A PASSAGE TO INDIA

'A TRAVELER IS BUT A PILGRIM ON A QUEST'

Saturday, October 03, 2020

201. NIGHTCRAWLER - MARINA BAY WATERFRONT






I'm familiar with this area in the daytime but have not seriously explored the area by night - from Clarke Quay to Marina Bay, ending at the Bay Gardens. Tonight's my chance to do that with this night walk to observe the Mid-Autumn Festival...





Lanterns galore along the way...I adore this art deco building, it was a water supply house which supplied fresh water to incoming ships aeons ago. It's now a classy restaurant and bar under the Fullerton label...






These lanterns on the right is a community effort where different groups from seniors to the disabled decorate those white Japanese lanterns which are than strung up at the Bay Gardens. I'm quite sure they are taken out on an outing to view the gardens and the lanterns they decorated, making them so proud...!


Old style cellophane lanterns are gradually been replaced by paper ones. The shops have a small selection, I hope they don't fade into oblivion...


Chinatown was lit up for the occasion...



Colonial hangover - the sign is cute, the bridge is one of my favourite old things in this neighbourhood...
the other The Fullerton Hotel and The Asian Civilisations Museum and the Victoria Memorial Hall/Theatre...this area is full of character...even if the neighbours are skyscrapers clad in glass and chrome






The Fullerton was the former General Post Office Building. It had a lighthouse on its roof...!


These night shots turned out so well I just had to save them here. Needless to say, they came from a fellow walker's camera, my own can't do this waterfront credit...


I've given up trying to figure him out. They're demolishing the huge one over in Sentosa to make way for something, I'm glad to report...







The deckchairs were occupied by several older men who found a breezy spot to snooze...sometimes overnight - and smart alecs conclude they are homeless and sleeping rough in the streets and that the Government was neglecting them...





That globe on the left and its reflection in the water makes it appear like a floating ball. The design is brilliant, it's half a globe sitting on water, its reflection makes it a perfect round shape. It's the newly opened Apple showroom...





Another masterpiece on water






Considered by some as the creme de la creme of this neighbourhood, it has become quite a recognisable icon...

When the lights were low - it was displaying Singapore's colours on its roof as part of National Day light-up...






It's his year, he takes center stage...




The walk ended at the Bay Gardens. Verdict - the city by night in this large area of Singapore is truly lovely. Foreigners I've chatted with think so too and they marvel especially at how young women walk alone or in pairs at night as late as 10pm or later, some after work, heading to the train station or waiting alone at bus stops...
This is something very precious - personal freedom and safety and quality of life - one's first freedom is to be able to move around freely in your neighbourhood and country without fear to your life, limbs and property...


Quite a number were not locals...participating in an event not done in their home countries...