Lions of Singapore..... and other things.

Lindy and Gus invited me to share their family trip to Singapore which was part holiday and also an opportunity for them to connect with Gus' sister and her family there.

The children coped well with the flight, and arrived ready to greet the Lions of Singapore.

First were the statues in front of the Takashimaya shopping mall....

We were much more interested in the interior of the shopping malls, but that had to wait!

Then we saw the Merlion.....

Miss P had just been harassed by a group of Japanese tourists who wanted to take her photo, and she was a little un-nerved by the experience so we have the back of her head!

We then discovered these cute little versions on our way to the Marina Bay complex...

The Marina Bay Sands hotel is simply mind boggling!

and as we walked through the mall we discovered this lion was coming to town!

Lindy and Gus had dinner at the top of the hotel to celebrate his sisters birthday... I declined the invitation to join them to mind the children, and to avoid having to go to the top of that building,

however....

a ride on the Singapore flyer was the next activity!

[you can see it in the distance in the photo of the hotel, it doesn't look very high but it is nearly as high as the hotel}

Can you see the cars on the freeway? we were only half way up!!!

C was also a little anxious, and at about this point, he strapped himself into the stroller for protection.

No-one had the heart to tell him the facts of gravity and strollers, and very great heights, after all he is only 5!

We visited the zoo, the lions there were asleep with their backsides pointing at us, so I didn't bother with a photo shoot, but C fed the elephants with his cousins.

We then had a morning at the childrens' science centre ,

Miss P played the chimes

And C served his head on a platter for us

It was a wonderful time with this dear family doing all the things that little people enjoy. But I did see some of the arcades with the amazing array of designer boutiques and even dropped in on a fashion parade!

The highlight of the week for me was really rather simple. I had time with Belinda just the two of us, something that is in short supply, as she is busy young Mum, with many responsibilities. She is a woman with great general knowledge, and can talk on many different topics, and I loved having time with her discussing history, politics and our christian walk.

Her Dad would have loved being in these conversations.

I can't finish this blog without including one last Lion.

I shared my room with C and he was a wonderful room mate.

But if I needed to have a little "Grannie" time I would turn on the TV to the Singapore cartoon station and he would happily watch Tom and Jerry.

So this lion became an integral part of our days, roaring at the start of each cartoon.

The same cartoons were probably playing 23 years ago when Wayman and I took our family to Singapore for their first overseas holiday