Pinoy on a layover - 11 hours in Singapore

I was traveling back to Manila using my airline miles so I took the best possible route my miles could get me. The only catch was that it included an eleven-hour stopover in Singapore. 

Fear not because I had done long layovers in SG before. Let me show you how I spent this eleven hours worth of stopover.

I was flying back to San Francisco from Manila on Singapore Airlines when I stopped in Singapore for this layover. My quick trip to Manila to be with my family to celebrate my mom's birthday had just ended. 

For this trip, I used my miles to fly. If you had used miles to fly before, and in my experience, you probably know that the flights being offered are not the ideal ones. Good luck if you are accustomed to flying non stop or direct. This trip wasn't going to cost me anything so I couldn't be choosy. The best route I could find was flying on Asiana from SFO to Manila and then flying on Singapore Airlines for my Manila to SG leg to connect to a United Airlines flight from SG to SFO.

I was just in Singapore in May 2019 for a trip with my mom and siblings. In addition, a recent business trip to India in September 2019 allowed me to be back in Singapore on a long stopover en route back to the States. These were the reasons why I knew exactly how and where I was going to spend my long layover in Singapore - The Gardens by the Bay. While I've been to the Gardens, however, my time there was mostly spent inside the domes of the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. There are a lot more to see and experience within the outdoor Gardens and I had intended to discover that in this layover.

 

[read my Singapore blog, November 2018]

Since I had done this before, I followed the same play book from my layover from four months earlier and took the MRT. I took the East West line (green line) and transferred at Expo for the Downtown line (blue line) and got off at Bayfront station. That took me directly to the Marina Bay Sands in just an hour. The Gardens By The Bay is just across the avenue from the hotel.

  

[read my Singapore Layover blog, December 2019]

 I saw from the pedestrian bridge connecting Marina Bay Sands and the Garden what looked like a million eggs floating on the Dragonfly Lake. 

These floating objects were not there the last time I visited the garden a few months earlier. This was unexpected and was not part of my plan but I got closer to check it out anyway.

I found out that these floating objects are ovoids of light and are part of a digital art installation called #futuretogether by TeamLab. The ovoids emit colored lights that go off and then fade slowly sort of like mimicking the timing of the heart beat. The lights change when there is movement and the lights resonate out to the other ovoids and to the trees nearby. The lights are not obvious because of the daylight and I am assuming they are more visible in the dark.  

   

The ovoids have different sizes and while most of them are floating on water, some of them are on land a few yards from the lake as well.

 

Here's a picture I took a few months earlier. We had tickets to the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest that is why we had to skip the OCBC Skyway. However, I made a mental note to check it out the next time I had a chance.

Here's a picture I took while I was falling in line to the entrance to the elevator that will take me to the OCBC Skyway. There is a small fee to go up the Skyway.

 

Here's what the tree trunks look like from the ground. The Supertrees look huge from the ground. It was from this angle that I started appreciating the sheer number of plants living on the facade of the trunks of the Supertrees.

   

Here's what the trunk's interior look like. It is amazing how the plants made the structures less industrial. This was where I took the elavator up to the starting point of the Skyway.

   

Here's the starting point of the Skyway. The view from there gives you a different perspective of the Gardens.

Here are the tops of the Supertrees. I do not know if the plants are supposed to grow all the way to the top. If they do, they would cover the entire structures making them look like nature has taken over the man made Supertrees.

   

This is the view from above. Though I had seen the Garden from above before from one of the balconies of the Marina Bay Sands hotel rooms, the view from the Skywalk allows for a much closer viewing and better appreciation of the Garden. I wonder how big the team is taking great care of the entire place because the Garden seems well tended from what I had seen from the Skywalk.

   

Here's the mid point of the Skyway. I had read somewhere in the Garden that the Supertrees capture sunlight and convert it to electricity which is used around the Gardens in its lighting, water pumps, and even the electricity used in the Garden's office. This is done via photovoltaic cells on top of the trees. 

   

Here's the view of the city from the trees. I learned that there are two other groups of Supertrees in the Garden - the Silver trees and the Gold trees.

   

Here's the end point of the Skywalk.

   

Here's the detail of the trunk before I exited. The varieties and the selection of the plants they used to cover the facade is incredible.

   

Stairways to the exit.

   

View from below.

 

I mentioned earlier that there are other clusters of Super Trees in the complex. I do not know if their functions differ from the other but these Super Trees are smaller in size compared to the ones in the Super Grove. The picture below is the Silver Super Trees located near the covered domes.

 

Later that day, I chanced upon a maintenance going on in the Golden Super Trees cluster at the other end of the Gardens.

 

I must have spent over two hours admiring the Super Grove Super Trees. My stomach reminded me that it was a good time to break. Time for a good lunch. I walked back to the food court of Marina Bay Sands called Rasapura Masters. I decided to get this super tasty traditional Malaysian food called Nasi Lemak (with fried fish fillet) from a food stall called Home Kitchen.

 

   I continued my walk around the Gardens. I honestly do not know how I got to this part of the Gardens. I just followed where the Supergrove is and then just continued walking around.

   

There is a covered area in the Gardens near the Supergrove where visitors can sit down and rest. The name of this place is not indicated on the Garden map.

   

While resting, I enjoyed the views through the big holes that serve as windows to see birds and rock formations.

 

I continued my walk and my feet took me to this area dotted with palm trees called The World of Palms.

I continued walking and I got to an area called Understorey.

 

This place focuses on what goes on under the canopy of the trees such as decomposition, animals living on the topsoil, and plants thriving under the shadows below the trees.

   

My random walks got me to this Food Hall which was great timing because I needed to break and sit down.

 

The Food Hall has great selection of food. The dining hall has natural lights. I decided to get a cup of Americano from Cafe Coco.

This Floral Clock is located near the Flower Dome.

Everything was starting to look monotonous looking at plants for several hours. To counter that, I love how the planners of the Gardens created these canopies along the paths. They don't only provide shade from the Singapore heat but also breaks the monotony.

I finally got to the Secret Life of Trees area. I thought I already a lot about trees? I actually learned a few new things about trees by reading through the information displays in the section.

This is pertified wood from Indonesia. Do you know what is a petrified wood?

I was surprised to see these cacti in the Gardens. This area is called the Sun Pavillion.

   

I finally got to the other end of the Gardens and the Children's Garden.

   

Next to it is the Adventure Trail. This part of the Gardens includes interactive and physical activities for the kids.

   

I imagine that this place gets packed with kids on the weekend. Since I got here on a Thursday, I had the trail all to myself.

   

More activities to test one's balance and strength.

   

Here's another one that requires physical activity.

 

I walked all the way back to other side of the Gardens near the Dragon Fly Lake.

 

I got to this brook that creates relaxing rippling sound of running water.

 

Here's what the brook looks like. The surrounding is Zen-like.

 

Here's another view of the Supergrove from the Chinese Garden.

 

I got to the Malay Garden and I stopped here for a needed break.

 

I must have walked over ten miles on an off around the Gardens. This time also allowed me to think about my train ride back to the airport for my Singapore to San Francisco flight.

   

I got back to Changi Airport with ample time. I was secretly impressed with myself at how my timing had been impeccable. I was even able to squeeze in a little tour of Changi Airport. The first airport attraction I checked out was this Crayola Bumboat.

Bumboats are used in the Malay archipelago to transport goods from ship to shore. For this attraction, the bumboat has wooden plates in which different popular Singapore attractions are engraved on them. You can get a souvenir copy using the crayons and paper available for free. I chose The Jewel.

                        

I didn't have to walk far for the next airport attraction because the Orchid Garden is just next to the Crayola Bumboat.

 I learned that the garden has 700 orchids of 20 varieties. The colors of the orchids represent in the four elements of the Earth - white for air, blue and purple for water, red and orange for fire and brown for Earth. Some of the orchids seem to be scented as well.

 

Another attraction I saw inside the same terminal is the Enchanted Garden. 

Yes, it is yet another garden. You'd think that after spending several hours at the Gardens by the Bay and then the Orchid Garden I'd be all tired seeing plants? I had thought so too. However, with an open mind, I actually enjoyed checking this one out.

It has almost the same type of plants in the Gardens by the Bay (I think) but this one has something extra like this big glass sculptures that showcase mosaic designs and stained glass petals.

Of course, these attraction have the passengers in mind by adding these curvaceous seats.

I actually went to see The Jewel before I went to my assigned airport terminal because the The Jewel is outside of the terminals. 

I had seen The Jewel twice already during previous trips to Singapore.    

In any case, seeing The Jewel for the third time was still magical.

All in all, I was pretty happy about how I spent my layover time in Singapore. Until the next layover!

~rl