Abu and Sentosa

Abu was my first belayer in Taiwan.  From the days of walking into a gym full of climbers I do not know and approaching the safest looking dude so I can excise my climbing demons.  Last week, he drops me a Facebook message out of the blue and very last minute that he's visiting Singapore.  I canceled all my Sat plans.  Why?  Because I believe in 饮水思源! Funnily enough, I am always tour guide!  I'm tour guide to Singaporeans while living in Taiwan, now I am tour guide to Taiwanese and US folks!  I don't see any of my friends/peers do this - except perhaps entertain business associates.  The difference is, I pay out of my own pocket! Definitely no expense account to claim from.  (I usually will offer to pay since I am host).

First I stopped by Glory to buy some local tarts/rolls as a welcome gift and then pick him up from his hotel in MBS.  I chose to park the car and take the cable car over to Sentosa since it is Abu's first time in Singapore.  At the ticketing counter for cable car tickets, Abu insisted on paying.  Very gallantly he says he will cover the day's expenses.  Even my offer to go dutch was rejected.  Certainly very rare, most people will simply let me pay.

We went to the Underwater World first.  I explained to him the recent controversial decision to purchase dolphins.  And we hatched a plan to each grab a pink dolphin to freedom.  Underwater World surprised me.  Lots of sharks and rays and rare fish like sea horses, sea dragons... I went all the way to Similan Islands to see ONE leopard shark on day 4 of diving - there are many leopard sharks in Underwater World.   Even a guitarfish that I first thought was guitar shark (it is a ray).  I caused a mini pandemonium walking backwards on the moving travellator following the guitarfish, yelling "guitar shark"!  All divers should visit Underwater World.  Only we appreciate the rare species there!

We skipped lunch on fears that if we ate then went for iFly, we will puke over ourselves.  iFly was an absolute blast.  I wonder why I have not heard anyone rave about it before.  So I shall.  Everyone should!  Yes, it's expensive but so exhilarating.  I agree with their humorous ads - no ugly big fat jumpmaster strapped to your back, no risks of poor packing of your parachute, no need to throw yourself out of a plane.  Haha...

This is one of the few hosting days where I actually enjoyed myself and yet did not burn a small hole in my pocket.

Clockwise from top right :

Nautilus, weedy sea dragon, guitar fish, pink dolphin, iFly, more pink dolphins, leopard shark, leafy sea dragon, 2 huge spider crabs, horned moray eel