Singapore Finale: Appreciating the Flowers

 Today is the last day of our journey, and we were graced with being able to wake up late slightly later at 10:00am. We had breakfast on the 3^rd floor of the hotel where there were various spreads of both American and Asian origin. Our first stop was the Gardens by the Bay, which was close to Marina Bay Sands where we visited earlier in the week. The Gardens were showcased in a flower dome, representing the five Mediterranean climates of the world: Australian, South African, South American, Californian and Mediterranean Basin. Included within these climate zones were various types of flora, from baobabs in sub-Saharan Africa to the woodlands in Chile. 

 

Our next stop was Cloud Forest, which was a smaller exhibit outside of the Gardens. This exhibit showed the different types of flora that grow on different elevations, all the way to the tops of mountains. This experience took us up over 90 feet into an overlook off one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls in the clouds. The Cloud Forest also showed the different threats to these different species and forests, and how they have progressed in recent years. We were in the Gardens and Cloud Forest for about an hour each, and they both gave us great representations of flora and fauna from around the world. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to stop at the Supertree Observatory for some lunch. Overall, I have been pleasantly surprised with the multitudes of botany in Singapore. Although they are a highly-advanced city, they have taken a step back to showcase their appreciation for trees, flowers, and other types of greenery in various locations across the city. 

  

We now had a few hours of a break before our dinner reservations at 6:00. In this time, Brendan and I decided to check out the National Library, which could be viewed across from our hotel. It was 15 stories tall with floors for different time periods and cultures, terraces with various plants, and of course a massive book space where Singaporeans were hard at work. At 4:00 we had our debrief meeting where we discussed our roses and thorns for the trip, on both personal and business aspects. We delved into what we learned about the businesses during the tours and what our preferences would be for our projects. We all had a real, genuine appreciation for the people we met, the various cuisines we had tried, and of course our phenomenal tour guide, Jerome. 

 The restaurant for our farewell dinner was a 10-minute drive from our hotel and would transport us into the delectable palate of the Turkish and Mediterranean culture. We had four courses, consisting of platters of meats, pita bread and dips, Turkish pizzas, exotic drinks, and desserts. The owner came out to explain the different dishes, and the overall experience was exceptional. During the night we would have time to pack or do whatever we would like before leaving the following morning. Several of us went to the Malay markets on Bugis Street to do some last-minute shopping. Others visited the pool, which offers a very ambient experience at night, or even had some drinks on the roof and relaxed. No matter what any of us did, we all made sure to enjoy our last night in Singapore before the back-to-back 11-hour flights to New York.