It was a beautiful sunny day with no real chance of rain (although you can never tell for sure given the tropical climate). Better still, there was a nice breeze blowing and it was relatively mild, about 30C (86F). We decided to ride the MRT out to the Jurong Bird Park, one of the 3 wildlife-oriented attractions here. The other two are the Night Safari and the Singapore Zoo.
The bird park is located in the far western part of the island. It's close to the end of the east-west (green) MRT line. We decided to take the long way on the north-south (red) line so we could see more the residential areas on the way. It took us up past Woodlands, which is the suburb where Chartered Semiconductor is located.
One of the interesting things we noted on the journey was the name of one of the MRT stops: Yew Tee. And no burnt orange to be found anywhere! I'm going to have to go back there sometime just so I can get a photo of the station sign. There's a t-shirt opportunity in here some where, I'm sure.
The end of the green line is the Boon Lay station. It's a major bus terminal and -- as it turns out -- a market selling all kinds of things. We had some thai snacks before boarding a bus that took us to the bird park. We passed the Asian HQ of Cadbury-Schweppes along the way.
The bird park is a great place to walk and watch both people and birds. There are several aviaries that provide opportunities to interact with the birds up close and personal. My personal favorite was the one that is at tree-top level with suspended walkways. A wide variety of colorful birds are always close at hand.
Raye got to visit with a crested pigeon. There were actually 3 different types, and the one in the picture is the rarest of the three. (On the other hand, I couldn't help whistling Tom Lehrer tunes, it being a Sunday and all.)
They also have several feeding shows at various posted times. Tony helped feed some finch-like birds that eat crickets. You take a cricket from the pail and hold it up high over your head. The birds dive-bomb you and deftly snatch the cricket from between your fingers. Having been around Texas bluejays during nesting season while cutting the grass, this was a bit unnerving.
At the end of the tour we took the bus back to Boon Lay for the trip home. Lucky for us, it is durian season (June-July). Better still, there was a great article in the Sunday Straits Times about these pungent delights. It turns out that saying "durian" is like saying "apple". Instead of names like Macintosh, Gala, or Delicious, the varieties have names like "Mao Shan Wang", "XO", "D13" and "Red Prawn". This season, the hot variety is "Mao Shan Wang" which is also known by other names: Cat Mountain, Butter durian, and Raja Kunyit.
The vendor didn't have this variety but he did have D13. The taste notes in this morning's article describes this a "sweet, less fibrous than most durians and not very strong in taste... good for people trying durians for the first time."
That would be us, so we bought one and Raye and I gave it a try. (Tony opted out having tried a durian pastry earlier in his visit.) My aunt once described it as "eating ice cream from a toilet." Yup. That about sums it up. It's got a creamy texture and a very strong characteristic smell. (You are not allowed to transport them on public transportation. So why was the vendor at the MRT stop?)
It was definitely a "one and done" for Raye. I found it interesting enough to do it again and especially with visitors who are brave enough to dare the durian.
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