History Lesson in the Park!

A direct flight from Canberra saw me arrive in Singapore at 4.30am! The flight was smooth and I managed to get a decent amount of sleep. After collecting my bags and clearing customs, I discovered that the trains don't start until 6am.  With the knowledge that my apartment check in time was 3pm, I was in no particular hurry so promptly found a chair and started reading.

A few hours later with the sun up, I was on the train heading towards Clarke Quay, the place where we'd stayed in en route to Oxford in 2013. Hoping to dump my backpack at reception, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that my apartment was ready plus I could still get breakfast! Double bonus!

After settling into the apartment and admiring the view (we were on the 22nd floor!)  I searched for nearby things to do. Conveniently located across the street was Fort Canning Hill - a history lesson waiting to be told.

The trek to the top of the hill was a sweaty one. I'd downloaded a couple of walking trail maps that outlined Fort Canning Hill's history and points of interest which influenced my wanderings.

Formally known as Forbidden Hill or Bukit Larangan, the hill was sacred to the Malays. The path contoured around the hill where I discovered a beautifully carved rock mural, depicting the some of the significant events that occurred during pre-colonial Singapore. Unfortunately the information board explaining this mural in further detail was fenced off.

Continuing on, I came across the Keramat of Sultan Iskander Shah, the fifth and last ruler of the old kingdom of Singapura. The slopes were believed to be the abode of the kings of ancient Singpura in life and death.

When Sir Stamford Raffles established colonial Singapore around 1820's and built a bungalow which would become the residence of Singapore's colonial governors, the hill became known as Government Hill. The original residence was demolished around 1860. A replica house along with important communication devices from the past were unveiled in 2003. The time ball would drop at 1pm every day allowing people to set their clocks accurately. The flagstaff displayed the arrival, identity, location and status of the ships in Singapore Harbour.

Singapore is the City of Gardens and Fort Canning Hill has an abundance of interesting flora. I loved the Malayan Bunyan with it's majestic aerial roost hanging down as well as the huge umbrella shaped canopy of the Rain Tree. Walking on I discovered that Sir Stamford Raffles was a keen naturalist. He set up the first botanical and experimental garden in Singapore because at that time spices were as valuable as gold. The short uphill Spice trail began at the gothic gate, taking in the archaeological Dig and Exhibition Area and finished at the Fort Canning Arts Centre (formerly the British Army Barracks). Over the 250m, 25 spice plants were growing and on display all very fascinating to see the many of the spices I have at home in real life!

Back to the history lesson, and the absence of harbour defence saw the Raffles bungalow demolished and the construction of a fort, barrack, arms store and hospital along with a new name - Fort Canning Hill. However several years later , these fortifications were deemed useless as enemy ships could sail close enough to destroy the town and the lack of a water supply rendered the fort useless as a site of refuge and so the next chapter began. The only parts remaining today include one of the gates, part of the wall and a sally port - a small hidden door that allowed access to the fort without being seen.

From there, the military moved underground into a bunker known as the Battlebox. I decided not to pay to go in to this tourist site but read up about it later. The Battlebox, a top secret, self sufficient bombproof bunker consisting of a series of tunnels and 20+ rooms located 10 metres below ground, that were constructed during World War II and were used by British Commanders as a combined operations headquarters and communication centre. It is in here that the British made the important decision to surrender to the Japanese in 1942 who then used the bunker until their occupation ended. The British regained control of Singapore during which time the Battlebox is looted. Instead of resuming operations, the British decide to seal it off. In 1988, it was rediscovered, and since has undergone several refurbishments before opening as a museum. 

Fort Canning Park, is one of Singapore's most significant historical landmarks, located in the heart of Singapore and was a wonderful place to spend a few hours trying to keep awake before trekking out to the airport to pick up Mum and Dad!

Even Singapore airports boasts beautiful lush gardens - lots of orchids, enchanting ponds with memorising fountains and impressive plant art! My parents arrived on time and to make life easy we caught a taxi back to the apartment before venturing out for dinner by the Singapore River.