Singapore's Botanical Gardens feat Orchid Gardens

To get the the Botanical Gardens, one just hop onto the MRT and get off at THE Botanical Gardens stop. Simple. Right? Yes. Not unless you wanted to go to the Orchid Garden. 

From the CBD, it's about 30mins by MRT to the Botanical Garden stop as we got on @ Bras Basah,

10mins it says.

Yeah, right.

But thankfully along the way...

Still not there yet...

FINALLY there... after 30mins of slow walking.

Overview of the Orchid Garden and it's other sub collections.

Here's some Orchids' to welcome you.

Handheld on the F3 with a slow shutter in broad daylight isn't easy in the sense that it can get 'blown out' or overexpose as the shutter needs to stay open longer than usual. So manage the ISO, exposure and aperture for this.

Missus saying Hi.

Right. Orchids from here on. Enjoy...

'Look! I'm wearing an Orchid print too!"

Up close and personal from the Kit Lens. Not bad.

If you noticed by now, a lot of the pictures or rather the Orchids had water on them. No, they weren't my doing, but rather God who had decided that it should rain before we arrive there. Lucky, no?

One of the collection houses in the Orchid Garden.

My MIL thinking of using this as her umbrella...

Rain drops in a line...

Hey, a Pineapple!

Let's continue.

So how big can them Orchids go? You decide...

Colours #1

Colours #2

Colours #3

Colours #4

And finally, the most important reason of coming here:

So what is this VIP Orchid Garden then? Read the fine print or just scroll down and you'll figure it out...

Really. There ISN'T anything there but this... and you wonder...

Same with Mr Mandela... No flowers?

Right. The Orchid that has everyone's attention.

The entrance to the VIP Orchid Garden.

Lovely dear.

My MIL wishing this is all hers...

And we have gone one full circle.

On our way back to the MRT entrance, we came across this. What this is supposed to represent, I have no idea.

Butterflies... albeit metallic one.

Some reading materials.

Botanical Gardens gate.

Thanks for visiting my Garden! Come back again wouldn't you? :)

The End.

Singapore - Marina Bay Sands, Merlion Park

So yours truly is back in SG again, for the 2nd time in 2012. Not so much of musicals, etc but more for a short holiday and well, recuperating of sorts...  for all 3 of us; MIL, Missus and yours truly.

Ever seen waters this calm in the Marina Bay Sands Mall?

Sure you can! Just get there around 1030H...

They make great reflectors!

Fortunately or unfortunately, this wasn't running. But if it was, then the waters wouldn't had been so calm right? Win some, loose some.

What's this? Invasion of tentacles???

Elvie must be going mad!

Okay. Enough of the Mall. Outside, you have a nice "pond" if you will... And this Dragonfly decided to say "hi".

Nothing spectacular, right?

Wrong. Is that the Merlion in the background?

Say hi to some buse bees, shall we?

After spending some time in the Mall and it's outskirts, it was off to hunt for the Merlion Park! Can you believe that we have visited SG like 5 times but never ever said "hi"to it???

Pathetic huh? Anyway, we got off at Raffles Place and after following some signboards, ended up by the river with no more indications on where to head over too. So we just decided to ramble on to Fullerton hotel and came across this...

"What's up, guys?"

Some history... on Singapore 101.

A look back where we came from.

Now what's with the lights on the right and barb wires? Have we actually reach some insane neighbourhood? Prison? Nope.

I'm actually walking on the Singapore F1 street circuit which was just concluded 2 nights before! Wheeeeeee... Again it's sad that here I am on Singapore's F1 circuit and I hadn't bothered to visit my own Malaysia's F1 circuit in Sepang!

From Fullerton, one crosses the street and Voila!

One of the things that got me excited over the Sony Nex F3 is the self portrait capability. However, at 18mm, we look big. So... one needs a mini tripod to make it out further?

Mini Merlion.

BIG Merlion.

Merlion shooting water... and FINALLY we are here! So yes. From Marina Bay Sands, it's opposite.

That small little lotus building? That's the Art Science Museum or Exhibition Centre.

More usage of self portrait.

Slowing the shutter down...

Another feature that I tried with the F3 (without reading the manual) is the Panaromic option. Enable it. And just follow what the LCD tells you to do. And this is it's effect! Not bad.

Walking back to Raffles Place MRT, we came by these boys ... ah the good ol' days.

A very old... bridge that still remains and serves as a pedestrian bridge now.

I'm beginning to enjoy this self portrait thingy.

Fullerton with it's Roman columns.

My bestest friends, no?

The End.