Dancing with Dolphins - Our Adventure at the RWS Dolphin Trek

    It started as a surprise birthday gift for the wifey. Unfortunately, the wifey was too apprehensive to enjoy it on her own. As it turned out, the weather didn't play along on our first day. That gave the wifey her chance to postpone her treat and make sure that I went along the next week. So there we were, at the entrance of Dolphin Island, inside Adventure Cove, in Resorts World Sentosa. 

    There are many different dolphin-related activities. The one we chose was called Dolphin Trek. There are only two sessions per day. One at 10.20am and another at 3.00pm. We chose the morning slot. There were a pair of friendly twins at the same slot as us. However, we were divided into two groups, with a dolphin-trainer assigned to each couple. As we walked along the water, the inquisitive dolphins came by as if to say "hello". We were told not to wave as the dolphins communicated with the trainers through hand-signals. We might confuse the dolphins.

    The "diving-gear" consisted of a standard oxygen tank connected to a state-of-the-art helmet. The tank hardly weighed anything. The helmet was a totally different story. It weighs 32kg at sea-level and 6kg under water. I was reminded of my first time wearing the SBO during NS. This seemed a lot heavier. The wifey went down the ladder 4m under water without any problem. I took a longer time as my right ear just refused to reach equilibrium. Thanks to the expertise of the staff, I finally managed to descend; pinching my nose and blowing while moving down each rung. Yes the helmet allows you to place your hand into it, even while under water - the wonders of technology. I found it useful to slightly bend my knees to keep my balance. Movement under water was understandably slow and deliberate. Nevertheless, besides the weight on our shoulders, it wasn't uncomfortable.  

    We had the opportunity to interact with the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin and see how it behaves in its natural undersea habitat. The dolphin felt rubbery like a huge tyre. We were told that it sheds its skin every 2 hrs, hence it's smooth skin. Time passes extremely fast when you're having fun. Soon we had to ascend the ladder back to the surface.

    We were then led to a shallow area. Here we got to smooch and be smooched by Hui Hui the dolphin. Every dolphin has a name and every trainer could identify all the dolphins.

    The rest of the day was spent at the various water attractions of Adventure Cove. The Dolphin Trek package also came with complementary set meals at the Bay Restaurant, which consisted of a main dish (I had chicken thigh, the wifey had fried rice), drink and ice-cream (i.e. popsicle. We wanted to choose the mango mouse and Cornetto ice-cream but was told it wasn't included). 

    Some may disapprove of the whole programme, especially with the negative publicity that ACRES has been putting out. However, at no time did we feel that the dolphins were in dire straits. In fact, the dolphins came across as very comfortable, and even happy, in their environment. They readily came to "greet" you when you walked near the water's edge. Each dolphin had a trainer assigned to it (we know this because another dolphin came along when we were with Hui Hui and our trainer called for the other dolphin's trainer). Each dolphin also has its personalized diet plan according to it's weight. For a facility of that size, the large number of marine specialists and trainers also surprised us. We were even told that the dolphins which interact with guests were "volunteers". They were chosen based on how enthusiastically they behaved. I would conclude that the dolphins here are very well taken care of. I believe all of us should be very discerning when consuming media and information, and not just accept it at face-value (especially from those pushing a "green" agenda or otherwise).

France Again - Part Un (more UNESCO Heritage sites)

    There are two reasons why I agreed to return to France for vacation. The first is that the wifey loves the country (she claims to be French). The second is that I didn't manage to buy a special memento when we were there the last time. Presenting, "Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass" (also known as "Napoleon Crossing the Alps") by Jacques-Louis David. The plaster model now stands on the shelf in my library. All thanks to the wifey who braved a hungry tummy to accompany me to the Montmartre area in search of Napoleon. In spite of his eventual defeat at Waterloo, I admire the man for his "never-say-die" attitude. He didn't give up even after being forced into exile after the defeat at the Battle of Leipzig. Instead he managed to escape, returned to power and amassed his army for one last hurrah.

    We started off this trip with a day in Paris. Dinner was at the "Le Relais de Venise" restaurant. It was the first time in an "ang moh" country that I came across a long queue waiting to enter the restaurant. They only serve steak there. The special thing about this restaurant is that they first serve half of your steak. Only when you finish, do they serve the second half. This is to keep the meat hot. Jireh would love this place with its never-ending serving of fries.

     We left on the SNCF train to Avignon the next day. Our castle for this leg was the magnificent 16th Century residence known as the Hotel D'Europe. Formerly the residence of the Marquis de Graveson, this handsome property has seen prestigious guests of the likes of Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens and Queen Astrid of Spain. In fact, it was Napoleon Bonaparte himself who gave it it's name. 

    Avignon, the city of popes. A visit to the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) is a must. This was the Pontifical seat of power from 1309. The lure of prestige of Saint Peter's Tomb proved too strong and the popes moved back to Rome in 1377.

      What's a visit to Avignon without a trip to the half-collapsed Pont d'Avignon, over the river Rhone. No, we did not dance on it. The popular song was originally about dancing under the bridge instead of on it.

Lavender ice-cream anyone?

My first go at Boeuf  Tartare - marinated raw beef. Yummy.

    We wanted to join a group tour but they were all fully-booked. As a result we ended up with a local guide - just the wifey, myself and the guide in a brand new Peugeot with hidden backdoor handles. First we visited Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh spent about a year but produce over 300 paintings.

Roman coliseum in Arles

The "Yellow House" where Van Gogh stayed and painted (painted the picture, not the walls)

Tasting olive oil at the Chateau d'Estoublon - Mogador

Lunch in Les Baux. One of my must-eat when I'm in France - lapin (rabbit)

    We also visited the sanitarium where Van Gogh checked himself into. It is here where he produced some of his most prolific works of art.

      Then it was off to Chateauneuf du Papes. The wine from this region can rival that of Bordeaux. I have never tasted such full-bodied reds that went down so smoothly. The white wine was gorgeous; this coming from someone who doesn't really drink. 

Wine-tasting at Chateau Mont Redon. Easily the best whites I've ever tasted. The reds were excellent too.

The castle at Chateauneuf du Papes - recreational residence of the Popes and Cardinals. Bombed out by retreating Nazis during WWII.

View from the hills overlooking the valley of wine and olive groves. 

Margret de Canard for dinner - another "Must Eat" down.

Wifey going for more local fare - scallops.

      Stay tune for Part Deux of our Avignon adventure.

France Again - Part Deux (sommore UNESCO Heritage sites)

    Up and early, we took the public bus to the ancient town of Uzes. We spent half the day there exploring the town and it's surroundings. Next it was back on the bus and off to visit the Pont du Gard.

     The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that spans the Gardon River. It remains the largest and one of the most well-preserved examples of Roman aqueduct technology. It was built in the 1st Century AD and was in used till the 4th until it was choked off my mineral deposits and debris. The Pont du Gard rises 48.8m and is divided into three tiers. We could've spent the whole day picnicking in the area but we weren't prepared for it.

view of the Gardon from the Pont du Gard

    We celebrated our last night in Avignon with dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant on the hotel grounds itself. La Vielle Fontaine is helmed by chef Bruno d'Angélis. What more do I have to say? It's a Michelin-starred restaurant afterall.

I love cheese but this is the first time I have to decide which type to try. So many to choose from; strong to mild, to those with a flowery fragrance. Wish I could have them all...

    Time flies and we found ourselves on the train back to Paris. We visited the Conciergerie (where we derive the word for "concierge"). This wasn't a comfortable place. It was used as a prison and courthouse  during the French Revolution. Queen Marie Antoinette spent her last days here before being executed at the guillotine. Next door was the Supreme Court and Saint-Chapelle. 

     Saint-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité.As you can see, it boasts one of the most extensive stained glass collections in the world. The golden shrine (now a replica) used to house relics of Christ, such as fragments of the True Cross, Holy Lance and Crown of Thorns.

Taking the Bateau Mouche (actually from a different operator than the original) along the River Seine.

Fascinated by the miniature sailboats on the pond in Jardin de Luxembourg, powered only by the wind.

     My final dinner before heading home - Confit de Canard. This tops off my list of "Must Eats" in France. Until next time, au revoir.