Travel Biography - Week 99

Visiting San Diego Zoological Gardens.

When I visited San Diego in 1995, I was impressed with Balboa Park. It was much more than the city's open green space. It was home to the city's museums. I visited two of them, the Science Museum and the Museum of Man. There was also the zoo which I didn't see on my first trip. But this time, in 1997, I had the zoological gardens on the cards. From the hostel, it was an easy walk across town to get there.

When I arrived and paid the entrance fee, I saw that the zoo was rich in natural beauty, with tropical vegetation flourishing in abundance. There was even a cacti garden, reminding me of the Papago Gardens in Pheonix, which I visited two years earlier in 1995. There was also a band playing, reminding me of Port Douglas in North Queensland, where a live band entertained the town.

A ravine or small canyon cuts through the zoo, and an outdoor restaurant overhung the canyon, offering splendid views from the table. Feeling hungry, I decided to have lunch at the restaurant for once, and the best seat on the verandah became vacant as its former occupants, a middle-aged couple, rose from their table at the end of their meal and moved on. From the table, I saw the aviary on the other side of the chasm, half buried in abundant vegetation.

Where I had lunch at the San Diego Zoo.

View of the Aviary from the Restaurant Terrace.

Abundant Vegetation, San Diego Zoo.

A variety of Traveller's Palms.

The zoo boasted a cable car, and I boarded one for a ride, taking in views from the air. Maybe not as dramatic as the Singapore cable car connecting Mt Faber with Sentosa Island, but not less thrilling. On the whole, San Diego Zoo provides the animals the closest to a natural environment possible. But no matter how pleasant the environment may be, with a warm, balmy climate to match, there will always be that difference between captivity and freedom in the wild. Matt Monro's 1966 song Born Free, was from a movie with the same title. It was about a lion or a pride of lions, roaming free in the wild as opposed to being locked in captivity for the benefit of human beings gazing at them.

The lion, along with other caged carnivores, is a good example of repressed instincts. Their natural instinct is to hunt, driven by their appetite. Instead, the lion in captivity is fed raw meat at times appointed by the zoo management. When a lion cub is born in a confined space, it will never develop its natural hunting instinct, neither can its parents teach it. Hence, I have read about how stressed a lion can be in a cage. It paces around the floor, its forehead crossed with furrows, and a large pair of adrenal glands continually discharging its adrenaline into the bloodstream, shortening its life. I guess that it was from this imprisoned, stressed state that the movie, Born Free, was made. However, at the time I looked into its cageless enclosure in San Diego, the two lions within looked relaxed and serene, like those in the wild when not hunting.

The elephants roamed in its wide fenceless enclosure and neither of them looked distressed. The same applied to the rhinoceros. In a nearby tank, two hippos were frolicking happily underwater as a few small fish swam around, undisturbed by the two giants. There were also pens housing goats and deer. In the reptile house, the sleepy crocodile lay totally motionless, and unlike the lion, its adrenal glands were most likely small and hardly active. However, the one set of species I can't remember seeing were the primates, whether gorillas, chimpanzees, or apes. I believe this variety of mammals needs to be caged like they were in the Zoological Society of London Gardens, but perhaps the zookeepers here thought that caging primates was unfair, if not cruel.

That was one observation I made while I was visiting the San Diego Zoo. Most of the animals, especially mammals, weren't caged. Instead, their homes were large pens enclosed by a low wall which kept both man and beast separated and safe without the need for iron bars. This made me wonder whether the 1966 film Born Free revolutionised the zoo environment throughout the thirty-plus years up to 1997.

Cacti at San Diego Zoo.

Cable car ride at the Zoo.

A View from the Cable Car.

A Band Entertains the Public.

However, the aviary was one facility I didn't get around to visiting. Here in the UK, as with most parts of the world, birds are abundant. Therefore, a flock of birds seen at home in the wild doesn't get me to gasp in the same way as an exotic bird might (although here in the UK there is a notable diminishing of the bird population in recent years due to human activity). Furthermore, with their natural freedom to fly great distances, I wondered whether the large cage wherein they were all housed had frustrated their ability for long-distance flight. One particular species was the Arctic Tern. I once watched a nature documentary about these terns on TV with a friend. One bird was tagged, so it could be monitored. This particular bird was able to migrate from Pole to Pole each year, following the seasons.

In all, San Diego Zoo is set in its natural beauty. Tropical and Subtropical trees and vegetation were abundant, the ravine enhanced the views, and even the band of musicians enriched the family atmosphere. Normally, I don't have a great love for zoos, due to the confinement of animal species and inhibiting their natural instincts, especially the carnivores with their hunting and migratory habits. But this southern Californian zoological garden was different. They made as much effort possible to thrive in captivity without the stress placed on them by cage confinement. Furthermore, the whole landscape itself was worth a day's visit.

Why Visit a Zoo?

Exotic landscapes, plants and animals. The English language sometimes uses the word exotic to mean glamorous. But its proper meaning is from far away. The UK, and England in particular, is very modest in the natural world. For example, the highest mountain in England is Scafell Pike, at 978 metres. It's the lowest of the three highest mountains in the United Kingdom, with Snowdonia the highest in Wales, and Ben Nevis the highest in Scotland, hence the whole of the UK, at 1,345 metres. Yet, Ben Nevis is dwarfed by Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps, at 4,805 metres, nearly four times higher than Ben Nevis.

As for exotic plants, indeed, I could go to Kew Gardens in West London. At Kew, there is much exotic vegetation flourishing under glass and prepared locations, so far, totalling nine houses where temperature, humidity, lighting, and airflow are carefully controlled for the plants within to flourish. A Traveller's Palm, for example, can flourish under a special, artificial environment in Kew Gardens. But this doesn't compare to the Travellers Palm flourishing in its own natural environment, such as Singapore and Australia. The same with mangroves. The only country in the world where I saw mangroves flourish in its natural environment was Queensland's coastal regions.

As for fauna, or exotic animals, the zoological gardens are an ideal environment as long as each is housed closest to its natural surroundings. That's where San Diego got it right, and the animals seemed to be happy and well looked after. Indeed, I could go to London Zoo and see the exotic fauna there. (I took my wife and our daughter to ZSL London Zoo on her second birthday in 2003.) But the nearest zoological gardens to where we live didn't hold a candle to San Diego, simply due to our cool temperate climate and the need for greater protection for warm weather fauna during our cool, wet summers.

Therefore, for where we live, if we want to see some exotic fauna and flora, ZSL London Zoo and Kew Gardens are ideal places. At least, in a zoo, there is no risk of a lion, tiger, or even an elephant charging towards us, or snapped by a crocodile while visiting their natural environment. Similarity with exotic vegetation. Trying to grow many of these species naturally in our back garden, I doubt that would be much of a success!

Lions, San Diego Zoo.

At the Elephant Pen.

Rhinoceros.

Two Frolicking Hippos.

As for landscapes, well, trying to house a mountain the size of Mont Blanc in a giant glass case in the centre of London might be just a little awkward! I guess we have to make do with a vastly scaled-down model of the mountain in one of the museums. As one friend once said to me during the early nineties, if the Grand Canyon was in Britain, running east to west, then it would divide the country into two parts with the sea flowing between its rims. The point I'm trying to make here is that although zoos and botanical gardens provide convenient access to the natural world, seeing these things in their natural environment involves long-haul travel for a much greater reward.

But not all travel destinations are ideal for the likes of me. For example, visiting a Safari had never grabbed my interest. The Safari isn't a place for anyone to hike, whether alone or in a group. Instead, every visitor to the Safari, as far as I'm aware, must be in a group escorted in a jeep for their own safety. True enough, there were locations I could only reach as one in a group. All three locations on the Great Barrier Reef have escorted day trips. But even then, once in the water, we were all left to ourselves to explore the corals making up the reef. We didn't need anyone to lead us. Instead, he took care of the on-board lunch. To me, the Great Barrier Reef was the greatest experience I ever had on this Round-the-World trip.

Deer.

Goat Pen

And that was why I felt that a second visit to the SeaWorld was also on the cards in 1997. Personally, I always had a greater interest in marine life, more than land animals. Visiting the Great Barrier Reef has intensified my interest in marine life, and just watching diverse species of fish swimming casually in well-maintained tanks has brought me back to the Reef experience. Only this time, I made sure that I stayed dry (unlike in 1995 when I was soaked by a performing Orca.)

But left stranded in the middle of nowhere after dark? I'll leave that for next week.

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Next Week: Some 1995 reminiscences in 1997. Left in the middle of nowhere at night.

Travel Biography - Week 76.

As I began to settle in Singapore, I couldn't believe that such a dream could be fulfilled, to travel to the furthest point from home, to be so close to the Equator, and then only as a rest stop, and not my final destination. Until then, California held the distance record since I first crossed the Atlantic in 1977, with Los Angeles at 5,460 miles, or 8,786 km from London. Singapore is 10,870 km, or 6,754 miles from London.

First Trip to Sentosa Island.

During my five-day stay in Singapore, I visited Sentosa Island twice. On the first visit, I didn't go alone but with a couple of European young men who stayed in the same hostel, Will's Homestay. At this time of writing, I don't remember their home nationalities, but they both spoke English. Looking back, those two were either German, possibly Danish, Dutch, or even Scandinavian.

One morning, I was invited to go with them to Sentosa Island to spend a day at Fantasy Island, a water park. I packed my swimming gear in a small knapsack and accompanied them to our destination. These two seemed to know Singapore quite well, as we boarded a bus to the World Trade Centre (now known as the Harbour Front Station). This was a tower whose top floor was a stopping point for a cable car system passing through, very much like a through station on a railway line. One of the two terminals was at the summit of Mt Faber, a 94-metre high hill west of the city centre. The other end of the cable car line was at Sentosa Island itself and quite close to the theme park resort.

The Cable cars pass through the World Trade Centre Tower.

A public elevator took us to the upper floor of the tower where we boarded a gondola, which halted momentarily. The noiseless ride was smooth and gentle as the car hovered across the harbour, and looked down at Brani Island to the east of us with its coastline lined with trading vessels. We finally lowered and alighted at the Sentosa Island cable turnaround terminus.

Fantasy Island (now the Adventure Cove) consisted mainly of an outdoor pool, surrounded by flumes, or waterslides, and abundant with trees and shrubs. There was also a plunge pool and over it, a zip wire enabling riders to jump into the pool from a height of two to three metres. I believe that it was this facility that caused the pool to shut down in November 2001. When I used the zip wire and jumped into the water below, the impact brought pain to the nasal passage, and I had to pause for a while until the pain subsided. The slamming of the nostrils onto the surface of the water could have caused a serious injury. Therefore, on subsequent drops, I pinched my nose during the jump.

Zip Wire and Flumes at Fantasy Island, 1997.

There was also the Lazy River, where we floated on air rings and allowed ourselves to be carried slowly along a twisting lane that passed through tropical vegetation flourishing on both sides. We spent a good few hours at the resort before we made our way to the Merlion, a white, 37-metre-high cement statue dominating the island and offering views from the lookout on its head. 

And here, I would like to make a point. In 1997, the year of my visit to Fantasy Island, all three of us had no problem climbing into the flumes and sliding down through the tunnels without the need to wait beforehand. The same applied to the zip wire and the Lazy River. I approached the facility and used it straight away. However, while I was preparing to write this blog, I researched reviews on the website Tripadvisor, to see how the venue, now known as Adventure Cove, was faring with its visitors.

The high number of negative reviews surprised me! This was mainly due to overcrowding and the formation of long queues. Waiting to use the slide, according to the reviewers, was up to an hour long. Furthermore, the flumes were accused of being "too tame", especially by teenagers. All this goes to show how so much can change in 26 years. In my day, the flume rides were an adventure, a thrill. At present, those same rides are seen as tame and unexciting. Indeed, I would have loved to have seen King Henry VIII encouraged to have a go on one of the slides. I bet he would have shrunk back in sheer terror!

That evening, fully dry after leaving Fantasy Island, we explored the rest of Sentosa. In 1997, the centre of attraction was the Merlion. About 100-150 metres away was the Dancing Fountain, fronted by a theatre with a seating arrangement resembling an ancient Greek or Roman theatre.

We took a lift to the head of the Merlion. From the cranium overlook, we enjoyed views of Singapore and Sentosa. Beautiful ornamental gardens surrounded the statue, and as dusk drew in as the daylight faded with the setting sun, thousands of electric lamps began to dot the whole view with their illumination.

Singapore and Dancing Fountain Theatre from the Merlion.

However, my two companions wanted to watch the Dancing Fountain perform as this was their last day in Singapore. While we were still on the Merlion's head as we watched the theatre seating begin to fill. As the audience assembled, we made our way down and found some seating space right at the end of the row. Thus, we watched the performance from an angle rather than face-on. It wasn't a good choice of seating, yet the two lads seemed happy to be where they sat. Had I been on my own, I would have moved to a better position.

 

The images that illuminated the jets of water were accompanied by the coordinated movement of the nozzles, backed by music. It was a fascinating 30-minute performance which delighted the entire audience. I, for one, was impressed with the technology behind it all, perhaps all powered by a computer. The climax of the performance was the laser beam which shone out of the left eye of the Merlion to create an image across the fountains as the water spewed into the air.

The three of us had a wonderful day together, but I couldn't say that any lasting friendships had developed. Rather, that day paralleled the experience two years earlier, when I went to visit Papago Cacti Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona, with two other backpackers from the same hostel. We had fun together but afterwards, we went our separate ways, never to see each other again. The same happened here in Singapore. My two companions left for the airport and I remained at the hostel. From that day on, I spent the rest of my RTW trip on my own, as no one had stepped forward to invite me to join them, and neither had I invited anyone to accompany me. 

Singapore Metro to Chinese Gardens.

The Chinese and the adjoining Japanese Gardens were quite far from the city centre, therefore the need for a long ride on the Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT railway, equivalent to Transport for London's Underground, such as the Picadilly Line. Like the Picadilly Line which goes underground only in Central London before emerging above ground to serve stations in the suburbs, likewise, the Singapore MRT goes underground only in the central city area. The rest of the line was above ground for the greater section of the journey I took from Bugis to the Chinese Park Station.

Thus, the journey was smooth, quiet, and very clean. When I alighted from the train at the station, it was a short walk to the entrance to Chinese Gardens, which was laid on Jurong Lake, and fine Oriental architecture is seen by the lakeside and at various locations in the park.

Oriental bridges cross the lake at various points of the lake. Like at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, these too remind me of the design on willow plates and crockery which Mum had when I was a boy. Here in the Chinese and the Japanese parks, the emphasis for the Willow design was more on the bridges.

Bridge of Double Beauty, Japanese Gardens.

The Willow Plate of Oriental Art.

I found the two parks to provide a peaceful stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Apparently, they were the favourite spots for newlyweds to have their photos taken, but much to my relief, there weren't any weddings on the day. However, there was one set of structures that impressed me the most. They were the three Chinese huts or pavilions on the east bank of Jurong Lake. Picture postcards of these pavilions were on sale all over Singapore, and I honestly thought that those three adjoining huts were on the coast. Hence my delight when I came across by chance whilst visiting an area which wasn't high on the tourist's agenda.

The Triple-Pavilion on Jurong Lake, Chinese Park.

Another feature that delighted me at Chinese Gardens was an outdoor exhibition of potted plants that were common in China. Here, rows of shrubs were lined up for display. One shrub, no more than 12 inches, or 30 cm tall, was at the time, 50 years old, several years older than I was. Most of the others were slightly younger, but I was amazed at the incredibly slow growth over the years of its life. The garden exhibition was almost devoid of visitors. I had the whole place almost to myself. Furthermore, according to Google Maps, the topography of Chinese and Japanese Gardens remained unchanged over the past 26 years, unlike that of Sentosa Island and Marine Bay.

My Opinion on Singapore.

Other locations in Singapore I visited included Clarke Quay, the Hindu Temple and also the Islamic mosque. Not that I entered these buildings, but stood outside to admire their architectural beauty. By chance, I also came across Clarke Quay by night (pic in last week's blog). The lighting gives a special cheer to the place.

Little India, Singapore.

Whilst I explored Singapore, I liked the place. However, Singapore is relatively a young country compared with other nations. Thus, with the possible exception of the Raffle's Hotel, there were no significant historical hotspots. In addition, visiting as a stopover on a journey rather than a solo or final destination wasn't unique to me. I knew several people who stopped in Singapore. This included three people who had recently stayed with relatives in the Philippines. They decided to stop at Singapore on their way back home to the UK. Another fellow I know called at Singapore whilst on his way to visit his brother-in-law who emigrated to Australia some years earlier. And browsing through a brochure offering escorted tours to Australia, Singapore was also an option for those returning home to the UK and also willing to pay extra for a stopover tour in this tropical location.

The residents of Singapore don't live in English-style homes with front and back gardens. Instead, they live in tall apartment blocks which are huddled together to maximise the use of space and land area. For example, there is a large residential estate just behind Chinese Park Station. The sheer monotony of the estate - each block looking identical to its neighbour, does not inspire tourism. Yet, the night I took off to Cairns, there was sadness in my heart. I was already missing the streets of Singapore.

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Next Week: My Second Visit to Sentosa Island with extra pics before take-off to Cairns.