I barely had time to unpack our suitcases from America, and then it was time to repack them (full of warm weather gear) to head to Singapore to escape the madness that is Chinese New Year!
We had visited Singapore during our first year in China and loved it. We only had two days, so we thought it would be fun if we were able to explore for longer! I planned our trip so we would have a bit of rest and relaxation and also lots of exploring time!
As I’m writing this, I can’t believe this trip occurred over two months ago!!
Our first four days in Singapore we stayed on Sentosa Island. This past year they opened a Resort World which included Universal Studios on the island. There is a lot to do and this was supposed to be our relaxation time!
On the second day we were there we went to Universal Studios. This particular park is quite small, but like Hong Kong Disney, the kids loved it and we spent the entire day playing and at some points trying to stay dry during a downpour!
When we first arrived at the park, we were greeted by a few characters. All was good until Danny and I both looked up and saw Frankenstein not too far away! We tried to shield Eens from him, but it was too late. A look of horror crossed his face and he jumped into Danny’s arms much quicker than he typically moves! I kept walking and pretending it did not bother me until I turned around and there was Frankenstein touching Cooper - thankfully Coop played tough guy, but I could tell he was a bit frightened! We quickly left the entrance area and began exploring the rest of the park.
After a rough start, Eens finally started to enjoy himself, but you could see that he was constantly looking over his shoulder! Ellie and Coop rode every ride they could as many times as they could. El was a bit disappointed that the biggest roller coaster was not operating the day we were there. I was happy because it looked really scary!!
Despite Frankenstein and a bit of rain, we had a wonderful day and really didn’t want to leave. Upon exiting the park, I was shocked to find a Chicago favorite right outside - Garrett’s Popcorn!! It is the little reminders of home that bring a smile to our faces!!
The next day we spent the entire time at the pool! Danny and I pretty much watched the children swim as the water was once again a bit on the cool side for us! The kids were swimming so much that they didn’t mind at all! Later in the day we strolled along the beach and ate some yummy pizza as we watched the sun set!
Our dear friends, Karen, John, and the girls arrived on Sunday! We were thrilled to see them, but a little bummed that the weather forecast was for rain all day! We made the most of it and walked to the aquarium that was just down the hill from our hotel. Then we had a nice long lunch at a restaurant on the beach and were able to enjoy the beach in between rain showers!!
On Monday we had made plans to change hotels and move into the city. Singapore is such a fun city and there are plenty of things to do with children! Once we checked into the new hotel, I swear I lost my mind!! We arrived in the room and I heard a buzzing sound, so I called downstairs and the chief of security came up to the room. He checked everything and assured me that it was probably the cars outside - I was not so sure about this, but could think of no better explanation, so I went with it. About an hour later as I began to unpack, I move one of the suitcases and the noise stopped. I dug in the suitcase and found my toothbrush turned on!! So much for the cars causing the noise. Only a few minutes later I began looking for Danny and I’s swimsuits, pj’s, underwear and socks, only to realize that I had left them at the other hotel on the island. Boy was I thankful that Karen and John were still there so they could retrieve them and bring them to us - a bit embarrassing, but it all worked out! The next very interesting thing I proceeded to do was check our return flight time before I put the paperwork away! I remember when I booked the flight how fortunate I felt because we were going to take a 01:15 flight - perfect time for the kids was what I was thinking. Only after studying the paper for a few minutes did I realize that I had booked a 1:15 am flight!! I immediately called up Singapore Airlines and explained my mistake. I was so thankful at this point that I was in Asia because customer service here is so much better than in the US!! The gentleman gave me two other flight options and told me there would be no charge! I was breathing a sigh of relief as Danny sat in wonderment. He was probably in awe that I could do so many dopey things in one afternoon!!
Obviously at this point I was in need of some fresh air, so we went out and walked the city. The kids weren’t exactly thrilled, but I love learning a city by walking! We saw the Marina Bay Sands hotel from a distance - it looks amazing, but it cost $20 per person to go to the top so we skipped that. We saw the merlion, which the kids were not impressed with and we ended the day on Orchard Road where we stocked up on books at Borders!
On Tuesday we decided to take the kids to the fabulous Singapore Zoo. This was probably the highlight of the trip for me! There were periods of sun and rain, so we bought some lovely ponchos that we will keep to remind us of soggy Singapore! The kids favorite part was the children’s wet playground! This time around I was prepared with swimsuits and dry clothes!
On Tuesday night we were fortunate to meet up with one of my friend’s who used to live in Tianjin. They were very brave and offered to take us to Chinatown. The reason this was such a brave endeavor is because it was coming upon Chinese New Year’s Eve! The streets were packed! We had such a wonderful time catching up and meeting their beautiful daughter who was born in Singapore! Thank you so much Anna for taking such good care of us!
On Wednesday and Thursday we spent time at the pool soaking up the sun and time shopping!! We were so happy to have friends to spend time with while on holiday! We are going to have a really hard time vacationing alone when we get back to the US!! The kids have fun and we completely enjoy ourselves!!
Despite the rain, I would have to declare our last Chinese New Year holiday a success!!
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