyn and Keith took me to a nearby food market for dinner which was beautiful. The food is amazing.

The apartment and pool complex at night...