Backpacking in Singapore and Malaysia - Having Fun in Singapore

It's a zoo mainly exhibiting birds. Perhaps because I had never been to a similar place in China, it felt very novel to me, especially since many of the birds were ones I had never seen before. Except for some large and aggressive birds that were kept in iron cages, all other birds were in open areas, allowing visitors to get up close and interact with them. These birds were not afraid of people and would casually stroll around you. I must especially mention the bird show inside. For a country kid like me who had never seen much of the world, it was an absolute eye-opener. At the exciting parts, I would join the tourists around me (including those from Japan, Thailand, India, and other countries) in applauding and cheering. As for how wonderful the show was and how beautiful the birds were, that's beyond the description of a literary idiot like me; let me just talk about my feelings.

First, the show arrangements were very user-friendly. The park had many shows scheduled throughout the day, and the timing was staggered based on the order of your visit, ensuring you could watch one show after another without having to rush back and forth.

Second, there were no additional charges. When I happened to walk into an area, an enthusiastic keeper was holding two large birds and introducing knowledge about them to visitors. He warmly invited people to come over and take photos with the birds, but at first no one went up—most of us, myself included, were afraid that taking a photo would cost money. Then a brave person stepped forward, took photos, and even posed in many ways—and it turned out to be completely free. Compared to back home in China, where you pay an entrance fee and then still have to pay for extras inside, what a world of difference!

Of course, there were some unsatisfactory aspects. Although audio guides were available in many places, they were all broken, leaving me unable to learn more. Also, all the information signs were in English, so I stared at them for a long time without understanding what the birds were called. (That's my own fault for having too small a vocabulary—I need to go home and study English properly!)

Night Safari:

Based solely on its reputation as the world's first night zoo, I went there on the first evening.

To be honest, perhaps my expectations were too high, but the experience left me a bit disappointed.

The "Creatures of the Night" animal show was packed with people. Although flash photography was prohibited, flashes went off here and there, destroying the wonderful atmosphere. (At that moment I realized that Chinese people aren't the only ones; there are plenty of low-quality people from other countries too.) Maybe after seeing the morning bird show, I felt this one lacked highlights.

Moreover, the entire show was in English, so someone like me with poor English could only half-understand by listening to what other Chinese tourists were discussing, and had to follow their gazes to see which animal was being introduced.

According to a Singaporean friend, there are three areas in the park where visitors are allowed to walk freely. On that dark, windy night, getting up close to free-range animals would have been thrilling. But since we were exhausted from the first day's itinerary, my wife didn't want to walk, so we missed that adventurous opportunity. Maybe if we had walked, it would have felt different.

Of course, because it was night with little light, any shadows from trees or rocks created illusions. Also, an enthusiastic keeper suddenly appearing and greeting you could scare you half to death. The funniest moment was when we passed the lion area: on the right were the animals, and suddenly on the left, on a low hill behind some bushes, we saw several heads moving. At first I thought they were apes or primates and got really scared. After looking closely, I realized they were another kind of primate—humans. Those walking visitors were probably looking at us or at the animals behind us. Just then, a Singaporean friend on the same tram said that last month a leopard had jumped over a ditch and escaped from the free-range area—no idea how they got it back ^_^. I really felt worried for those walking visitors :)

Before going, a friend's friend's girlfriend said the place wasn't interesting and could be seen in 20 minutes. After visiting, I realized she might have meant driving around in a Formula 1 car, because if you take the park tram and walk, it takes about half a day.

Since we had to catch a late-night bus to Malaysia, we only visited the wax museum on the island that introduces Singapore's history. Compared to the crowded island, the museum had very few people—just a handful of visitors, most of whom were leisurely reading every exhibit. (Seeing how cultured the visitors looked, I thought to myself that even if I wasn't as refined as them, at least I had moved beyond the uneducated drifters—a little self-consolation.) There, I learned about the hardships the Chinese faced in this tiny island of Singapore, how they struggled and resisted under Japanese rule. I personally recommend visiting it, because only by understanding a place's history can you better appreciate the city after touring it.

After leaving the wax museum, we took a few photos under the giant Merlion statue, so I could boast back home that I had already stepped out of the country and came to Singapore—with photos as proof. While taking pictures, I suddenly noticed a European woman walking in the distance—very eye-catching, because she was just wearing a bikini and parading through this crowded place. But time was tight, and my wife urged me to catch the shuttle off the island. I thought I'd get to see plenty on the Malaysian islands, so I let it go. Then we took the park shuttle and my wife and I got a general look at the island's scenery. It was a great pity that we missed the laser music fountain show, which I heard was spectacular at night. I hope to catch it next time.