In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps......

Today we are having very much a Cosmopolitan day, an American breakfast buffet, followed by visiting Arab Street, renowned shopping area with multi racial shopping cheek by jowl. Then Little India, before going to the Zoo and on a Night Safari. Well, it is our 20th wedding anniversary today!
Arab Street was suggested by one of the tour guides when M said she wanted some fabric for our “world trip” quilt. There certainly was plenty to choose from – 1000’s of colours, textures, beading etc. Once we’d explained that it had to be 100% cotton to go with the other fabrics we’d already bought, the choice was a bit more limited, but we still must have had at least 50 fabrics to choose from.
We did try Ron’s silk shirt that died in the Cook Islands, but there wasn’t anything he really liked. If I’d wanted a silk dress made, that would have been a completely different matter! The prices were very reasonable, but instead we chose a very nicely made batik printed table runner for our dinner guests to admire!!!!!Or for M to chuck food on more accurately!
We wanted something to drink and as fresh coconuts were on sale we had one to share, which is a very eco friendly drink as there is only the plastic straw to dispose of and no washing up!
So after our substantial breakfast (well it is very hot and you really don’t need the calories even if the pastries and sweetmeats look very appetising) we as usual skip a meal and after changing into dry clothes go to the zoo. This was a superb activity and comes highly recommended as you can really feel as if you are encroaching on the animals habitat rather than them being caged off from you. They are free to roam in a lot of cases, and so like their environment that the electric fences and wet and dry moats are more to stop homo sapiens invading rather than animal breakout. From a simple health and safety aspect there are washing stations regularly around the zoo and you are encouraged to use them. Oh, and please don’t look up with your mouth open as anything can happen especially if the flying foxes are on the wing!!! Don’t understand why? Well, you try going to the toilet hanging upside down!
The Zoo was really amazing as the animals all looked so well and it was great to get so close to them without bars in between.
In the evening, before the night safari we had a meal at the Ulu Ulu food centre. I call it this because it is more like the Hawker food centre in the city where there is one way in but up to 20 different styles of cuisine and a communal seating area. Not like a motorway service station, the food’s freshly prepared, very edible and inexpensive.
Unfortunately, as it hadn’t rained earlier, it decided to rain just before the “Animals of the night” show was to take place. This created a chaotic situation in the tramway area as the world and its kids, and grandma too tried to join the tram rides which are the main way around the park in the dark. Imagine the airline queues at American immigration after 5 jumbos have all arrived at once. Nuf Sed!
A 20 min wait got us on the tram, and what followed was a 45 min ride through the animal’s habitats, mostly subtly lit, so that we could see animals active at night rather than in their more usual sleepy daytime state. We saw giraffe, tigers, lions, Asian elephants, rhino, many types of deer, Asian otters (very noisy!) and Malayan tapir etc. A particular highlight was a Serval (fishing wildcat) which we watched fishing right in front of us.
Finally we were entertained by some wild boys from Borneo, whose antics were great to watch including the acrobatics, blowpipe balloon bursting, fire eating and blowing. One of the female members of the audience was roped into their antics as she missed the balloon with her attempt to burst it causing great hilarity!
Tired after an 8 hour tour, we head home to a good nights “and sleep. Tomorrow is as they say in Monty Python speak (sorry, I had to get a snake reference in, being at the zoo and all).. now for something completely different!” I don’t like spiders and snakes and that is why I love you... (another one of Ron’s obscure song refs..just how did you spend your childhood, Ron? On second thoughts, no, don’t answer that!