Elusive Travels

This weekend Singapore saw Singapore on it's feet for the Singtel Singapore Grand Prix 2011. Three glorious days of Formula 1 racing, JK Asia cup racing and Porsche Challenge that commenced from 23rd-25th September. 

I must admit, when I  first decided to attend the Formula 1,  I did so to try my hand at motor sport photography.  I had no idea and never expected that I would end up becoming a fan of the sport.

Watching the race live just does not compare to watching it on TV. The atmosphere,  the ear shattering rumble of the F1 engines as they zoom past, the cheer from the crowds when their favourite driver overtakes an opponent is nothing short of spectacular.

This year saw Singapore play host to the sexy Colombian singer, dancer songwriter Shakira, who wowed the crowd with her sizzling performance,  and alternative rock, nu-metal band Linkin Park,who gave an electric performance of their greatest hits.


At the end of the three days, Vettel came on top, Shakira Shook her hips, Shaggy told the crowd 'it wasn't me' and Linkin Park Rocked!

Shakira's Sizzling performance Live at Singapore Singtel Grand Prix 2011

About The Zoo

Around 28 hectares in size, and located near the Upper Seletar reservoir , within Singapore's central catchment area, Singapore's Zoological gardens attracts around 1.6million tourists annually and with good reason. There are over 300 species of animal of which around 16% have been classified as endangered.

Getting there + Admission Costs

The zoo is located  about 12 minutes on the bus from Choa Chua Kang MRT station. However, depending where you start your journey from a taxi maybe the fastest way to get there.  http://gothere.sg is a great site planning your journey and the mode of transport you wish to take.

Regarding admission costs, there are a number of offers one can take,  for example you can for $58 dollars get a "park hopper" which allows you to cover all three of Singapore's wildlife tours i.e. Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird park.  For just a single adult the cost is $2. If you want unlimited boat and tram rides then you can opt for "Zoo Saver" which will set you back $27.

What to see + highlights

There is definitely no shortage of animals to see, to keep you occupied throughout the day, with a number of animal shows throughout the day there is enough for all people big or small, young or old.

The main highlight here is the rare White Tiger, and quite rightly so. There are three of them and they are nothing short of magnificent, it was a very rewarding experience to be able to capture them in bits even though they were not in their natural habitat.  Other highlights include the funny Himadrayan Baboons who spend most of their time climbing rocks, or grooming one another.  Orangutans were also amusing to watch as they roamed freely and often seemed to stop and look curiously as you pointed your camera towards them, as though they understood what was going on. At times their behavior and interaction among themselves often reminded me of how we are so much alike save for the appearance and ability to speak. 

Final Thoughts.

A great day out , plenty of animals to see and a lot to learn about the world we live in.  I would have liked to see more, but completely understandable given that the Zoo is currently undergoing extensive renovation. Hope to visit it again soon when they have completed the work.

 Held annually in Singapore,  the Chingay parade's origins can be traced back to around a hundred years ago where it began as  celebration by the Chinese in honor of their deities and the procession of Guanyin ( Chinese Goddess or Mercy) and a float decorating competition in Penang.

Singapore's foray into Chingay  was first held  as a result of a ban on firecrackers, so as not to dampen the mood for the Chinese new year, the people's association and National Pugilistic Association of Singapore organised a street parade.  Over the years it began to attract the Malay and Indian cultures of Singapore becoming what is perhaps one of the worlds most dazzling spectacles of colour, sound, and energy.  It has grown in number every year and this year saw some 8000 performers from dozens of cultures take to the streets.

A loud bang, the familiar sound of firecrackers and rumbles, lots of them! These rumbles were the sound of Harleys, a dozen or so of them each with a bunny girl sat behind leather clad motorcyclists and a collection of classic automobiles marked the start of Chingay 2011.  What followed next was a parade of Stilt walkers,  Storm troopers! Yes, that's right! and dancers from  Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, Mexico and Japan. Each culture bought their own unique display of rhythm and dance to the parade, wowing the crowd from every corner of the street. The buzz was amazing, my camera was going into overdrive at this point.  The highlight of the parade however was the parade's first and as a matter of fact the world's first display of an 88 meter long aerial dragon that was bought in from China,  it was a truly a magnificent piece of art to bear witness to, the whole crowd was just in awe at the sheer size of it.

The parade lasted  for approximately two hours before ending with the parade's first traveling dance competition in which a thousand or more performers took to the street each one giving it there best in the hopes of winning the competition.

Last night I witnessed  one of the worlds most colourful  spectacles and I would gladly bare witness to this event again.

Harleys & Bunnies

Rolls Royce & Beauty Queen

She waves to her adoring fans

Classic Mercedes with two sweethearts

Isn't she cute?

Storm Troopers are the new Police force in Singapore

A fire breathing dragon, sadly they didn't blow flames when nearing the crowd for safety.

A Chinese girl performs a flower dance.

A very flexible ballerina

Dance troupe from Sri Lanka

Acrobatic Taiwanese Cheerleaders.

Skirt twirling

Viva Mexico

Performers from the street dance competition

The 88m long draong

The head of the beast