Reasons Why I love My 2013 Singapore Trip

I love travelling. Who doesn't? There were many things why this trip is very different from my previous Singapore trip and all the other trips I've been to.

1. ALL the places I've visited this time were new to me. Even if Clarke Quay and the Merlion Park are very famous landmarks (which has been there for ages), it was my first time to visit these tourist spots.
2. It was my first international trip with my work friends.
3. I acted as the leader and navigator. I was the one who had to keep my companions on their toes when it comes to the itinerary and I was the one telling them what train station we had to transfer to or alight at. And yes, we never took a cab in this trip!
4. I conquered my fear of heights at the Singapore Flyer! Yey!
5. I loved Universal Studios. No explanation needed.
6. We had a little side trip to Legoland Malaysia and I loved feeling like a kid-at-heart again.
7. I realized that I am a happy backpacker. Well, not literally. My suitcase was so full that I thought I might exceed the baggage allowance. The point is, I was able to stay in a very crampy and cheap hostel! Yes, believe me when I say that it was not so comfortable but it can do since we only slept in the hostel about 5-7 hours per day.
8. Charles and Keith is loooove. I went a little overboard with shopping but everything was so cheap and tax-free!
9. Our airfare and tickets to the attractions were bought at a very good price!
10. And most of all, I paid for everything. There's no mommy or dad or lola who paid for anything!

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The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

― Marcel Proust

Merlion Park and Living Again

After a little bit of hiatus in my life, I'm so back and ready to live my life again. There's so much beauty surrounding me it's a pity if I just take these for granted. It's time to see the world again with a fresh pair of eyes! So here's my last set of photos from my Singapore trip ages ago.

Will post highlights of this trip soon as well as my recent trip to Laoag and my not-so-recent trip to Oslob. 

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It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again.

-Vince Lombardi

Gardens by the Bay

View from the Singapore Flyer

Panoramic view of the Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands

One of the domes can be seen behind us from the observation wheel!

Inside the cloud forest

Huge tree-like structures greeted the horizon after our ride at the Singapore Flyer. It was mid-afternoon and I could not help but wonder how it would look like at night. I'm sure it would be magical.

Fast forward to a few days after, I finally annoyed my travel buddies that it's time to visit the Gardens by the Bay. I practically rushed them and shooed them out of the inn we were staying at (we have a schedule to follow ladies! :)) and we made it by late afternoon. *click*click*click*. After dozens, if not hundreds, of photos, we were finally inside the Flower Garden. By the way, there were two domes there - the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.

The Flower Dome was filled with precious and beautiful flowers, as well as age-old olive trees (gnarly but still a sight to behold). The Cloud Forest on the other hand was far more interesting for me. It was freezing cold inside and there were lots of crystals around (the only crystals I could identify were amethysts). We also got to go around in a walkway that was very high. It gave me the creeps but I was able to overcome my fear. Documentaries and interactive games about energy conservation and environment protection were also available at the end of the "tunnels".

The best time to visit would probably be about 3pm in the afternoon. Don't worry if the weather is a bit hot since it is airconditioned inside the domes. Plus, you can utilize the natural light which would be great for taking photos. And when dusk settles in, the man-made trees would light up dramatically with accompanying music.

And by the way, these trees were not made just to make something different. Yes, it is unique but it also has an environment-serving purpose. Would you believe that these trees can actually harvest and recycle energy? If only more structures and parks were made to help the environment, I'm sure the world would be a better place not only for us but for our future kids and grandchildren as well.

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Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.

 ~Stewart Udall

A Night in Clarke Quay

I was on a very touristy mode for this trip and I visited all landmarks and tourist spots I've never been to before. I visited Universal Studios, Legoland (in Malaysia), Gardens by the Bay, Clarke Quay (pronounced as "Clark Key") and the Singapore Flyer. I saw both the Crane Dance and the Wonder Full Show as well. 

Here in Clarke Quay, we took the river cruise at about 7 in the evening. It was just perfect since we were able to see the splendor of the city with all the lights glittering and shimmering (I bet it was also beautiful during daytime, I just prefer the drama of the night). The barge had an ongoing film showing where the guide on the TV pinpointed the landmarks, and the stories and facts behind each spot. 

Initially, I thought the cruise would take us to the two quays but we never reached the other end. When we asked the driver about this, it seemed like it was really only one quay and he looked puzzled so we just let it go.

Afterwards, we hunted for a place where we could satisfy our rumbling bellies. There were tons of places to choose from either side of the river. We ended up at the Forum Seafood for some shrimps, beef and noodles. Seafood was a bit pricey here and it's still best to have seafood fare in the Philippines.

And before I forget, the extreme rides (Extreme Bungee and Extreme Swing) can be found here. These were the screams we could hear all the way from Sentosa while waiting for the Crane Dance. Even if I wanted to conquer my fear of heights, I could not subject myself to that kind of horror. Check out this video I took of the Extreme Swing: http://instagram.com/p/cPBFYCNjpa/.

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Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.

Benjamin Disraeli

Crane Dance

Right after Universal Studios, we headed to the area of the crane dance. The two-hour wait gave us good seats and sufficient time to rest.

Yes, I did my research on the things we could do and I initially thought it was called a crane dance because of construction cranes dancing. How wrong I was. The show was about two mechanical cranes (as in the birds) falling in love and turning into real birds. The great music, light and water arrangement was just beautiful.

The viewing fee is free and the show is on most nights at 9:00 PM (click here to check the schedule). If you want to get good seats, come as early as 7:30 or 8:00 PM but if you don't mind standing, you can just come a couple of minutes before 9:00.

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True love doesn't come to you it has to be inside you.

~Julia Roberts