Touring My Hometown — Sentosa Staycation, Part 1

It's a little past mid-2021 and the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing. To shake off the pandemic funk, we got off mainland Singapore for a staycation in Sentosa, in the last week of July. This time, I brought along Lacroix, the latest girl in our clan! The other girls were pretty envious that Lacroix got to "travel" with us this time. Everyone's been feeling cooped up too, and there's been grumbling, snappy retorts and the occasional barbed remark, but nothing too nasty and thankfully, nothing malicious or toxic.

Our Sentosa escapade! (IG)

It's a great time to visit Sentosa since admission to the island is free until end of September this year.... Who knows, the free admission period may get extended again. Plus Singaporeans can use the SingapoRediscovers vouchers (which are valid until end of 2021) for many of the attractions. Not that we ended up using any. All the spots we visited were free admission, save for the cable car ride. It wasn't our intention, but it just ended up that way.

Most of our staycation plans were shot due to the return to P2HA measures. We booked this staycation before the return to the restrictions, so we ended up cancelling our dining out plans. My hopes to visit the SEA Aquarium and Universal Studios, as their business hours changed. That said, I am still thankful for what we have. And though work did get in the way at times, we did get up to some activities. We visited Fort Siloso (below), went up the Fort Siloso Skywalk for the first time (below), walked part of the Sentosa coastal trail, and rode the cable car to HarbourFront (below) to get dinner at VivoCity. And on my penultimate day (see Part 2), I walked through history at the Waves of the Strait mural (here), revisited the Sentosa coastal trail (here), and then briefly popped by Siloso Beach (here) to cool my head on my way back. It was a slow and relaxed time-out, nothing exciting or adventurous...even though there's plenty of action-packed, sporty, adventurous activities available in Sentosa for people who are so-inclined.

Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa

The view from our room at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa.

Overall, we had a wonderful and restful stay at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. Admittedly, it did seem a little tired, and less well-appointed compared to its mainland sister, but that's understandable given that its beach front and was last renovated in 2010. But I have no complaints about having a comfortable room with an extensive view of the azure blue pool, Siloso beach, the Singapore Strait and South China Sea; a doorstep away from excellent facilities; and delicious dine-in room service options. The last one was super important considering the return of P2HA measures. And of course, the excellent hospitality service that one can always expect from a Shangri-La hotel. It's no mean feat considering the Rasa Sentosa is 28 years old (it opened in 1993) and has younger, more modern rivals inhabiting the same 4.71km² island... Capella, Sofitel, the Barracks, the Treetop Lofts and Equarius Hotel at RWS, just to name a few.

During our stay, I totally got why my friend AL said it's a great hotel for families with kids. It is a family/child-friendly hotel with many of its facilities are for kids. This is even a point promoted by the official Sentosa Island Guide. The hotel even has special meal pricing for their guests' kids. I make no apologies for my lack of detailed comments about their kid-friendly facilities, since I'm not well-placed to do so, being a non-parent at this time. That said, there are several reviews about this by people more standing to make them, see for e.g. this June 2021 review by Me in Blogland, a 2016 one by Mom on the Move, and 2015 one by Life's Tiny Miracles. Kid-friendliness aside, it is also a great place to stay for adults without kids, with facilities catered for adults of all stages. I thought it could be really romantic and private for couples, or simply a comfortable place to relax and recharge, or chill out with friends.

We stayed at a Deluxe Sea View Suite at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. Sadly, the first thing Hubs had to do after we checked in was to answer some urgent work emails.

So, our suite had a little deck with a great view of the pool, private beach, and the sea. Living on mainland Singapore, we're quite used to seeing the sea horizon dotted with cargo ships, but I'm sure that sight might be surprising for people who aren't familiar with it. As much as I'd like to believe I got out of Singapore, those cargo ships in the horizon are there to remind me.

Oh, and the bed! To me, a stay at the Shangri-La immediately brings to mind that ultra comfy, firm but fluffy bed that I just don't want to get out of. That seems to be the standard of the Shangri-La, as its excellent hospitality service.

We love the beds at the Shangri-La! (on IG)

The Deluxe Sea View Suite has a patio deck with a outdoor dining table, jacuzzi and sun bed. We didn't end up spending much time on the deck or in the jacuzzi, so I think we would've been just fine with just a balcony, like in the Sea View Room. But I admit it was pleasant to have the deck and the sun bed.

Perfect spot on our balcony to bask in the sun, or to relax with a book and a cold drink (IG).

I did get some use out of the deck, curled up on the sun bed, with the shade pulled up, just reading and enjoying the breeze outdoors. Plus, that additional space and privacy turned out to be invaluable in the end, as I needed some privacy for a time-out, so I could cool off and regain some calm after a brief argument.

For tree/nature-lovers, a reason to stop by the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa, even if it's not to stay there, would be the angsana heritage tree at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa entrance. It is one of Sentosa's 25 heritage trees, and with its girth of 10.4m.

The angsana heritage tree
outside Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa.

Singapore has several angsana heritage trees. The angsana (Pterocarpus indica) is a deciduous tree that was introduced to Singapore in the 19th century. As it is fast-growing with a dense, wide crown, it was extensively planted as a shade tree by the British in the 19th century, and again between the late 1960s and early 1980s, after the Singapore Government launched the Garden City policy.

With a girth of 10.4m, the heritage angsana at Rasa Sentosa is Singapore's largest angsana tree. This angsana is believed to have been planted in 1885 by British soldiers stationed at Fort Siloso. It's amazing that it has lived through war, peace, disease, and now urban development. I also thought it was nice how the angsana is now connected to a tree-shaded pedestrian walkway lined with local plants and local trees (I spot a banyan tree and a cannonball tree). It's a pleasant, shaded walkway off the side of the road.

As mentioned, the truly painful point of our entire staycation was the fact that the return of the P2HA measures had killed all our dining plans. ‧º•(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º•˚ We did a mixture of in-room dining from the room service menu, takeout and delivery. Our first night, we were too lazy to get out anywhere to do takeout, so we went with in-room dining from the room service menu. We decided to split the beef satay between us, and I got myself a steak, while Hubby had the spaghetti.

Steak off the room service menu.

I doubt we need a MasterChef challenge to tell us the standard that is expected of a Shangri-La hotel. I've had distasteful food off a room service menu before, but it is never the case with the Shangri-La. While it's not lip-smacking delicious, the food was decent overall, the portions are generous. Actually, the satay was good. But...let's not talk about the price tag here. There's no point comparing it with our usual street fare prices, which will obviously be cheaper.

The room service menu had a decent selection of local classics.

The room service menu has a decent number of items, especially before 6:30pm or so, as it include some items from the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa's cafes and restaurants, like the pizzas and pastas from Trapizza. After 6-7pm though, the menu options become limited, and are further whittled down to light fare past 11pm.

After dinner, I received a complimentary birthday cake from the hotel. When we checked in, the staff noticed my birth date, and she told me that they'd send up a small cake for me, if I wished. Attention to detail and small gestures like these are what make the place memorable too. I still have really good memories of a birthday staycation at the Shangri-La Singapore around 8 years ago. They had also sent up a cake large enough for our entire party, as well as a bouquet of orchids and a bottle of really good champagne to apologise for some screw-up on their part.

Complimentary birthday cake! Yummy....

Food delivery to Sentosa is limited or, rather, non-existent. (o≧д≦)o Besides room service. we popped by VivoCity for takeout. And on our last night, Hubs splurged and got delivery by Basque Kitchen by Aitor, which did deliver to Sentosa. For a price. A steep one. We did get a few freebies though. Dessert (cheesecake!), and a whole loaf of sourdough bread with their handmade smoked French butter.

Fort Siloso

So the first itinerary item on this Sentosa staycation was a visit to Fort Siloso. We last visited Fort Siloso in 2007 when we played tour guide to a visiting Aussie friend. Like so much of Sentosa, there were also some changes though many parts of it remains the same. From what I saw, parts of the various exhibits/displays were updated, particularly the Surrender Chambers which was updated in 2017. The entrance to Fort Siloso had some obvious changes. When we last visited, the Fort Siloso Skywalk didn't exist, and the cannon on the pedestal at the start of the road to the fort entrance used to be arranged differently and was surrounded by greenery.

Lacroix explored Fort Siloso, Singapore's only preserved coastal gun battery (IG). This stands just outside the entrance to the Siloso Skywalk. Though the cannon (a British carronade) has remained the same, the area around it has changed since my last visit in/around 2007.

There are a couple of different ways to go about Fort Siloso, but the route we took started with taking the shuttle bus at the Skywalk entrance. We took the shuttle because the lift up the Skywalk was under maintenance, and there was no way we were going to hike up 11 storeys of stairs. The shuttle bus ride ends at Fort Siloso Square and the Casemates. These landmarks are Points 2 and 3 on the Fort Siloso map, so it's a very short walk to the starting point of both the Heritage and Gun Trails. From there we made our way through the trails, and then onto the Skywalk (below). After the Skywalk, I backtracked a little up to see the Waves of the Strait mural by Yip Yew Chong. I only got up to the Through the Window triptych and had to turn back, but we went back the next day to see the rest (see Part 2). It is, however, possible to cover all of Fort Siloso, the Skywalk and the mural in 1 day.

Fort Siloso is most often described as Singapore's "only well-preserved coastal fort". Considering how it's been preserved and some parts altered, with some guns relocated to Siloso from elsewhere, it is more like a military museum, rather than a restored or conserved fort/gun battery. But Fort Siloso is the most intact of all the fortifications and gun batteries that formed colonial Singapore's coastal defences. Most of these were destroyed or dismantled by the British after the fall of Singapore in 1942. Then whatever remained had to make way for modern development. Though we still have some remnants beyond those at Fort Siloso, e.g. at the Imbiah Battery, Fort Pasir Panjang (aka Labrador Battery), Fort Tanjong Katong, Johore Battery, etc.

The shuttle bus drop-off area: the Casemates along with the display of the 9.2" gun and 8" BL guns at Fort Siloso.

Fort Siloso's name (siloso) is derived from a Malayan word for "rock". I speculate that it may have been referring to the same rock outcrop that flanked the passageway to Keppel Harbour that Chinese sailors called Longyamen (龍牙門), "Dragon's Teeth Gate" (see Part 2). But that's just my guess.

Fort Siloso was built by the British in the 1880s to protect Keppel Harbour. By the 1830s, Singapore was the centre of the English trade in Southeast Asia, and from the 1840s she was a key fueling station for steam ships, making her a key port of call for trade in Asia. After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, trade in Singapore flourished even further. It thus became necessary for the British to protect the port.

The fort was built on Mount Siloso on Pulau Blakang Mati (present-day Sentosa), as recommended by a 1827 report by Major Edward Lake of the British Royal Engineers (or the Bengal Engineers, according to some sources). Sentosa's old Malay name Pulau Blakang Mati, which means "island of death from behind" or "island behind the dead", came about from various old theories (more in Part 2). Also, at the time, the Mount Siloso area was known to the locals as Sarang Rimau, Malay for "tiger's lair", apparently because wild tigers used to roam the area. These tigers (the Malayan tiger) are now locally extinct in Singapore because the British colonials systematically hunted them as they began to pose a danger to people settling in Singapore. The last wild tiger in Singapore was killed in 1930.

We go up this tunnel to get to the start of the trails at Fort Siloso.

At the start of construction, the British blew off the top of Mount Siloso with around 8,500kg of gunpowder to flatten it, and installed 2 RML 7-inch guns and 2 RML 64-pounders. The strait was laid with electromagnetic mines. Later, in the 1890s, 5 Vickers 10-inch naval guns were installed. Later additions in the 1930s were installed in preparation for the impending Second World War (WWII), and included a twin 6-pounder boat guns, quick-firing anti-torpedo boat guns, and 2 twin Lewis anti-aircraft machine guns, among other installations. A number of the guns at Fort Siloso today are replicas, or guns relocated from other coastal artillery batteries that made up colonial Singapore's coastal defences. For a view of the actual gun emplacement sites in Fort Siloso at that time, check out this aerial view by Peter W. Stubbs.

Battery Command Post, Fort Siloso

The first spot is the Battery Command Post. Plans for this post came about in 1896, and it was built on the site of a store room that was located at the top of stairs that led up to Mount Siloso. It contained a depression range finder (DRF), a chart room, and telephone room, and was designed to provide fire control for the gun mounted on the emplacement. At the time the fort was built, the DRF had just been invented, in the 1870s by Captain H.S.S. Watkin of the British Royal Artillery, and adopted by the British War Office in 1881. The telephone (invented in 1876) had also reached Singapore in 1879.

In the depression range finder at the Battery Command Post, Fort Siloso.

Over time, the Battery Command Post was expanded, and included a new upper floor, a post for the fort's coast artillery searchlights (CASLs). During the 1930s, the Post was upgraded again to include a new room on the upper floor. Also around this time, the Imbiah Battery was decommissioned, and a new Position Finder was constructed over an old gun emplacement close to the Battery Command Post at Fort Siloso.

The brightly painted old shutters of the Battery Command Post, Fort Siloso

The windows of the Battery Command Post were covered with shutters, not glass, and only the windows that were used for range finding would have been left open.

Muzzle loading cannons (the so-called Istana guns) at Fort Siloso (IG).

Down the hill, not far from the Battery Command Post, is Fort Siloso Square and the Casemates, at Points 2 and 3 on the map. Outside the Casemates is a display of replicas of the 9.2-inch gun and 8-inch BL guns. As mentioned, most of the original gun emplacements and guns were destroyed or dismantled by the British after the fall of Singapore in 1942.

I was reminded of what I heard a lot as a child, that when the Japanese came, the guns in Fort Siloso were facing the wrong way, and were never fired. I learnt long ago that this was incorrect, and this misconception was addressed in the exhibits and information panels around Fort Siloso. While it's true that the guns were facing seaward because the British expected a seaward attack, they were turned landward and fired when the Japanese forces invaded from the north-west. Some of the guns were also fired at Japanese forces in the West Coast Road area, and sank a Japanese troop ship that was attempting to enter the harbour.

Fort Siloso, exhibits at the Casemates.

In the past, the Casemates were used as accommodation, office and storage space, and artillery storage. Around the 1890s, the rooms in the Casemates at Fort Siloso were completely enclosed with 3-feet thick walls separating them. Each room had specific functions, one of which was to store artillery. Today, however, the Casemates are a museum. The formerly enclosed rooms have been linked with narrow and low doorways, and house displays that cover the main events that led up to WWII, e.g. the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the US oil embargo against Japan following Japan's invasion of French Indochina. Naturally, covered in the displays are the events in Singapore during that time. There was also a short video (Keeping Singapore Strong) playing at the Casemates. Oh and did I mention it is air-conditioned, which provided relief from the day's heat and humidity!

We then stepped out of the Casemates and went to the nearby Tunnel B Complex. Tunnel B Complex saw heavy action during the Battle of Singapore. Above the tunnels, at the 6-inch gun emplacement is an exhibit depicting how soldiers moved and loaded the artillery for the gun in the past.

Tunnel B Complex, Fort Siloso

The ammunition stores have been painted over in white, with the old shutters in bright blue. The paint job is a little reminiscent of Santorini, and I'm sure this was not how the fort appeared in the past.

The ammunition stores at the Tunnel B Complex, Fort Siloso (IG)

Winding around below ground, under the 6-inch gun battery and the ammunition stores, lie the tunnels of Tunnel B Complex. I entered the tunnel complex through a low arched doorway, and descended down the slope into the tunnel complex. I must say, these tunnels are not for those with claustrophobia and those who feel discomfort in enclosed spaces. To be honest, I was glad to leave Tunnel B Complex, and to get up into the sunlight above ground again.

In the labyrinthine tunnel complex, is a diorama model showing Battery Sergeant Major Cooper keeping a watchful eye over soldiers loading the artillery shells for the 6-inch gun. These shells would have been hoisted from the magazine level below up to the gun emplacement above. The hoist is a replica of the one used in the 1930s to raise the shells and cartridges, a type that could hoist larger numbers than the earlier type.

Soldiers hoisting shells in Tunnel B Complex, Fort Siloso

Other parts of the tunnel complex had displays telling of life as a POW during the Japanese Occupation. During that time, Fort Siloso was also used as a POW camp after the British surrendered. At the time, around 130,000 British, Australian, Dutch, and Indian personnel became POWs. Parts of the island also housed a Japanese air force unit, and had a "comfort house" where a number of Korean "comfort women" were stationed.

Tunnel B Complex, Fort Siloso

The Japanese Occupation was also a horrific time for POWs imprisoned in various POW camps. Living conditions were unsanitary, cramped and terrible, POWs were malnourished and often in poor health, brutally treated and and attempted escapes were punished (e.g. the Selarang Barracks incident). Many were sent as forced labourers for the Death Railway.

To keep their spirits up, the POWs staged short plays, created artworks, murals, cartoons that recounted of their experiences. Some are displayed in Tunnel B Complex. These include cartoons by Dutch POW Karel van der Sterren, Behind The Barbed Wires, which he dedicated to all POWs in the Far East.

Other highlights are some illustrations from The Story of A Railway by Dutch POW Tom Ingelse, depicting his experience constructing the Death Railway after his capture when the Dutch East Indies fell to the Japanese in March 1942. Also featured are sketches by W.R.M. Haxworth, a civilian interned at Changi, where his works depict life at the Changi POW camp. The actual illustrations by Haxworth can be viewed at the National Archives of Singapore.

Also on display is a miniature model made by former POW Stanley Warren when he visited Fort Siloso in 1982. The model is of St David's chapel at Sime Road POW camp, with murals by him.

Miniature model of St David's chapel
at Sime Road camp by Stanley Warren.

Stanley Warren is best remembered here for the Changi Murals in St Luke's chapel, which he painted when he was a POW at Changi while suffering great hardship and illness. The panels at Tunnel B Complex show some of his other works. His work depicted a wide range of subjects, from portraits of his fellow POWs to local life.

The next point are the Store and Engine Room, which displays models, old pictures, and information panels, etc. on life during the Japanese Occupation and Force 136. Of course Singaporeans would know of Force 136, and local war hero Lim Bo Seng. Our other well known war heroine was Elizabeth Choy (though not of Force 136). There were some artifacts, e.g. banana money. Banana money is an good economics lesson in currency valuation. At some point, it was worth so little that people had to use bags of it to buy anything, if they even had bags of it. After the Japanese surrender, it became worthless. Interestingly, even today they're still generally worthless as antique collectibles.

Outside the Store is a 25-pounder BL Howitzer gun, which was introduced by the British in the late 1930s as a new artillery weapon that combined the functions of the gun and the howitzer. It became one of the best field guns of its type due to its rugged design, versatility, and reliability. It remained in British service until 1967, after which it was relegated to training units. It is still used ceremonially in the UK, and also here in Singapore. We sometimes see them in use in our National Day parades.

25-pounder BL Howitzer gun, Fort Siloso

Point 8 on the map is the Surrender Chamber which replicates the surrender of the British to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, and the formal Japanese surrender to the British on 12 September 1945. The wax figures of the Surrender Chamber exhibit were made in 1972 by experts from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, London. The Surrender Chamber first opened in 1974 at City Hall, but later moved to Sentosa, and updated/moved a couple more times. In 2005, the old Fort Siloso monorail station was converted to house the Surrender Chamber exhibits, and it received a recent face-lift in 2017.

Most postwar accounts and commentary of the event focus on how unprepared the British were in defending Malaya and Singapore. So, it's unsurprising that the Surrender Chamber exhibit begins on that tone. As soon as we went up the stairs at the entrance of the building, we were greeted with 2 quotes in bold black text on stark white walls, as a prelude to the Surrender Chamber exhibit. The first one is a statement made by the British Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshall Robert Brooker-Popham, "Malaya is...the easiest country in the world to defend." The next quote on the adjacent wall is a statement made by British PM Sir Winston Churchill.

Actually, Singapore was taken by 30,000 men on bicycles.

Churchill's statement in full was: "Singapore could only be taken after a siege by an army of at least 50,000 men. It is not considered possible that the Japanese would embark on such a mad enterprise." His statement reflected the widely held belief at the time that Fortress Singapore, Britain's "bastion of the East", was impregnable. Sadly, like the Titanic, that was not how things went down. Singapore fell to 30,000 Japanese soldiers led by General Yamashita Tomoyuki against the 85,000 soldiers led by Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival. Yamashita conquered Malaya and Singapore in 70 days.

Maybe it also wasn't such a mad enterprise. Or maybe it was a mad enterprise, but they did it anyway. After all, people do all kinds of mad things. Even with pressure from the arms and oil embargo, a Japanese government under the control of ultra-nationalistic militarist faction, with Tojo Hideki as PM, would not end Japan's grand imperialistic ambitions for Asia. Capitulation would have been a great loss of face, a major humiliation. And so the Japanese War Ministry turned its sights to the Pacific.

Once we stepped through the door into the Surrender Chamber, the exhibit opens with an information panel that briefly chronicles the events leading to the fall of Singapore.

Info panel at the Surrender Chamber showing the path of the Japanese troops.

The fall of Singapore has been re-told in many detailed accounts and commentary, most of which criticise the British strategy in the Far East, and list the many factors that contributed to their defeat. In short, contrary to British plans, the Japanese invaded Malaya, passing through jungle terrain in light tanks and on bicycles, and with a speed that took the British by surprise. This was completely contrary to the British expectations, as they thought the Japanese as "small and short-sighted and thus totally unsuited physically to tropical warfare". In doing so, the British totally underestimated the Japanese, regarding them as inferior (with their typical colonialist lens). The British had expected a seaward attack and focused much of their pre-war preparations on naval/coastal defenses. As we now know, that was truly short-sighted (pun intended). Hence, the oft-said joke here that the guns on Fort Siloso were pointing the wrong way.

The Japanese were briefly delayed when the British blew up the causeway linking Malaya and Singapore, but did little to halt their advance. After deploying a decoy to the north-east, the main Japanese force invaded Singapore from the north-west. Although the Japanese were unable to breach the last line of defence, British military supplies and morale were low. On the morning of 15 February 1942, Percival and his senior commanders held a conference, where it was unanimously agreed that a counterattack was not possible and surrender the only option. That same day, the British surrendered to the Japanese.

Following the first panel is the exhibit replicating the surrender of the British to the Japanese on 15 February 1942 in the Ford Motor Factory at Bukit Timah. The date of the British surrender in 1942 was the first day of the Chinese New Year. Today, the fall of Singapore is commemorated here on 15 February as Total Defence Day.

Wax figures re-enacting the surrender of the British to the Japanese on 15 February 1942 at the Ford Factor, Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

One aspect always stands out at this point of our history. Postwar analysis often mentions that if Percival had chosen to launch a counterattack, the British may have won, as the Japanese had exhausted their supplies and were unlikely to outlast another attack. Unfortunately, that was not how the course of history went. I don't know if it's right to blame Percival for that decision, considering that hindsight is 20/20, and even the wisest have been known to make bad decisions in dire circumstances. But whatever the case, the fall of Singapore was considered a humiliating, strategic blow for the British. It was also a major blow to Percival's reputation, and he is most remembered for this defeat, deservedly or not.

One can't help remembering that Churchill quote on the wall outside. Churchill later said that the fall of Singapore was the "worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". While Churchill was stupefied and inconsolable over the loss of Singapore, Yamashita was nicknamed "The Tiger of Malaya", and conquering Malaya and Singapore in 70 days was his greatest military achievement. It is ironic, the reversal of fate for both men at the end of WWII. One was tried and hanged for war crimes, while the other won a Nobel prize and is still considered as one of Britain's greatest PMs.

From Singapore to Shōnantō, life under Japanese Occupation, Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso

For Singaporeans of that time, 15 February 1942 marked the start of 3 years and 7 months of brutality, fear and oppression under Japanese Occupation.

For the local Chinese, it is tragically ironic that 15 February was the first day of the Chinese New Year in 1942. During the Japanese Occupation, the local Chinese in Singapore and Malaya were viewed with great suspicion by Japanese authorities, as some of the local Chinese had supported Chinese activists in the Second Sino-Japanese War through fund-raising and propaganda efforts. Influential members of the local Chinese community, such as Lim Boon Keng, were forced to pay $50 million to the Japanese military authorities on behalf of the Chinese community as "atonement" for anti-Japanese activities. To root out anti-Japanese sentiment, the Kenpeitai carried out systematic "inspections" or "screenings" on the local Chinese community, and those suspected of harbouring anti-Japanese sentiment were rounded up and killed in what we now call the Sook Ching purge or massacre. This purge reflected the harsh policy toward the local Chinese community, and was already planned before the Japanese even captured Singapore.

Dark times during the Japanese Occupation. Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

Another aspect of the Japanese Occupation that I'm expressly bringing up is sexual slavery, namely the "comfort women". I was disappointed that very little or nothing was said about them in the Fort Siloso displays, although it was covered in the recent Battle for Singapore 2021 series, in a webinar by A/Prof. Kevin Blackburn, organised by the National Heritage Board. This part of our WWII history is not widely discussed and generally omitted from textbooks, but is important nonetheless. Instead of feeling comfortable with the euphemism "comfort women" (which the Japanese military used), we ought not shy away from the fact that these women (and possibly some men) were forced into sexual slavery, subjected to sexual violence, which is also a form of physical, emotional and mental brutality that is as traumatic (or more) as torture, with lifelong consequences. Sexual violence is increasingly viewed (though still debated) as a form of torture. Japanese military authorities at the time claimed that the system of "comfort women" reduced wartime rape against civilians, but that claim has been widely criticised and debunked. These women were kidnapped or forcibly taken from their homes. Some were coerced. Some tricked with promises of jobs in factories or offices, only to find themselves taken to a "comfort house" and confined there. In Singapore, though it is known that there were "comfort women" and "comfort houses" here, it is still not known how many were local women from Singapore were forced into sexual slavery during the occupation. A/Prof. Blackburn mentioned in the webinar that it's documented that there were local Chinese women in Malaya who were taken from their homes and forced into sexual slavery. So it would be logical to assume that the same may have happened to some Singaporean women as well.

The beginning of the end, Allied forces' counterattack. Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

Between 1941 to 1942, the Japanese military was successful in the initial part of the war in the Asia-Pacific. But from around 1942, the Japanese military advance was met with increasingly coordinated and successful counterattacks by the Allied forces. To start with, the attack on Pearl Harbour, which they undertook to prevent American intervention in their invasion of Southeast Asia, was a grave miscalculation in 2 ways: it drew America into the war, and the Japanese left the US submarine fleet, aircraft carriers, and vital naval infrastructure at Pearl Harbour unscathed. Both of which largely contributed to the eventual defeat of the Japanese in Asia-Pacific. Various decisive battles and counteroffensives (e.g. Midway, Operation Cartwheel) and the Allied's island-hopping strategy reversed fortunes. From 1944 to 1945, Allied forces conducted strategic and tactical air raids on Japan, finally culminating in the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

The detonation of Little Boy over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

The world's first nuclear bombing on a city took place on 6 August 1945 at 8:15am when Little Boy was detonated over Hiroshima, and the second on 9 August 1945 at 11:02am when Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki. Hubby and I have visited the actual A-Bomb Dome/Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima (posted here), as well as the Atomic Bomb Museum, Hypocenter and Peace Park in Nagasaki (posted here). Although both cities have recovered and flourished since, these collected memories, and the rather eerie structure of the A-Bomb Dome, are painful testaments to that time. Truly "prompt and utter destruction" as threatened in the Potsdam Declaration. The ethical, moral, legal questions about the atomic bombings are still debated today. Honestly, I have mixed thoughts (and feelings) about this. On the one hand, I do think it brought about an earlier end to the war. But I also think that even if all the justifications supporting the atomic bombings were true or right (i.e. prevention of further casualties, swift end to the war, part of total war, etc.), the bombings still constitute war crimes. Much more is made/known of the war crimes committed by the Axis powers. Especially with the Nuremberg trials and Tokyo trials. But let's not forget the Allied powers committed war crimes and brutal atrocities during WWII too. A just war does not justify the war crimes committed.

Shortly after the atomic bombings, and the USSR's invasion of Manchuria, the Japanese Emperor, with the advice of Japan's Supreme War Council, decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration and unconditionally surrender. The decision to surrender was resisted by the Japanese War Ministry. It prompted a military coup d'etat, today known as the Kyujo incident, by militarist officers of the War Ministry and the Japanese Imperial Guard. The coup failed however, and Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. On that day, a message by Emperor Hirohito was broadcast over radio announcing Japan's surrender to the Japanese people. This message is known as the Gyokuon-housou玉音放送, or the Jewel Voice Broadcast. The full text, translated to English, can be read here.

Gyokuon-housou (玉音放送), or the Jewel Voice Broadcast, on 15 August 1945. Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

The formal surrender instrument was signed on 2 September 1945, on board the US battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, effectively ending the war in Asia-Pacific. Japanese forces in various parts of Southeast Asia surrendered from 2 September to 12 September 1945. For Singapore, a Japanese delegation met with British officers on 4 September 1945 on board the HMS Sussex at Keppel Harbour to discuss the terms of surrender. The terms were signed by General Itagaki Seishirou and Vice Admiral Fukudome Shigeru. (Itagaki was later tried and executed for war crimes. Fukudome was convicted and imprisoned for dereliction of duty. He was released in 1950.)

Wax figures re-enacting the formal surrender of the Japanese to the British on 4 September 1945 on the HMS Sussex, Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

The formal surrender ceremony took place on 12 September 1945 at present-day City Hall. The formal instrument of surrender was signed by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (the Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia), and General Itagaki on behalf of Field-Marshall Count Terauchi Hisaichi (the Commander-in-chief of the Southern Expeditionary Army).

Replica of the signed surrender instrument,
Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

The formal surrender of the Japanese on 12 September marked the end of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, and was greeted with much fanfare and hope. As Lord Mountbatten was driven to City Hall for the ceremony, the streets were lined with officers from the East Indies Fleet, and the ceremony was witnessed by some 400 spectators, while members of the public gathered at the Padang to witness the event.

Actually, Japan's surrender did not end conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. It marked the cessation of war between Japan and the Allied forces, but other postwar conflicts erupted or continued in the region as a direct or indirect consequence of WWII. Postwar conflict on the Korean peninsula, for e.g., is still not fully resolved.

The Japanese occupation was also a catalyst for growing anti-colonialist and nationalistic sentiments in the region. In Southeast Asia, social unrest and conflict along ideological and nationalistic lines erupted, e.g. the Malayan Emergency in British Malaya, and the First Indochina War which escalated to into the Vietnam War. The trend of decolonisation continued, with the unrest and independence movements in Indonesia, in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and in India and Pakistan. Though for India and Pakistan, for e.g., post-independence conflicts continue.

Panel on postwar conflicts in Asia, Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso

For Singapore, the fall of Singapore is a major, formative event in our history. Britain's defeat shook the local population's confidence in the colonial government, and awoke the political awareness of the locals, prompting calls for self-governance and later, independence. Though Singapore's path to independence was gradual and carefully negotiated with the British, it was not free from conflict/unrest, with the 1950 Maria Hertogh riots, the 1955 Hock Lee bus riots, the 1964 racial riots, and the 1963-1966 Konfrontasi. During the Konfrontasi, Fort Siloso was again used for coastal defence, to prevent Indonesian saboteurs from entering Singapore through Sentosa and Keppel Harbour. The conflict and civil unrest here did fully resolve when Singapore was expelled from Malaysia, thus becoming fully independent as a sovereign state on 9 August 1965 (today, our National Day).

In remembrance. Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso

The Surrender Chamber exhibit ended with a memorial to the fallen, and a reminder. The thing is... Armed conflict has never ended. Afghanistan comes to mind, as just one example. Not just because of the latest US-led "war on terror" (now in its 20th year). Afghanistan has been the location of armed conflict since antiquity. Call me a biting cynic, but war/violence seems too much a part of human nature.

WWII propaganda posters outside the Surrender Chamber, Fort Siloso.

That was a rather depressing and cynical note for me to end on. So I'm turning to some thoughts on the Surrender Chamber's face-lift. It is one of the few things on Sentosa that brings back any childhood memories. Being back on Sentosa is not particularly nostalgic for me because Sentosa today is very different from Sentosa in my childhood. And honestly, I only came here a handful of times. And of those times, I only really remembered my first visit as a 5 or 6-year-old, and then in 2007 as an adult playing the tour guide to a visiting Aussie friend. Sentosa went through a major overhaul over the 2000s, and so much has changed that I barely recognise it. But the Surrender Chamber exhibit do bring back some memories. During my first visit, it was then housed in some museum that had other wax figure displays, including those of the early pioneers of Singapore, like the samsui women, which I remember well because of their red bandannas. I also remember being terrified of the wax figures, and how I avoided looking at their eyes as I hurried through the displays. Hence I never did visit Madam Tussaud's when in London. And we certainly did not visit it on this staycation. I'm not entirely sure why wax figures scare me, when dolls don't.

With the 2017 face-lift, the wax figures look cleaner and brighter than before. But they still unnerve me a little. When we visited, the whole room was lit, though I read somewhere that originally, only parts of the room would light up to "guide" viewers from the start to the end of the room. The other displays surrounding the Surrender exhibits look great, and modernised compared to my previous visits. Large graphics, and a few audio/video features. The information was concise and educational, and presented the Surrender exhibits in context. Though it would've been nice if it wasn't so brief.

So, moving along.... Close to the Surrender Chamber are 6 Japanese guns on display. These guns were installed by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese Occupation. Designed in the 1920s to engage both naval and air targets, these guns equipped both ships and coastal defences of the Japanese forces.

The 140mm naval guns installed by the Imperial Japanese Army at Fort Siloso.

Two of them (painted blue, in front of the Surrender Chamber) are 140mm dual purpose naval QF guns. These 2 are said to have been found in Mandai by officer cadets of the SAF Training Institute in 1966. During WWII, this type of gun served as armaments on the ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, as well as coastal defence guns. These guns used shells that were armour piercing or highly explosive, and a range of 20.574km and could fire at a rate of up to 10 rounds per minute.

The other 4 Japanese guns (painted black) are 120mm BL naval dual purpose guns, said to have been manufactured in 1944 by the Kure Arsenal in Hiroshima. These 4 guns were said to have been found in the forest reserve to the east of the Pierce Reservoir in 1979.

One of the 120mm dual purpose naval guns installed by the Imperial Japanese Army at Fort Siloso.

These 4 guns were designed for artillery and anti-aircraft purposes, and were mounted on different types of battle ships. They had a range of up to 16km and a firing rate of 11 rounds per minute. The guns were supposedly part of the overall Japanese defence plans for the 1945 British plans to recapture of Malaya and Singapore (Operation Zipper). I gotta say the Japanese back then had better guns and planes than the British.

Another of the 120mm dual purpose naval guns installed by the Imperial Japanese Army at Fort Siloso.

Not far from here is the boardwalk leading to the Surrender Chamber, and the parbuckling display on the hillside, which I didn't photograph. Oops.

Remains of the former Siloso Pier.

Because of Fort Siloso's elevated terrain, moving guns and other heavy artillery and items was difficult. So the British employed a mechanical technique called parbuckling to transport them. This method was also used during the fort's construction in the 1880s.

At the time of Fort Siloso's construction, there were no roads to the area, so everything was delivered by boat to a small jetty, formerly Siloso Pier, located near the entrance of Fort Siloso today.

The steps to the jetty and some of its concrete pillars have survived. The jetty remains are part of the Tanjong Rimau protected area (Google Maps), which is off-limits to the public except on guided tours. But the remains can be seen from part of the Sentosa coastal trail (more in Part 2), and from the top of the steps at the end of the trail, as pictured here.

After the Japanese guns on display is the Guard's bungalow which, among other exhibits, depicts the life of a British soldier stationed at Fort Siloso at the time (1880s-1930s). The exhibits in the Guards' bungalow include a barracks room, laundry room, kitchen, mess hall, etc.

Replica of a barracks room at the Guards' Bungalow. Life of a British soldier at Fort Siloso.

In one of the rooms is a replica model of the typical living quarters of a British soldier at Fort Siloso at the time. One gets a sense of the progress of time and technology when looking at the mosquito netting, and cloths hanging off the ceiling (fans in the 1880s-early 1900s). I am not surprised that the British saw Singapore as a hardship post back in those days. It's clear why our late MM Lee Kuan Yew saw the air-conditioner as "a most important invention for us, perhaps one of the signal inventions of history". Interesting how 10 years on, there's much discussion about the air conditioner's impact on, and challenge to climate change, local and global.

Next point is the Tunnel C Complex, which is right next to the Battery Command Post at the start of the Heritage Trail. But my post doesn't exactly follow the trail route. Tunnel C Complex was the magazine and loading station for the 6-inch BL gun at Fort Siloso. The tunnel complex is located below the 6-inch gun magazine, and we entered through a short flight of stairs.

Entry to the Tunnel C Complex, Fort Siloso

It is much shorter than Tunnel B Complex, but I felt it was just as claustrophobic. The air is somewhat stale, even with the fans at full blast. Not a place that I would stay for longer than 5 minutes. I ran out hyperventilating. Accordingly to Hubby, I had the same reaction during our 2007 visit.

In the tunnel is an exhibit of soldiers from the Singapore Volunteer Artillery Corps loading the artillery shells onto a hoist mechanism around 1890. The SVAC is a predecessor of our armed forces today.

The last part of Fort Siloso is the Tunnel A Complex area. Actually, it's best to pop by this part after going by the Store and Engine Room, since it's along the way. Hubby and I actually missed this point, and made a quick visit the next day. (Ah, the convenience of staying at Rasa Sentosa.) Entry to the tunnel complex looks ominous since the sides of the ramp are flanked by dense trees, and seems to descend into darkness, with nothing else visible beyond the bend. But it is actually the more interesting one of all the tunnel complexes. Tunnel A is the only one I spent much time in. It's the largest of the 3, but part of the tunnel complex is open at the top due to the ventilation shafts.

Entry into Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

Tunnel A Complex was built in the 1880s as a submarine mining station with an observation post (below) and test room. The submarine defence casement, which was used to prepare and inspect mines, is part of the area that is closed to the public. But it was one of the spots that was opened to people who went on the guided Fort Siloso Rediscovery Tour in February this year.

One of the exhaust shafts,
Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

In 1896, the area was expanded to include a new test room, as well as a coal store, boiler room, and 2 engine rooms for coal-fired power generation. In the 1930s-1940s, further changes were made again. The boiler room and engine rooms were combined to make room for new oil-powered equipment, and an oil store and exhaust shaft were also added.

One of the store rooms near the entrance was closed off with a blue sign explaining that the room currently houses archaeological artifacts that were excavated from the grounds in Sentosa. Apparently, these include colonial coins, Chinese and European ceramics, 19th century building materials, artillery shell parts, etc. and are being studied by a team of archaeologists from NUS, as part of an archaeological project with Sentosa to study and develop Fort Siloso as a heritage site. Interesting! I hope they will make these findings public after they're done with the study!

This part of the tunnel complex doesn't feel so bad, and the air is a lot less stifling because of the ventilation shafts above. These vertical passages were included to enable air circulation in the tunnels, which helped to prevent air stagnation and to remove unpleasant smells. The shafts also let in a little natural light into the tunnels.This set of tunnels was so much more bearable than the Tunnel B and C Complexes.

Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

Not far down the tunnel is the observation post, which was also remodelled at some point. The post commanded a clear view of the western entrance of Keppel Harbour, Singapore's original naval harbour. The post overlooked the southwestern limit of the final defence perimeter around the city during the battle of Singapore in February 1942.

The observation post in the old submarine mining post, Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso.

Past the observation post, I went on and eventually came to another, totally enclosed, tunnel that led to the Fire Director Tower and its gun emplacement on Siloso Point (today, Siloso Headland or Tanjong Rimau).

Tunnel to the Fire Director Tower,
Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

The Fire Director Tower and the gun emplacement are part of the OSO A.M.T.B battery, which was constructed in the 1930s on the site of a coast artillery searchlight (CASL) emplacement. The Fire Director Tower and gun emplacement are open to public access, but the rest of the battery is closed off to the public.

Back then, the tunnel complex was extended with the construction of a gun emplacement, a Fire Director Tower, magazine, and the CASLs. By then, the tunnel complex already housed the aforementioned observation post, an oil store, watch room, engine room, stores and the submarine mining post.

In the gun emplacement is a replica of the 12-pounder QF gun that was here. The gun emplacement was originally designed for twin 6-pounder guns, but none were available for use at the time. Only an old 12-pounder QF gun was available at the time when the war came to Singapore in 1942, and was mounted in the gun emplacement here to reinforce Fort Siloso's defences. The 12-pounder QF gun was designed in 1893 and manufactured at the Elswick Ordnance Company, Newcastle upon Tyne. Although it was obsolete by 1939, large numbers were taken out of storage in 1940.

The Fire Director Tower and a replica 12-pounder mounted in the gun emplacement at Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

During the battle for Singapore, the gun was ready for action, but it did not appear to have been fired, as no opening of fire was recorded. On the eve of the fall of Singapore, the British threw the gun off the cliff to prevent it from falling into Japanese hands. This was common practice following the surrender of the British, who destroyed or dismantled all remaining fortifications and artillery before the Japanese took over.

Fire Director Tower, Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

Looming over the gun emplacement is the Fire Director Tower. The second floor of the Fire Director Tower controlled the CASLs, while range finding was conducted from the top floor. The pathway leads to another short tunnel/flight of stairs that led out of Tunnel A Complex.

End of the Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

At the top of the exit is a view of the Singapore mainland from Siloso Point. From that spot is a view of mainland Singapore. The spot is now overgrown with greenery, and blocking the view, but the view would have been unobstructed in 1880s-1940s.

Exit of Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso

Back then, on the opposite shore was Fort Pasir Panjang/Labrador Battery at Labrador Point (today Labrador Park). It was built in 1889 to protect the western entrance to Singapore. By the 1930s, Fort Pasir Panjang was had 3 gun batteries fitted with 2 15-pounder guns, 2 6-inch guns, and an 18-inch fixed mounted gun. During the 1942 battle for Singapore, the guns were used in the Battle of Pasir Panjang, when they were turned landward to fire at the advancing Japanese troops along Pasir Panjang Road, assisting the Malay Regiment in their 48-hour struggle against the Japanese.

The path from the Tunnel A Complex exit went on to the Wartime Staple Garden. The Wartime Staple Garden is an example of home or communal gardens that people grew during the Japanese Occupation. The garden is grown over the Tunnel A Complex, around the tunnel's ventilation shafts. I think this garden is a modern addition, as a copy of an old photograph of this area is on the information panel about the ventilation shafts, and it just shows grass growing over the area around the shafts.

Ground level view of the ventilation shafts of the tunnels at Tunnel A Complex, Fort Siloso.

During the Japanese Occupation, people grew their own food crops on any and every available bit of land, even on public lands such as school playgrounds and sport fields. This was a common sight at the time because of food shortage and hyperinflation. Basic necessities, such as rice and medicine became extremely expensive: the cost of food went up by 160 times before pre-war levels. So, in today's terms, assuming S$3.80 is the average price for 1kg of rice, we'd be looking at S$608 for that same 1kg of rice. Holy c***!

The Japanese government issued ration cards to the civilian population to limit distribution of these items, but as the war wore on, rations were further slashed, while priority for these items were reserved for the Japanese military. The double whammy was that banana money, as mentioned before, was worth so little because the economy was in shambles and the Japanese kept printing money, which led to currency depreciation and hyperinflation.

The wartime staple garden, on top of the Tunnel A Complex at Fort Siloso

During the Japanese Occupation, a variety of food crops were grown by locals. Staples were largely tapioca, sweet potatoes and yams. These were fast-growing staples that were easy to grow, and were cheaper than rice. Rice became expensive and scarce during the Japanese Occupation, and most of it was reserved for those in the Japanese administration and military.

Examples of food crops are grown in the Wartime staple garden, Fort Siloso. One example is the star gooseberry, aka the Malay gooseberry, of which various parts are used as food or medicine in Asia.

Other food crops grown included lady's finger, bitter gourd, kangkong, brinjal, blue pea, sugar cane, pandan, lemongrass, aloe vera, star gooseberry, calamansi lime, bananas, and among other nutritious grasses, vegetables and fruits. People became inventive with recipes, and used herbs and spices to break up the monotony of eating the same items for their everyday meals.

Ironically, a current trend in the present times, is growing small food crops, like herbs, in home gardens! Just that the rationale for this trend is the rising awareness of healthy eating, and also to reduce stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nutritious grasses, and other food crops in the wartime staple garden, Fort Siloso..

The Wartime Staple Garden is one of my favourite spots at Fort Siloso, especially the Staple Walk and Nutritious Grasses sections. The paved footpath is flanked by the plants and greenery, one side is shaded by a dense shrubs and trees (the same ones that flank the entry into Tunnel A Complex). Parts of the garden is overgrown and some of the crops are not really thriving, but it was a nice, quiet spot in Fort Siloso.

From Fort Siloso, it was just a short stroll to the other entrance of the Fort Siloso Skywalk, which is near the start of the Gun and Heritage Trails.

Fort Siloso SkyWalk

Though this visit was our first, the Fort Siloso Skywalk actually opened in 2015 as part of our SG50 celebrations. The Skywalk is an 11-storey high, 181m long elevated scenic walkway between the Siloso Point Cable Car Station and Fort Siloso. The 43m tall tower is clad with painted metal sheets, supported by a concrete frame structure that consists of a RC lift core and shear wall columns. Within the tower are a spiral staircase and reinforced perimeter beams act as a structural tie to the columns, and a glass elevator. The walkway bridge is a curving S-shape, which apparently was designed to minimise bridge deformation from the effects of heat and vibration over time. And the triangulated trusses and columns were so the bridge could look aesthetically pleasing and slender without compromising structural strength and integrity.

Lacroix at Fort Siloso SkyWalk

Well, the Skywalk may be something in terms of bridge design and engineering, but as an attraction it is rather underwhelming. That said the view was fairly good.

On one side, we get a view of the historical area of Singapore where it all apparently began: Keppel Harbour, Labrador Park (the former Fort Pasir Panjang mentioned above), Telok Blangah and Mount Faber. The former Longyamen, once notorious for its fierce pirates, is today a shimmering modern, luxury residential area marked by the iconic waterfront condomium Reflections at Keppel Bay, Keppel Island and its marina, and the Keppel Bay Bridge.

View of Keppel Harbour, Labrador Park, Telok Blangah from the Fort Siloso SkyWalk

Further along is VivoCity, HarbourFront, the cable cars (Mount Faber Line), the port facilities and terminals of Keppel Harbour and Pulau Brani. As mentioned above, Keppel Harbour was the heart of Singapore's trading port since the 1830s-1840s. This hasn't changed in the centuries since, as it is still the world's top shipping hub today, despite the current pandemic.

But this view will likely be somewhat different 10, 20 years from now, given our government's plans to move port facilities to Pasir Panjang and Tuas (the Tuas MegaPort project), and to redevelop Keppel Harbour into an urban residential and recreational area, in what they (rather unimaginatively) call the Greater Southern Waterfront urban redevelopment plan. Not surprising, after all, Keppel is prime estate district. In fact, construction for the Tuas Mega Port already began in 2015, and the news reported that the first phase of operations would commence some time this year.

View of VivoCity, HarbourFront, the cable cars, and the port facilities of Keppel Harbour and Pulau Brani from the Fort Siloso SkyWalk

On the other side of the Skywalk is an unobstructed view of Siloso Beach, the Singapore Strait, our various southern islands, and the South China Sea beyond. Also the cable cars on the Sentosa Line, and the Skypark Sentosa bungy tower.

View of Siloso Beach and the Singapore Strait from the Fort Siloso SkyWalk

It was a really sunny afternoon, like white hot, so we didn't linger long on the Skywalk. Although the breeze at the top felt great! At the end of the bridge, at the tower, is the viewing platform where we could see more of Sentosa, and the other southern islands (though in a rather hazy distance). Part of the platform had glass bottom panels. Needless to say, I steered really clear of those.

We went down the spiral stairs as the lift was under maintenance.

Going down the stairs of the Siloso Skywalk!

After this, we still had time to do the part of the Sentosa coastal trail, which is near both Fort Siloso and the Skywalk. But more on the coastal trail in Part 2. We got as far as the sheltered pavilion near the end of the trail, before we turned back so that we could catch the cable car from the Siloso area to grab dinner at HarbourFront or VivoCity.

Sentosa Cable Car

Actually, the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa had a daily shuttle bus service to and from VivoCity, from 9am to 11:30/11:45pm, which makes it super convenient. But we decided to ride the cable car as part of the fun. We hadn't taken the cable car in...oh, ages.......

So the Singapore Cable Car first opened in 1974, and became an iconic part of our skyline at Keppel Harbour and Mount Faber. In the past, the old cable car network only ran between Imbiah Station on Sentosa and Mount Faber on mainland Singapore, and the cars were boxy and painted in various colours (blue, yellow, green, red...). It's truly retro, the Singapore cable car.

Lacroix enjoyed the Singapore Cable Car ride!

We caught the cable car from Siloso Point Station to the Imbiah Lookout (Sentosa Line), and changed cars to HarbourFront (Mount Faber Line). The Sentosa Line, which opened in 2015, isn't directly linked to the older, original Mount Faber Line, so we had to take the short walk between stations. But it was really just a few minutes (around 3-5 minutes) and there was staff stationed at various points to give directions.

The cable car network was upgraded in 2010, so the cars are now pretty slick and spacious compared to the old ones. I admit that as soon as the car left the station, I regretted our decision to ride it. Most of our trip, I sat tensely, trying to stop my legs from wobbling, while trying to enjoy the view. Hubby laughed at me, and teasingly suggested that he jump vigorously up and down. Ack! No!

Needless to say, the view from the cable car is awesome.

View from the Sentosa cable car towards mainland Singapore: HarbourFront, the Singapore CBD, and the port facilities on Pulau Brani.

View from the Sentosa cable car: the Singapore CBD skyline (left), port facilities at Keppel Harbour and Pulau Brani, and part of Resorts World Sentosa (foreground).

View from the Sentosa cable car towards Sentosa, part of RWS Sentosa on the left.

Alighting at HarbourFront, we made the short walk to VivoCity to grab dinner. Gotta say, it was rather surreal at VivoCity...there were people, but it was nowhere as crowded as it normally is. Almost all the retail shops were open, but empty. The food area was not as quiet though. All the shops were open for takeout, and the more popular stores were fairly busy, circumstances considering. We grabbed prawn ramen and some sides from Le Shrimp Ramen, and took a taxi back to the Rasa Sentosa.

After dinner, we each took a leisurely shower to wash off the grime from a full day of walking, and hopped into the bath for a long, leisurely hot soak! That was probably the closest thing we could get to an onsen at this time.........

Enjoying a hot bath!

The next day, due to work issues (among other things), we scrapped our plans to visit the Nature Discovery Centre and the newly opened Geology Gallery, the Imbiah Trail, and the Imbiah Battery. But more on all this in Part 2....