A PASSAGE TO INDIA: 143. THE BIG FIVE O

Singapore's difficult birth is well documented. To therefore reach 50 is no mean feat. It would be remiss of me to not mark the occasion in my blog for the celebrations was quickly followed by a sombre serious General Elections.

This year's National Day Parade was especially spectacular although I must say it would have been a lot more moving to be there for the live show....but I'm so allergic to crowds.
As part of the celebrations, I took advantage of the free entry into the Gardens by the Bay. The displays were as grand as the Parade so it was the right occasion to visit.

Expressing himself...

I didn't realise fushcias came in more than one colour, these look like festive light bulbs...

Like something out of Harry Potter - these are the carved roots of a tree - love the idea...

Something whimsy - lego pitcher plants for added interest in the carnivorous plants segment...

...which can be this naturally colourful and beautiful...

The aptly named Bird of Paradise - one of my favourite flowers - so dramatic...so me...!

These 2 look like some alien life forms from another planet. It's nice to be able to see so many varieties of cacti in one location...

The flora in the 2 domes in the Gardens by the Bay are really diverse.....for Mother Nature is all about diversity in all her kingdoms - plants, minerals, humans, animals, insects, birds, sea creatures...many plants are hybrids but how beautiful they all are! There are of course those who would say it's all so 'contrived' but how else could one see this huge variety in one place - I've been to quite a lot of places and I do notice flora and fauna but have not seen many of the species grown here.

The other things that caught my eye were the sculptures...in wood and bronze...