The Fiscal Cliff Running Club - Adventures in Exercise

Back in December while the US Congress seemed to stop all movement, a group of us took off running - our Saturday morning Fiscal Cliff Running Club was born.  We vary in numbers and in speed (my husband barely breaks a sweat because we go so slowly) but we always have fun and breakfast afterwards.

We usually run at the Botanic Gardens, where I snapped some photos of other styles of exercise as we passed by.  First a shot of the Singapore orchids to set the scene:

People gather at the Gardens for every kind of exercise you can imagine.  First gals getting ready for yoga

A set of older gals doing Tai Chi

This woman was doing her Tai Chi alone next to a cafe - I didn't want to disturb her, so you get her back:

The man teaching something with bamboo swords

And the graceful woman in yellow who uses gorgeous red fans

The lone jogger

And walker...these old folks walk in S-L-O-W   M-O-T-I-O-N

I don't know what the guys were doing, but they were so colorful I had to get a shot

My friend Lyn introduced me to Luk Tung Kuen, a Cantonese exercise that is all about stretching and massaging pressure points. This group meets every day at 8 AM, rain or shine, for an hour at the Palm Court.  There are 2 other daily groups of Luk Tung Kuen, but they meet too early for me.

Lyn and the instructor, Mr. Tay after a humid workout

This week our group met down at Keppel Bay, to run along the new boardwalk there.  Here we are, the "Before" picture.

Our friends live at "Reflections," a beautiful, dramatic apartment building on the Bay

There is a lovely boardwalk that runs past Reflections and along the bay to Labrador Park

The boardwalk passes by a beautiful Black and White house where our longtime friends Teresa and Ryan live.  It is the former HarborMaster's home:

Other views in the early, overcast morning:

I don't know what this fisherman is catching, but I don't think I would eat it...notice the refinery and chemical plants in the distance...

A nice spot to rest

but I don't think I would want to camp here anyway...

Low tide

Another boardwalk exerciser

 Another condo complex along the boardwalk...we nearly rented the 2nd floor apartment, seen here.  But then we realized that everyone on the boardwalk could look into our windows, so we didn't take it

although this would have been the view out the window:

We tried to have breakfast at the marina, but we were too early for them  Get this:  the restaurant opens at 9:00 but the cook doesn't arrive until 9:30.... Here is our "After" shot:

We went up to Mike's apartment for coffee; here are some views from the 28th floor of Reflections:

A nice reward for a little running. Stay healthy out there!

The Singapore Flyer

Like many cities in the world today, Singapore has a gigantic ferris wheel.

From the brochure:

"Singapore Flyer is the world’s largest observation wheel. Standing at a stunning 165m from the ground, the Flyer offers you breathtaking, panoramic views of the Marina Bay, our island city and beyond."

After getting your tickets and going through the "museum" that tells how they built it, you que up and take your family photo.

You enter your "pod" which holds up to 30 people. There are 28 pods.

The trip takes 30 minutes - you can opt to take the special pod where they serve you drinks and snacks.  It is a popular spot for marriage proposals.  We rode with a few other families - so fun!

We timed our visit so we could watch the sunset on our ride.  

Enjoy the views of Marina Bay from above!

As we walked away this was the view over our shoulders:

We crossed the "Helix" bridge to Marina Bay Sands:

Walked past the shops and Venetian "canal" (yes, this is a picture taken in the daytime, not that night, but you get the idea)

And then tuck in at the Food Center (we skipped the 4 and 5 Michelin Star restaurants...saving that for another day...) with Satay, Kway Teow and Tiger beer: