Visiting the Bird Park

I recently visited the Jurong Bird Park. Yah, such an unlikely place for anyone to visit. Isn’t there like the new IR at Sentosa to visit eh? Well, it’s an excursion organized by Vanessa’s child care centre. It’s for the kids. That’s why I was there, and that’s probably going to be the only reason for a long time that I would ever be going to the bird park. I cannot remember when was the last time I set foot inside the bird park, but it must be a really really long time ago.

I think, the Jurong Bird Park has somewhat failed to keep themselves exciting and relevant. Maybe there isn’t plenty of things you could show and do with birds. But try. Otherwise, they might as well merge into the Singapore Zoo. Our zoo, on the other hand (yeah I’ve been visiting it a couple of times in recent years because of Vanessa), seems to have done a better job maintaining their attractiveness.

A simple point of comparison: The children’s water play area. The one at the zoo is so much bigger, more features, and better maintained than the one at the bird park. The one at the zoo even has food outlets adjacent to the play area for parents to fill their tummies while their kids play, and I suppose also for the kids to refuel when they’re done playing. The one at the bird park is just standing on its own. The one at the zoo draws crowds, even on a weekday. When we were at the bird park, which was on weekday, there were no more than 3 kids in total.

The weather on that day at the bird park was so scorchingly hot. Within a few steps into the park, I was like feeling half ready to go home. By half-time, I was so hot and sweaty I had to have an iced cold drink. I don’t understand how come when we were little kids, we were oblivious to the heat, the sweat, the exhaustion. I remember about picnics, family days, excursions and such to the zoo that typically are nearly whole day events. Right now, I think the absolutely maximum tolerable time is half a day.