When It Sings, It S'pores (Part 3)

Bug-eyed in the Subway.

Aug. 21, 2011: Lola and I checked out of the hostel in the morning, but our flight to Manila for 1:30AM the next day, so we asked them to hold on to our bags (for an additional S$2 each) while we spent our Last Day out and about.  Seeing as we missed our chance to watch The Lion King we opted to check out real animals at the Singapore Zoo.



The trip to the zoo was harrowing in itself.  (Lord save me from the local Singaporean accent that has me mishearing Ang Moh Kioh for Toa Payoh.)  As organized as the Singapore MRT-LRT system is, it doesn't make the commute any less exhausting.  Not only did we get off the wrong stop, but when got to the right one we still had to queue for the 138 Bus that would take us to the zoo.  (And before that we had lunch at the Novena Mall where I had what was probably the 2nd stalest pork tongkatsu --stalest was at NAIA Terminal 3-- meal ever.)

I was arrogantly thinking we could go to the zoo and still have time left over to go back to the STGCC to catch whatever's left, be they comics, cosplay or what-have-you.  Turns out my 1-hour timetable became 3, but it was worth it.  As their cartoon map indicated, the place was huge enough that for an extra S$5 to the S$20 entrance fee you could hire transportation to go around the zoo, either by electric scooter or driven via tram.  We opted to go by foot.

We attempted to go about the place systematically and follow the beeline path around the zoo, but past the Proboscis and Siamang monkeys we took a wrong turn and went left instead of right.  Hell with it; soldier on.  While Lola was teasing me of only wanting to check out the zoo for photo ops, I contend that in the end she was the more eager-beaver (wordplay intended) between us two.  Not only did she turn the map into a checklist but she often lingered more at each exhibit, while I was more in a "speed-museum" mode, i.e. not sticking around one spot for more than a minute.  Another interesting thing I learned about her was her extreme ophidiophobia (snakes).  Even if they're behind the glass displays or --oddly enough just drawings on the signs-- she gets jumpy.  (Suffice to say she's never seen Anaconda 1-3, much less Snakes on a Plane.)  Reptile Garden and Snake House is left unchecked on the map.

"Bad enough I'm naked and my butt's so raw,
but now my jowls look like a couple of penises."
(click on pic to get the joke)

As most of the animals here have no sense of shame we got to see a Babirusa poo, a Hamaydryas Baboon pee, Tapirs and lions sleep outdoors (ignoring the humans who paid good money to see them up and about) and the Estaurine Crocodile refuse to eat the raw meat being dangled above by the cute lady trainer during the public feeding.  Guess he was stuffed after downing those 2 whole chickens beforehand.  Speaking of eating, dinner was an unoriginal McDonald's double-cheeseburger meal for Lola and and a Turkey & Ham Subway sammich for me.  The Pinoy Subway guy offered to give me extra cheese when I ordered in Tagalog, but I politely declined, but I still ordered a footlong so I had something to eat at the airport later.

Enjoying the hell out of the free foot massage.

Hailing a cab proved to be as difficult here as it is in Manila, w/ the difference that we weren't hailing one during rush hour.  I understood enough of the driver's Mandarin to hold a simple conversation, though.  The speedy trip (no traffic) totaled S$15, as Glenn predicted.  I was first surprised by how we entered the budget airport w/o anyone in a guard's uniform asking us for ID, or having to pass through an X-Ray machine.  And lo, there's decent food restaurants and cafés indoors and we haven't even checked in yet!  And when we did, what awaited us (aside from the usual duty free stores) was in Internet hub, TV lounge, a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and a free use of the foot massage machines!  If this was what their budget airport has I can't imagine what decent superstar treatment they get at Changi Airport.

While lining up to board our flight I ran into Ram and Emi Jorge, who were in town 'coz Ram played in a water-hockey competition (didn't win).  Four-and-a-half hours later we were back in Manila, capping the trip w/ a burger steak meal because the Jollibee restaurant didn't have the foresight to have a breakfast menu for very early arrivals like us.