Walk around Marina Bay

The Helix Bridge was opened officially on Saturday, 24 April 2010 as I wrote in my previous post. We were there on the Sunday after the official opening and went for a walk on the bridge and towards the Esplanade.

We took the train to the new Circle Line's Promenade Station. From there, it was a short walk to the Helix Bridge and the Singapore Flyer. The Singapore Flyer is currently the world's largest observation wheel. There are 28 capsules on the flyer, and you can even dine in one of the capsules!


My comment when I first saw the Helix Bridge was how steely the bridge looked! The design was definitely interesting and not something that one would expect on a bridge. However, after awhile, the practical side of me started questioning - what would happen when it rained? There were some glasses on the roof, but it was just on part of the bridge. With the tropical weather that Singapore has, it would definitely be more practical to have a bridge that would shelter the pedestrian from rain and shine. That aside, I couldn't believe the number of people that was there just to see the bridge (and of course, I couldn't believe I was there, as well!). The atmosphere was definitely one of celebration and fun with music, lights and even a "clown" on stilts!


The night view around the area was pretty amazing. I have to admit that I seldom, if ever, took the time out to appreciate the modern Singapore. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore's second casino, was opened a few days after I was there. Apart from the casino, there would be theatre, restaurants, shops and even a skypark right on top of the building. It should be a pretty interesting place to be once it is fully opened. 


The Fullerton Hotel (photo above) right across the Singapore River is an amazing building in its own right. It was initially opened in 1928 as the Fullerton Building. There are various restaurants, cafes and clubs in the hotel that is worth spending some time in.

We walked towards the Esplanade and decided to have dinner in the Gluttons Bay. As the name suggests, there are lots of good local Singaporean food to try there, sitting right under the stars with the view of Marina skyline. The food is good and I would definitely recommend this place to any new visitors to Singapore.

Walking towards the Esplanade, there was a performance in the outdoor theatre. It was part of the Esplanade's A Tapestry of Sacred Music event. We sat and enjoyed an amazing performance called Sacred Sounds of Japan by Fuku No Ne Ensemble, a musical ensemble that played Japanese traditional and sacred music. Some of the music were haunting, but some, like the last piece they played, was extremely energetic!


After a great evening out, we called it a night. It was definitely enjoyable walking around the area. I told myself that I needed to start seeing Singapore with tourists eyes - trying to see and enjoy everything around me and not taking anything for granted. I believe that if I do that, the city would definitely open up.

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