The Marina Barrage, is one of the latest addition to Singapore’s places of interest. I will not spend more time on explaining what it is, as you can read all about it here. (Hopefully no one will put up any obsequious comments ad nauseum on how this was the Minister Monkey Mentor’s brainchild in that page.)
To go there, take the MRT to the Marina Bay Station along the North-South Line. There is currently a shuttle bus service running back and forth from the Marina Bay MRT Station to the Marina Barrage pump station every 30mins everyday (I think from 8am ~ 8pm). Just follow the signs from the MRT station to the ‘bus stop’, which has no shelter so you might want to bring umbrella to shelther you from the hot sun or the rain. The bus trip takes about 10 minutes.
The Marina Barrage Pump Station is a 3-storey facility, and it gives you a good view of the Straits of Singapore and the skyline of Singapore from a distance. I personally think it would make some great photos after sunset when the lights come on (especially after the Marina Sands Integrated Resort is completed) but I didn’t want to stay late.
It was rather unfortunate when I was there with xinyun mei and her friend, there was a ‘Cat 1’ weather alert (i.e. heavy overcast with lightning strike) and we were forbidden us from going onto the Barrage itself, and also kept off the rooftop of the pump station itself for some time. (That is why you see us eating the waffle at the cafe there. And yes, for the information of all Internet addicts like me, there is Wireless @SG access also. The irritating part is that my mobile phone keeps switching to some blasted Indonesian network!)
Inside the facility is a small ‘museum’ talking about the history of Singapore’s water catchments, the PUB, the Singapore River and Singapore’s aim to be self sustaining in water and a green country. If you take time to go through the displays, it might take probably half an hour or so to clear. A good place to kill some time when you are trapped because of bad weather when you arrive.
Ok, enough of my boring narrative… here’s the slideshow of some photos I took there.
Comics:
If you didn’t get the joke, look at the axe and think about Citibank’s 52000…
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