Singapore Zoo

Not bad for 134usd. I got the seat i want (34A, both ways). I got served meals just like the other passengers. I watched Dragonball Evolution and Confessions of a Shopaholic 2x. And most importantly, i disembarked at Changi, not at the Budget Terminal. It was more of an impulse buy when i saw the low rates offered at singaporeair.com, which left me with no other choice. And just like any unplanned trip, i plan my day after eating breakfast. I fended off the temptation of giving in to the ads and brochures promoting the great singapore sale, which was ongoing when i arrived. I discovered later that there wasnt much of a sale, once you do the math.

When i arrived at Changi, the only destination i had in mind was the Singapore Zoo. After paying 25sing dollars (exchange rate 32php to 1sing ) for taxi to get to my hotel at Sentosa, I said to myself that it was going to be my last taxi ride in Singapore. Its either im taking a different route to the zoo or im eating granola bars for 3days. Fortunately, the desk clerk at Siloso Beach Resort was a Filipino. Her name was CEC ( Cecilia ). For 3days, she was my personal Concierge. She gave me the information i needed. To my surprise, going to the zoo was inexpensive, costing me 5.50 sing one way, but it was a long trip ( an mtr trip and a bus ride ). The entrance fee cost 23sing.

When i got there at around 11am, the zoo was already open.The place is huge. It reminds me of Ocean Park, which is similarly organized. I took a map, mounted the telephoto lens on my camera, and for 4hrs, took pictures of some of the most colorful animals on the planet. Some of them i never knew existed, like the proboscis monkey and the pygmy hippo. Most of the animals were kept in open enclosures, even the lions. While i was in Cat Country, a thought lingered, that the only thing thats keeping the lions from eating me is a wire mesh and a small water canal. I hurriedly checked the map again for the nearest way to the exit, and scanned the area for the highest tree that i could climb. After a while, the better part of me prevailed. I figured that as long as I dont see people running like hell or shouting incomprehensible chinese profanities, or see body parts lying on the paved walkway, or a lion with a torn leg in between his jaws, Im safe. I didnt see any show, but i was able to see the orangutans upclose, and their babies. I would love to go back and see the animals i missed.

http://www.zoo.com.sg/visitor/zoo-map.htm