Singapura

Hi Singapore, you are so hot and humid and so child friendly!  We had the most amazing trip and the kids want to return to your tropical fun loving embrace immediately.  In fact Al started crying when our car pulled up at home at trip end, and pathetically whimpered as tears slid down his cheeks, "Can I go back?  Can I go back tomorrow?"

We started our weeklong Easter holiday on April Fool's Day, landing in the evening after a grueling flight that was delayed and then messed up due to a thunderstorm that prolonged our trip by over an hour. The rain was also shocking, just coming down in sheets set against a gloomy dark sky.

The trip annoyances didn't prevent us from still enjoying the heck out of the airport, and the fancy first class Wing lounge (where the kids enjoyed a sit down lunch with white napkins and everything) and watching the planes take off.  From our lounge we had the perfect view of our gate and our plane. The miracle of flight, the freedom of airplanes and world travel, is there anything more exciting and amazing??

While waiting at the airport for our bags, the boys were so frigging adorable with their duty free bags and little messenger bags.  The kids also had a lot of fun playing with the airport strollers, but go-cart style.  We were the wild banshees in a very rule abiding airport.  

Kids didn't go to bed until nearly 9 pm and were up the next morning by 7 out of excitement.  But Sunday morning and all day Sunday was perfect. It more than made up for the prior day. 

We enjoyed our connecting room and the resort facilities at the Shangri la Sentosa.  

They had all kinds of animals running around, including huge monitor lizards, turtles, and numerous peacocks.  

Some form of ice cream or ice pop was on the activity list every day.  The resort had a "fun team" that led dance parties in the pool, did face painting, and engaged the kids in contests.  For the first swimming activity Lola dove and got the first ring!  Her team won and got free ice pops as the prize.  It may have been the tastiest (certainly most well deserved!) strawberry ice pop ever, and she really relished it.  

The kids' pool had three designated water slides and a whole splash area (Lola and Al loved the slides; Teo refused to go down any of them despite peer pressure and endless cajoling).  

As if all of that weren't enough to keep the kids engaged, there was also a large interior playroom with slides and a separate room for arts and crafts.

Can you spot the lizard?

Can you spot the turtle?

All of those activities are still separate from the beach, where they had paddle boarding, kayaking and all kinds of water sports.  We went in the afternoon at low tide and the water was very calm (though quite dirty given the sheer numbers of large tankers that chug through).  The kids took turns digging for clams and finding "treasure" (and then respectively crying inconsolably when they inevitably lost their treasure).  Lola tried kayaking for the first time with daddy and she said it was very hard but very fun!  They got out pretty far and Lola afterward "taught" me how to turn. 

At night after a room service dinner and bedtime stories, the kids went to bed.  It had been a long, hot and sunshine and activity filled day.  It was kind of amazing how much we had managed to cram in!

 But my day wasn't over yet - I went out into the city proper, to hang out with two very good, dear and old friends who had both relocated from Hong Kong recently but didn’t know each other.  I love when new people meet and it works!

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Violet Oon which was interestingly housed in the National Gallery.  I had so much fun and laughed so much and my heart and spirit were so rejuvenated.

The next morning the rain came down hard, but in a torentially amazing way.  The kids explored the buffet and then got balloons and played mini golf and Jenga. 

Then before we knew it, it was time to head to Marina Bay pier to catch our cruise ship!