Singapore Walking Tour

After a good night’s rest in Fragrance Hotel Pearl in Geylang, we awoke to another beautiful day for adventure! We did not waste any time as we managed to start the day early as our itinerary was jam-packed with so much things to do and first-time-adventures to conquer!

Little India

We started our day in Little India to leave our luggages in the locker room of The Inn Crowd, a backpacker’s hostel  in Little India, as we are going backpacking to Malaysia in the evening. We cannot haul all our baggage and luggage while we are in transit all the way to Malaysia. I highly recommend everyone to stay in The Inn Crowd, it is a very nice and cozy backpacker’s hostel filled with very warm accommodation from its crew and the other international (yes, melting pot of all nations ito) fellow backpackers. If I had my way, I would’ve stayed here, but we had company so it was just practical to stay in one hotel with my other companions.

Inside the Inn Crowd

Here’s a breakdown of the locker rental fees in The Inn Crowd:

The InnCrowd’s charges are:
1 locker (30cm (h) x 38cm x 45cm (d))	S$2.00 per day for the first 14 days
	S$1.00 per day subsequently
1 piece of cabin baggage (up to 7 kg)	S$2.50 per day for the first 14 days
	S$1.50 per day subsequently
1 piece of check-in baggage (above 7 kg)	S$3.00 per day for the first 14 days
	S$2.00 per day subsequently
1 piece of odd-sized item e.g. surfboard or skis:	S$5.50 per day for the first 14 days
	S$4.00 per subsequently

At the World’s Largest Observation Wheel: Singapore Flyer

At the end of each day, we make routinely reality checks and then we realize: all great things eventually come to an end– the same applies to our theme park adventure as we needed to bid goodbye to Universal Studios Singapore. After spending approximately 9 hours reveling in supreme happiness inside the park, we just had to surrender and let go. (Insert dramatic sound effects here) Yes, the park had to close for the day and we had to leave, or we would have been forced to leave, even if we attempt to throw a tantrum. Haha. Little did we realize that exhaustion managed to creep in our tired bodies. But that exhaustion did not stop us from seeing what Singapore had in store for us. And so from Sentosa, we hailed a cab to take us to Singapore Flyer. The original plan was to take the SMRT, but we were just too tired to commute, but we knew that we had to see the Singapore Flyer in the evening.

And we were not disappointed! The view was very much worth it. The view of Singapore cityscape and the skyline was breathtaking.

Choose Your Own Adventure in Universal Studios Singapore

Pao and I flew at 4:45 in the morning via JetStar and landed around 8:20 in Changi Terminal 1.  It was a good experience flying with JetStar, an Australian airline, to Singapore. It was similar to our local Cebu Pacific and their crew was very accommodating.

It was really relieving to be in a place where public transportation is very much accessible because it serves as a gateway to all the tourist destinations. Hence, we took advantage of Singapore’s progressive mass transportation system as we took the SMRT straight from the Changi Airport. Yes, it was still comfortable even if  we were hauling our luggage from one point to another. We took the very convenient SMRT from Changi to Bugis to Kallang. We purchased our Singapore Tourist Passes in Bugis and immediately met with our friends who were checked-in at Fragrance Hotel Pearl in Geylang.

At around 10:30 am, we unanimously decided to head to Universal Studios and we spent the entire day there. Universal Studios Singapore was one of the compelling forces that made us decide in choosing Singapore as a destination to visit.I did not regret it at all. For me, Universal Studios Singapore has beaten Hong Kong Disneyland as the “Happiest Place on Earth” as of yet.  Of course, I know there are a whole lot of better theme parks, but as of the moment, I really had the time of my life in Universal.

Singapura in a Nutshell

I promised myself, after having a taste of independent traveling in Hong Kong-Macau last year, that I needed to visit at least one or two countries a year (Well, goals make us hardworking right?). The feeling of traveling to an unfamiliar territory that is very much beyond my comfort zone and being able to successfully conquer it was a very cathartic experience for me.  And I just needed to do it again, and again, and again (Oh I just wish I had a never-ending supply of travel money). That very reason was the one that propelled me to have a second serving of INDEPENDENTLY traveling to another country. And yes, independence meant no adult companions.

For this trip, I managed to conquer Singapore-Malaysia in my quest to see the world one place at a time.  I traveled with Pao the boyf, my good friend Eliza and Francis, Eliza’s boyfriend. And it was definitely a trip to remember!

KAOS with the Manila Symphony Orchestra!

As part of my family’s efforts to entertain ourselves to aid our moving-on process from our recent demise, we decided to entertain ourselves and all together watch a spectacular show found only in the magical land of KAOS!

Family breather at Manila Ocean Park

February 6, 2011 marked one of the darkest days of my life. My dear Papa, was taken by the Lord, and I tell you, it is one of the most inexplicable feelings that I have ever felt in my whole life. I loved my Papa very dearly, and I was his favorite daughter, I, being his only daughter.  I was lost.

This is a painting of my father during one of his surgeries

My relatives came in and flew over from different places and countries to sympathize with our demise. This was somewhat a reunion we did not want to do because this kind of event is something that all people would not like to celebrate. After the week-long service for my dad, it was time for us to bid him goodbye and start the process of moving on despite the fact that we all knew that it would be very hard to move on. But we just have to do it, for the sake of trying to move on.

And so, we tried visiting new places to keep ourselves entertained–just to keep our thoughts away from getting sad again. Despite the heaviness taking over my entire body, I went back to work. But my entire being was very much unfit to work, and so, I willfully obliged when my mom called me and informed me that she, together with my brothers are going to Manila Ocean Park for a breather. I left work (with a valid excuse, well actually, made-up valid excuse) just so I can spend time and heal wounds together as a family.

Going Loco over Ilocos: Candon

Perhaps it was fate that led us to Candon. We hopped on a Partas bus as we initially intended to leave and go back to Manila. But suddenly, we decided to make a side trip to Candon and visit the uncle of Pao who lived there. Our itinerary did not indicate any side trip to Candon, but we felt very spontaneous anyway and see Candon before we finally left for Manila.

And it was a sweet experience to visit  Candon because we discovered yet another gastronomic adventure in the town of Candon.

I don't know what this site is called, but it was just too lovely to miss.

Due to Spanish colonization, perhaps every town in both Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur has a Roman Catholic church in the heart of their town. True enough, for Candon, in the midst of the center of their town lies their very own Church alongside their town Plaza.

St. John Sahagun Church

Going Loco over Ilocos: Vigan

Pagudpud, Laoag, Paoay, and Batac… check! And I was more than ready to conquer Vigan! The cliche “Save the best for last” would definitely appropriate for this adventure. We were definitely excited on going to Vigan simply because we have been craving to go and experience a piece of history in our contemporary time. Our expectations were definitely surpassed and we were more than captivated by Vigan.

Vigan is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Philippines. Strolling around Vigan gave us a surreal feeling, mostly in awe, as if we were transported back in time. Almost everything in Vigan is old but accompanied by a very precious history. The well-preserved Spanish architecture and the kind-of European atmosphere definitely set us into tourist mode.

Going Loco over Ilocos: Baluarte

We endured an hour and a half bus ride from Laoag to Vigan (100 pesos per person on an Ordinary Bus). Riding the bus from point A to point B in Ilocos was not tedious at all. At the time of our visit, the December breeze greeted our faces as it accompanied us throughout the bus ride thus making the trip undeniably comfortable. Yes, it can be comfortable even on board an Ordinary bus. Upon finally arriving in Vigan, I was filled with awe. The town seemed to have a very prominent identity compared to its neighboring towns. Right at the moment I set foot on Vigan soil, I knew I was in for a big treat. I was captivated

We checked in at Vigan Hotel. The experience? I do not recommend. It was more than eerie, it was dirty, and it had an old-haunted-house-scary-vibe. But nevertheless, we managed to set foot on it to leave our things. (We were supposed to check-in at Villa Angela but it was full at the time that we booked accommodations for Vigan. December is normally the peak season for Ilocos travel). So if you’re planning to do an overnight trip at Vigan, do not, by all means check-in at Vigan Hotel. Try Vigan Plaza Hotel. or Grandpa’s Inn. It always has good ratings. NEVER dare to check-in at Vigan Hotel. Don’t tell me I did not warn you!

FIRST STOP: We started our Vigan exploration by heading to Chavit Singson’s interactive wildlife sanctuary, BALUARTE. It was a getaway and an exciting experience especially for animal lovers! And for the best news, it is free of charge for its admission and very much open to the public!

The dinosaur looks real huh?

Going Loco over Ilocos: Batac, Ilocos Norte

I like history. And I like seeing remnants of the past as seen through preserved artifacts.

After Laoag and Paoay, we finally headed in the land of the Marcoses–Batac, Ilocos Norte. We visited the town of Batac, and it’s true—everything in Batac is about the Marcos Family and in praise of the Marcos family. It was actually quite awesome seeing the grandeur and splendor of the Marcos family, the Marcos era, and everything in between encapsulated in the town of Batac.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way related to the Marcoses, or even not one of his cronies. (Haha, if so, I must be filthy rich right now!) We were just ordinary people admiring the once glorious period that their family possessed as evidenced by their luxurious material possessions and significant achievements as presented inside the museum.

Unfortunately, we were not able to enter the Malacanang of the North as it was undergoing major renovations at the time of our visit. With heavy sighs, we just directed ourselves to our next destination, the Marcos Mausoleum and Marcos Museum.