11 February 2011

Chinese New Year #3

Took a taxi to the Labrador Nature Reserve, a coastal area on the southern part of the island.

The seaside cliff here led the British to identify Labrador as a defence site to protect the entrance to the harbours of Singapore, and Fort Pasir Panjang was built here to house a series of batteries. Two six inch 37-ton guns were installed in 1938, together with searchlights that faced the sea.
While an “impenetrable fortress” from any seaward approach, the Japanese invaded Sinagpore via the Malaysian peninsula, and much of the equipment at the fort was put to waste. However, contrary to urban legend, the guns did not stand idle, and were turned to fire on the mainland. Just ineffectively.

Machine gun post on the beach:

Flying a Chinese lantern. This little fellow went all the way out to sea, disappearing over the hundreds of cargo ships at anchor:

No fishing?

This lizard had an extremely long whip-like tail:

View from up top:

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