Why a zoo tour was on our itinerary we do not know but we tried (and failed) to make the best of it. We convinced our guide to leave early and we went to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel where we had a Chinese lunch.
Next door to the hotel is the Garden by the Bay. It is comprised of two glass domed buildings filled with gardens and surrounded by a green park with Super Trees. These are artificial trees made with a hollow concrete core and covered with mesh so that plants can be grown all the way up to the umbrella tops, eventually they will look and act like real trees. Some of the trees are vents for the underground buildings and others hold solar panels.
Each of the domes contains different gardens. The first was bigger and holds a 'mountain' of plants and the tallest indoor waterfall in the world. We rode an elevator to the top of the 'mountain' and enjoyed plants, flowers, ferns, trees, and bushes from around the world and from various climates. The artwork added to the visual delights.
The second dome held gardens one might find in the Mediterranean area, Africa or Asia as well as the Dalhia Flower show.
I won't bore you with a lot of info about the city but one thing is very unique. In trying to keep people from using cars for transportation the government has placed a 300% tax on all imported cars and all cars are imported. So if you can afford to own a car, when that car is 10 years old you have to scrap it and buy a new one. There are no used cars in Singapore! And to further limit cars you have to buy a permit to own one & only a few are sold each year.
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