Pedalling Peddle Power…

I missed slotting this post in with those of the Marina Bay Sands, but since I am still not so far away I will add it now. There are bikes for hire in various places around the city, these one sport bright colours which caught my eye. I think it’s an excellent idea for hotels to have bikes for hire: who needs the gym when you can combine exercise with sightseeing ? Excellent for combatting deep-vein thrombosis and jetlag after long international flights, these particular ones have the added bonus of being on the edge of the Gardens by the Bay, which is so large that a bicycle really does come in handy. Added to that the Singapore Flyer is just a short distance away, as is the Marina Bay, with features like the Merlion to see.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

And What Do You Do? …”I’m A Dragonfly Rider…”

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

When we crossed this bridge on the way to the “Supertrees”, there was so much to look at that I barely registered that these sculptures were there.

On the way out however I saw them and instantly fell on love: After all, a whimsical set of sculptures where a breed of tiny folk ride on the back of dragonflies, waving their nets to catch… ? (I’m not sure what they might be catching, but let your imagination run wild).

My first split second thought was “Butterflies” but that’s not logical, if everything is to scale in this imaginary world then the butterflies would be as big as the dragonflies.

Maybe it’s a grain of pollen they are after, a sweet treat on their dinner menu?

These sculptures glisten in the tropical sun, which makes them harder to photograph than I first realised.

These are two works of art that I would dearly love to get closer to on a future trip, there are coloured pieces set into the wings of the dragonflies, they really capture the gossamer structure of the real insect.

These are fanciful and beautiful, and by far my favourite artwork in Singapore so far. There are several Information notes about Dragonfly Lake (where these pieces sit) which read:“Dragonfly Lake: The Dragonfly Lake plays an important role in supporting the ecosystem vital to the Gardens’ sustainability. Stroll along the 440-metre board walk and be transported to the world beneath the lake through the augmented reality binoculars” and “Dragonfly Bridge: the Dragonfly Bridge is a fantastic photographic spot, which offers panoramic views of the Gardens and connects into Bay South Garden from Bayfront MRT and Marina Bay Sands.”

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Constructing A Forest Of Supertrees…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Singapore has a very special place called “Gardens By The Bay”. It’s made up of many sections but one of the most spectacular is the “grove” of “Supertrees”. Entirely man-made, these trees tower above their natural counterparts and have become an instantly recognisable landmark. Research tells me:

“Measuring between 25 and 50 metres tall, these iconic tree-like vertical gardens are designed with large canopies that provide shade in the day and come alive with an exhilarating display of light and sound at night.

Construction:Each Supertree comprises four major parts:
•Reinforcement concrete core – Inner vertical structure that upholds the Supertree.
•Trunk – A steel frame that is attached around the reinforcement concrete core.
•Planting panels – Installed on the trunk in preparation for the planting of the living skin.
•Canopy – Shaped like an inverted umbrella, the canopy was assembled and hoisted via a hydraulic jack system (except the 50-metre Supertree canopy which was assembled at its final height).

Height: How tall is a Supertree? About as tall as a 16-storey building.
How about the OCBC Skyway? The OCBC Skyway connects the Supertree Grove into a 128-metre long walkway at 22-metres high.

Materials:Is a Supertree made of trees? Nope.
What is it made of? Each Supertree consists of a trunk core made of reinforced concrete wrapped with a steel frame. Planting panels are installed on the trunks for the planting of the living skin. Each canopy is embedded with environmentally sustainable functions, then assembled and hoisted via a hydraulic jack system.”

Green functions: 11 of the Supertrees are embedded with environmentally sustainable functions like photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A Huge Lizard Greets And Retreats…

In a continuance of yesterday’s post, Family Kiwidutch have just exited the walkway that connects Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel with the Gardens By  The Bay. A series of exclamations of “look, quick, look!” from Kiwi Daughter and Little Mr suddenly brought my attention to something on ground level: a very large lizard.
It had been sunbathing on the grass and it appears that our entrance had startled it and it decided to seek a more peaceful spot. It was huge, at least 1 metre long (approx. 1 yard) and is definitely one of the biggest lizards I have ever seen. We all watched, fascinated, until it disappeared. Everyone was in awe of this amazing creature, and that fact that it was just wandering around the Gardens. In my personal opinion this is how kids learn about the natural world, from what we have seen with our own kids, experiences like this during their travels leave bigger imprints that any textbooks.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

From Inside To Outside On The Walkway…

The  walkway that starts inside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel extends some distance outside the hotel on the side of the “Gardens by the Bay”. You exit the hotel through some large glass doors and find yourself looking at the back side of the hotel, standing in the Singapore tropical sunshine and warm, sometimes fierce wind. There is a tree lined “avenue” that goes over a bridge and into the Gardens themselves. At the end of the avenue is a very long escalator, or for less able-bodied people like me who use wheels, a lift.

The balconies of the Marina Bay Sands are cleverly placed so that from a distance they barely seem to be present and the long sweeping lines of the hotel’s structure are the things that catch the eye. In reality the balconies are deeper than I expected and filled with an abundance of lush vegetation. The walkway has also been cleverly designed so that visitors using it can not see into any of the rooms, so hotel guests have complete privacy.

The view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel captures people’s attention constantly,  even our children had their phones out and were taking photographs of it, plus the necessary “selfies” of course. It seems that they were far from alone in this idea…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)