Telok Ayer Green Landing Site Park

There is a lot going on in the Telok Ayer Green Landing Site Park in Singapore. On a recent bus ride I "landed" in the area of Singapore that was originally the first point of arrival to Singapore for many Chinese immigrants in the early 1800's. The site was originally a sandy beach.

The very small but picturesque park was built to preserve this historical location. There are bronze statues depicting life in those times as well as a pond and seating for people to enjoy their lunch al fresco.

On one end of the park some very enterprising entrepreneurs set up a bicycle repair business under an umbrella. Business is brisk. Many delivery people and others that need their bikes for work, get tires replaced and other minor repairs done here to keep them on the road.

The little park is bordered on one side by the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre. The historic shrine was built in 1830 to honor of the Chulia Indian Muslims of southern India who were merchants and money lenders.

On the opposite side of the park is the culturally important, Thian Hock Keng Temple.
It was built on the site where the original Hokkien, Chinese settlers gave thanks to the goddess of the sea, Ma Zu Po, for giving them safe passage to Singapore. It's construction was completed in 1842.

As I left the quaint park, I walked through a covered, but open air, shopping area on Upper Nankin Street that had a couple of interesting bronze statues of Chinese settlers. I then came upon a small coffee house called Good Morning Nanyang Cafe. The owner, a cat lover, offered me a delicious over easy egg which I gobbled up with glee!  

Just before jumping on my bus home, I noticed a sign for the Speakers Corner. I may have to research that for a future trip to this wonderful area of Singapore.

Kitty Goes to a Yacht Club

Singapore's premiere sailing club is the RSYC which stands for Republic of Singapore Yacht Club. The club has a very informative web site www.rsyc.org.sg which explains that the club was originally established in 1826 as the Singapore Yacht Club. It's name was changed to the Royal Singapore Yacht Club and then in 1967 "Royal" was changed to "Republic of."

Somehow, I ended up sauntering into this beautiful establishment, which I am sure, misguidedly, does not allow kitty cats. There were not very many people at the club when I entered so I was able to leisurely meander around undetected.

The location of the club has changed several times. It was moved to it's present site in 1999. Currently, renovations are being conducted to further beautify the well organized and architecturally pleasing establishment. There are meeting rooms, two restaurants, two bars, a small casino, a gymnasium, well furnished hotel rooms for visiting yachtsmen, and a pool. Most importantly for boaters, there are 127 wet berths and 218 dry berths at the marina for boat storage as well as on site fueling services. It even has onsite Customs, Immigration and Quarantine services.

RSYC has a very active boating as well as social agenda. Besides sailing classes for all ages, races, and cruising events, there are also children's activities, exercise classes, games and holiday events. In summary, there are numerous activities for boaters and non-boaters alike.

Although I enjoyed visiting RSYC I probably will not be returning. The club is beautiful and well appointed and there are a lot of things for people to do. However I was disappointed. Since there are no planned feline activities, I can understand why there were no cats around. Besides, I, like most cats, hate the water!

A Very Long Walk!

Whew...Am I ever worn out! I jumped off a bus next to the starting point of Alexander Walk and maneuvered along the walkway, high up at tree-top level over the beautiful jungly area below. The walkway is made of steel grating so it was a little scary to look down between the metal bars and it was rough on my little toes but the view was well worth it.

At the end of the trail I took a rest and licked my sore feet before proceeding on to Terrace Garden, located in Telok Blangah Hill Park. From this elevation I could see all  over Singapore. Their were very few people around so it was very peaceful but I understand their are a lot of picnics and other activities held at this picturesque setting.

I am afraid my father would not like it much in this park.You see, he is learning to play the ukulele and there is a sign stating, "No Playing of Music"...??? In his case he is so bad that when he plays it really doesn't sound like The Sound of Music lyric, "The hills are alive, with the sound of music." When he plays, it is more like, "The hills are alive with the sound of noise."

From there I traveled along the wooden walkway called Henderson Waves. It stretches  274 meters and is lined with covered sitting areas that connect to each other, forming a series of wooden waves. Very ingenious! I am guessing a very creative cat must have designed it.

At the end of the waves I came across a very long skink. He was stretched out on a concrete beam and was absorbing the heat from a sun. He looked like he was in seventh heaven. He totally ignored me so I left him to continue on enjoying his blissful nap.

The trail entered a shady part of the woods and ended up at the cable car station at Mount Faber Park. There was no way I was going to ride the wiggly cable car down the hill so I walked on down the path to Harbor Point. From there I jumped on a bus that dropped me right in front of my home.

I think I walked about 5 kilometers today. Not much for people but lots for a kitty. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was gorgeous but all four of my feet are killing me! I can't wait until my mother comes home to pet me and rub my feet.  

Shop Houses and Laksa

I had a wonderful walk starting from the crowded Geylang Serai Market, down the very colorful Joo Chiat Road and ending at the corner at the very busy East Coast Road. The contrast between these three interconnected, but diverse areas of Singapore was exciting for this traveling kitty to explore.

The Geylang Serai Market was bustling with activity. The market was packed with mostly Malay Muslim people buying food,

household goods and clothing to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa, the end of the Ramadan month of fasting.

Since I am so little I don't like very crowded areas because I get bumped and stepped on. I was happy to turn the corner on Joo Chiat Road where the pace slowed down quite a bit. This road is lined with beautifully renovated shop houses, tastefully painted in every color in the rainbow.

I noticed the Changi Junk Store and had to go in to see if the owner was selling junk or treasures. He really has a mixture of both but his specialization is song bird cages. He builds and renovates the most intricate aviaries. The birds that live in these cages are entered in singing competitions. Some of the fanciest cages have hand carved ebony "wires" connected with beautifully carved ivory sections.

On down the road is the Smart Doggy Studio. There is no such thing as a smart doggy so I just don't understand the concept of this school. There is a phrase that says, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". I think the phrase should be shortened to, "You can't teach a dog." Dogs are just plain dumb. Cats are naturally smart so we don't need school  at all!

By the way...across the street is a park that has a big sign that shows you how much trouble dogs can be.

At the corner of Joo Chiat and East Coast roads is a small restaurant called 328 Katong Laksa. One of the workers there liked me so he put a small bowl of smooth tasting Laksa on the floor for me to try. It was loaded with coconut milk, noodles, shrimp, and cockles. It was really great!

My last stop of the day was the Peranakan store called Kim Choo located at 109A East Coast Road. I had to sneak in when a customer left the door open. I am sure the owners would have been worried about me breaking some of their beautiful but fragile porcelain tea pots, decorative plates and spoons.

They also sold some brightly colored cloth and clothing as well as hand made traditional  beaded shoes. I know my mother and sister would love this place. I wish I could figure out how to tell them about it. Maybe they will read my blog...