Jessica and her kids were early risers today and had two types of grapes available for breakfast. The bunch in her left hand is familiar to us. The bunch in her right hand were unusual – Korean Shine Muscat Grapes. Those grapes are very expensive (> $14). After seeing them for sale all over her first destination in Vietnam, Jessica finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. They were very large, more fleshy and delicious. But ultimately not preferred over our regular California grapes. It was great trying something novel and unexpected.
On our first day in a new location, we typically like to explore the local neighborhood to get a solid foundation for where we are visiting. This morning we crossed the street from our hotel and spent several hours in the Fort Canning park.
This park is among the many nature preserves, gardens, and parks that are found throughout Singapore. Originally the site of a military fort, this elevated land offered clear visibility for cannons protecting the Malaysian peninsula from seaborne attacks.
Today, it is a lush green oasis surrounded by tall buildings. There were a few points where we could spy a waterway but the strategic value of the fort has long since passed.
In fact, the Japanese attacked Singapore within an hour of the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941 and overtook the British forces here primarily using air power.
We visited a bunker on Fort Canning Hill that was built in the 1930’s. It was used as a command post in WW2 for several months before the capitulation of the British in one of their most significant territorial surrenders of the war.
The Battlebox Museum presents several wax figures in period uniforms performing the duties of the soldiers and commanders who would have served in these bunker rooms. Fortunately for us, these rooms are now air conditioned. It’s difficult to imagine the lives of these men enduring the tropical heat amidst the relentless bombing in early 1942.
Fort Canning Hill also has space for some fun playground equipment which gave us all a chance to play around after the seriousness of revisiting history.
We walked over five miles today but never really traveled far from the hotel. When it was time for lunch, we decided to head over to Chinatown.
There were a number of interesting shops and dining locations but we were starving by the time we got there and chose quickly. Our dishes were simple, cheap and not particularly distinctive. We know that Singapore street food has so many great options so it was a moderate disappointment that we didn’t have a great lunch when we are only here for a few days.
The anticipated rain has held off and allowed our group to get to Little India for dinner without a soaking. We had a tasty meal there but didn’t choose to wander the neighborhood tonight. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to spend more time there.
5 Adventures Together 