It's a long trip out to the zoo! First of all, it's in the center of the island (where they have actual wild jungle), so that's a dozen MRT stops. But then it's a long-winded ride on a rickety public bus, before you arrive. We suspect most tourists go on hotel-organised tours, so don't have to experience all this. But it was interesting to see the outer neighbourhoods, and to note that the high rise living continues out that far.
Singapore Zoo is sited alongside the island's rain catchment (ie. water supply), and has a unique semi-open plan to the enclosures. This makes you feel much closer to the animals, and there are even some that are allowed to range freely, such as macaques and even orang utans.
Saw some interesting beasties we hadn't seen before, such as the proboscis monkey (ugly), hamadryas baboons (nasty butts) and sun bear (world's smallest bears!) plus old favourites like the tapirs, meerkats, banded mongoose, otters, rock hyrax and a assortment of squirrels and squirrel-like critters. Watched some of the animals being fed, including the meerkats who had a good tussle over a chicken leg, plus I fed a pair of white rhinoceros, who also had a good chomp on my hand. A bit like sticking your fingers in a pool filter. Shlorp!
We were hot and tired, but stopped at Orchard Road again on the way back for dinner at the fabulous Ling Zhi vegetarian restaurant. Quite novel food! Here was our set menu:
- Shredded Rice Flour Skin with Chef's Special Salad Dressing, Beancurd Skin Rolls and Fresh Truffle
- Braised Shark’s Fin Melon with Bird's Nest, Lily Bulb and Golden Mushrooms
- Crisp-fried Pumpkin Roll with Mushrooms and Chef's Special Blended Sauce
- Braised Bai Ling Mushrooms with Chestnuts
- Braised Noodles with Shredded Vegetables
- Chilled Apricot with White Fungus
We also bought a tin of mooncakes, which are being sold everywhere at the moment as part of the Chinese new moon festival. They're expensive, but are beautifully decorated. An unusual taste and texture, but like all things pastry, I love 'em!
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