Return to Singapore

Now that we are expecting our third child in July, it was time to make another trip to Singapore to visit with the doctors.  As usual, we like to combine a medical trip with a mini-vacation to save on expenses.  The insurance picks up the cost of the airfare and hotel and provides a per diem, which makes the vacation side pretty inexpensive.

For fun, we keep trying new hotels.  This trip, we stayed at the Goodwood Park Hotel on Scotts Road.  We arrived early Friday evening for a late check-in, had  quick dinner, and went to bed.

Earlier in the week, we researched what events were happening in Singapore while we would be there.  We found several plays and shows that were aimed at kids.  The two we wanted to attend were a Pinocchio play and a Dinosaur adventure.  For Pinocchio, our son was too young, and they would not admit him, so I would take our daughter and my wife would take her to the new Rapunzel movie (called "Tangled" in the US).  Walking with Dinosaurs was open to all ages, and lap children were free.

Saturday, we were able to procure third-row-center tickets to Walking with Dinosaurs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Complex.  The show was absolutely amazing.  The dinosaurs were full scale replicas and , if you didn't look underneath them, it was easy to believe they were the real thing - right down to the mucus glistening in their noses.  They staged battles and chased our "guide" around the stadium.

Our son was fascinated and frequently demanded our attention so he could point to the moving beasts and smile at us.  Our daughter vacillated from fear to excitement, gripping our arms with a death lock when she was scared and anxiously fidgeting in her seat when she was excited.  The history lesson was interesting for the adults, too, so the entire family had a great time.

If Walking with Dinosaurs comes to a city near you, it is an absolute must see (though it appears the US tour is already over).

After the show we went to what used to be our favorite restaurant in Singapore - Tapas.  As we learned on our last trip, it has new management and a new name:  Octapas.  It did not change for the better.  The menu is similar, but not as good.  The service has deteriorated to the point that we felt like we were interrupting something more important when we placed our order, even though we were only one of three tables that early in the evening.  We'll have to find a new restaurant.  Good thing Singapore is constantly adding new eateries - and there is a Muchos Mexican Cantina two buildings down from Octapas.