Birthday celebrations in Amirah's Grill. Guess whose birthday it was? Me!!! Hehe...
I went on a nature trail walk with Elaine, Mich, Xue Xin and Li Jun on my birthday. Surprising, isn't it? The number of times that I've stepped into a nature reserve/forest is measly.
That trail walk is definitely something that is memorable. I can't believe it, but we actually spent 4 and 1/2 hours to get from MacRitchie Reservoir to the HSBC TreeTop Walk. I haven't walked that much over the past 1 year, not even in Europe where most of the exuberance lies in reaching the tallest spot of that city. Well I could only say, we had to call the Visitor Centre for directions and after a few moments of getting lost and dehydrated and feeling like we haven't eaten for hours, we managed to reach the top tree trail that we had been pinning for... Finally...
My knees were trembling as we made our way down. I was walking pretty fast as my thoughts were all on savouring the spaghetti and pizza in Pizza Hut. However, we ended up having Aijisen for lunch in J8 since Pizza Hut was still under renovations. Crap...
Oh well, all went well this week, other than the fact that I'm still suffering from a bad sore throat and cold. Sometimes, I croak with a low and rasping voice. Now you know why I never did like having a sore throat. It really sucks...
An antique clock made of pure gold... Gosh... Interesting fact: This clock was actually from China, which pretty much explained the appearance of an old man from the Qing dynasty on the clock. Apparently, the owner of that museum had the joy of collecting ancient clocks from all over the world and displaying them in his very own private space.
An exquisite collection of pocket watches and some were made as early as in the 17th century... Most of the cravings on the covers are of religious imprints. Guess most watch-makers of that time were from congregations. Nevertheless, they were so fine and delicate that I almost had the urge to buy one pocket watch for myself.
Next stop: Toy museum... Another amazing collection of dolls that are of priceless value. The oldest doll in that museum was 400+ years old! It's a bit creepy to look at all the dolls there. I mean, just imagine... Dolls that are more than 5 times older than you. You'll never know if they do have a life or not... Maybe, it's just my thoughts running wild. I wasn't allowed to take photos inside, but I managed to take a snap shot while the person wasn't looking... Hehe... Purposely took a photo that is not of dolls... Wouldn't want another nightmare after 'Chucky'...
I couldn't resist entering the largest toy store in Switzerland - 'Franz Carl Weber' (name of the store is that of the deceased owner), which is just a few streets down the toy museum.
Just had to try on the pirate's hat, especially when that was the peak of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.
A very expensive lunch! This plate costs me 27.50 Swiss francs!!! Oh my god... I just had to take a photo of it to serve as an everlasting memory...
It's always good to exercise after a 'dear' lunch... Taken while strolling down the streets of Zürich. Haven't seen a river that is as clean as The Singapore River...
Still on my way to the peak of Uetliberg, one of the Zürich's magnificent mountains. It's just about an hour up to the peak if you have taken the train, and 3 hours for those who prefer to do without the train. Knowing us as typical Singaporeans, the train was a better idea. My friends and I were initially thinking of taking a cable-car ride down. However, that idea was scrapped after looking at the signboard... Another 1 and 1/2 hour of walk further into the forest... Oh man, spare me...
Finally... We've reached the top of Zürich... Stunning, isn't it?
Zürich reminded me a lot of Singapore. Well, most modern cities always do... I didn't have much time to go around Zürich, since it was the last stop and my mind was filled with last-minute shopping. However, I had to control my finances well as Switzerland is definitely the place for 'a rich man's holiday'. Haha... It's a beautiful city and the people were definitely hospitable. Plus, I did enjoy my last days of shopping. I'll give it 8/10.Cindy (Short: Cinz)
*Leo*