Since Steve and Vicki have visited Singapore before, we could enjoy favorite spots on the island at a more leisurely pace than the first time around. Their tour guide (me) organized a schedule that allowed for a few days here to recover from jet lag, followed by a long weekend in Thailand, a few days together back home, followed by 4 full days of Gran and PaPa time with the girls while Brian and I traveled to Vietnam, concluding with 4 days together before their return to Texas. It definitely broke up the nearly 3 week visit nicely and they seemed to enjoy the flow.
So, for the first few days, we mostly just relished having them in our home with a few outings here and there. The weather did not cooperate much at all, with quite a bit of rain. I was hopeful the local saying that summer arrives with Chinese New Year would hold true because as much as I liked the cooler temperatures, Singapore isn't nearly as much fun in the rain. Of course, weather wasn't any better back in Texas, where they were happy to miss out on the ice and snow that plagued Dallas that week.
We introduced Gran and PaPa to Vivocity Mall (a good rainy day activity) where we ate lunch at our favorite German restaurant Brotzeit. After the girls finished their art creations at a little studio, the entire family headed to Ben & Jerry's, where Steve calculated a gallon would run S$100 in Singapore. I think it almost made him not want to eat the ice cream! Needless to say, they could appreciate what we mean when we speak about everything being expensive here.
Elizabeth adores her PaPa
Two pints for S$25. What a deal!
Two days before Chinese New Year, Emily and I escorted our guests on the subway down to Chinatown and spent the morning snacking on pork jerky, visiting the wet market and then eating dim sum for lunch at Yum Cha. Emily definitely enjoyed her special time with Gran and Papa.
On Pagoda Street
Frogs for Sale
We took advantage of no school for the girls on Wednesday to go to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. I had book club that night so I missed being able to see Vicki and the girls do the Fish Spa where the fish nibble all the dead skin off your feet. The family took the tram ride through the park that highlights the nocturnal animals and braved the dark, spooky trails afterwards. It had been a long time since our family had visited the Night Safari so the girls were excited to share that experience with their grandparents.
At the Creatures of the Night Show
The Fish Loved Gran's Feet
Then it was time to pack our bags and head to Krabi, Thailand, for some fun in the sun over the holiday weekend!
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