Day One - Singapore
Another ‘first times’ this year! Today, I just had my first steps outside the Philippines. First time in the City of Merlion and first time to join Biyaheng Hangad. In the last eight hours of stay here, I can say that I am in love with the place not just because of its beauty but also because of the balance that I see. Everything is in order. People abide with the law and everything is in proper place. It’s my first time to ride in a two-deck public bus. LOL. That’s too trivial. Anyway, here are some of the observations I had on my first day here.
First, the one you’ll see first – the airport! As we all know, it was recently dubbed as the best airport in the world. It has lots of stuff in it! It serves free WI-FI, massage seats and free tourist guides. It is comparably bigger than NAIA. I thought it was the best. I was told we alight at Terminal 1 which is actually 30 years old. The best airport as they say is the Terminal 3. Maybe next time I’ll be able to get the feel of it. I can only imagine how tourist friendly it could be.
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| Chicken Rice |
Second, the Hawker Place! FOOD! I first tried the Chicken Rice! It’s awesome! And for how much? $3. Pretty much like the price of a meal in Manila. Only that it has bigger serving and probably a dash of awesomeness. I was also able to taste some South Asian food and they are all great! You’ll thought that it was a bit expensive in the first place but I don’t think you’ll still feel the same once you find out that you cannot actually consume the meal alone. Thanks be to God for giving me such talented stomach. Everything seems to fit. BTW, we also had Apple Frocaccio and Strawberry Cake from a Swiss Bakery in Somerset. I bought the former for $2.
Third, the transport system. It is almost impossible to get lost in Singapore. Maps, fare lists, and route guides are everywhere! They even have the computed number of minutes of your trip from any point to another. All rides are punctual. You think that’s cool? Well, they have a synchronized card system which you can use in buses and trains. Hmm… I’m a Manila commuter and today, I wonder when can EDSA achieve such order.
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| The New English Liturgy |
Fourth, the Church. From the impeccable sound system to the liturgical setting of the sanctuary and other sacramental vessels, everything seems to fit right. But one thing really caught my attention. It is this red book. They are already using the revised liturgy. When will it be implemented again in the Philippines? They say next next liturgical year. Good luck to 1,701 islands. I hope the Catholic Church in the Philippines is as organized as this. Singaporean Catholics seem to be really well catechized considering the number of churchgoers today, Thursday. BTW, all the seats have hymnals, missals, reading guides and books of prayers.
That’s it for now. I’m sure I will have lots of things to write about in the next six days.
Day Two - Singapore
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| Baby Merlion |
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| One Dollar Ice Cream |
Day Three - Singapore
October 29 is the date and I think this is the most tiring so far. The explorer instinct within me was activated. I roamed the city by myself. I strolled around Chinatown and had some unnecessary walk along Alexandra Rd with only a map in my hand. MRT was my best friend today.
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| Hindu Temple |
In Chinatown, I was able to get good deals of Singaporean pasalubong. I entered the Golden Buddha Tooth Temple and passed by the mosque and a Sanskrit temple. I also went to Chinatown complex and New Ridge Center. Bought myself a braised duck meal (which is the first thing I didn’t like in Singapore) and sugarcane juice for lunch and walked around the vicinity until I reached the next MRT station which is at Outram Park. I wasn’t exhausted enough so while I was there, I thought of checking out IKEA, which I really didn’t know where on Singapore it is. The only clue I got from a friend was that it’s near Queenstown Station. True enough it was near. Just a little than 800 meters? The time was 1:30 PM. I wasn’t able to catch my Hangad friends there so I decided to go home. For some reason, my E-Z link card wouldn’t work in the bus so I walked back to the MRT station, same distance. My footwork exercises in the Philippines had really made sense today.
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| Golden Buddha Tooth Temple |
It’s practice time before the mass and the last show. I was really having a hard time as the expected headache came. After some pizza, we were given an hour to prepare. I tried to sleep for thirty minutes. And it happened again. I woke up after an hour. Yikes. I came in during the Gospel reading. As expected, got a bit bullied again for sleeping so close before the call time. My head felt a bit better though. I was just feeling uneasy with my choirmates who got stressed by my carelessness. Can’t believe I did it in Singapore.
Anyway, my perky vibe got back in the middle of the show. The mini-concert was said to sound better than yesterday. It was well-received as well. More Filipinos watched compared to yesterday which was attended by different nationalities.
After the show, we ate at the Lao Fa Sat. We had a couple of Singaporean and other Asian dishes like Prata, Satay, Dereal Shrimp, Kway Teow, Chilli Crab, Kai Lan, Crispy Squid, and more. I couldn’t believe there was still about a cup of rice and some of the other dishes left in front of me. I usually don’t leave until the plate is empty. Before we went back to the retreat house, four of us decided to have some coffee. A choirmate gave us a treat. The coffee we had was so tasteful! It was strong and really tastes good. After some chats, we got a cab. Uncle (the way Singaporeans call manong” played Anak by Freddie Aguilar. All of us were singing in the cab. Uncle told us about how he likes other Asian passengers more than the Singaporeans. LOL. Other races, according to him, were less materialistic.
Right now, I am packing my stuff for Malaysia. Tomorrow, I’ll join my choir for the last time at the Botanic Garden before I meet up my cousin who will accompany me to the airport to meet up my travel partner to Malaysia. I feel so lucky enough for having my cousin in Singapore. It feels better if your companion is a relative. Today, I think of bringing my family here in the future or at least my sister in the coming months. It’s really easy to be a tourist here.
Day Four - Singapore
Writing on the long bus ride here in Malaysia, I am compelled to kill the time left. We still have around 2-3 hours on this trip to Kuala Lumpur City Center. I have had enough sleep earlier on the same spot inside this double deck tourist bus. It feels safe to bring out my laptop.
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| Father and son at the Botanic Gardens |
Yesterday was a Park Day for me. On our last day at the retreat house, I joined some of my choirmates at the Botanic Gardens for some walk after the breakfast. The park is huge. We only get to see the one fourth of it. It was 10 in the morning and it was really hot so we gave up touring the whole thing. But on that fraction of the place, I was able to see how nature friendly Singapore is. There are many birds flying, ducks feasting on the food from the visitors, Labradors playing and doves flocking near the people. The animals in Singapore do not feel threatened by the presence of any human. No one frightens or shoos them away. Also, we tried the foot reflexology path. It felt painful in the beginning but really relaxing after walking with your bare feet on the path of stones.
We went back to the retreat house because we needed to check out by 11:00 AM. Surrendering the room keys, I passed by the Loyola Novitiate house where I saw a beautiful rosary the other day which I wanted to buy. Still, there was no one in the room so I tried my luck at the Parish Shop but I didn’t get to see the same item. Still with my luggage case and two other bags, I went back to the Novitiate house. I really wanted the rosary for my collection. There were so many people in the parish because of the Migrants’ Sunday celebration. Fortunate enough, I saw Father James! Squeezing between people of different races, I was able to get close to him and asked him if someone can take my payment for the item. I told him nobody was there. To my surprise, he said I could take whatever I want without needing to leave any dollar. Filled with gratitude, I was excited as I went inside to get my new rosary.
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| A beautiful addition to my collection |
I met up with my cousin at Kembangan Station. The plan was, I will leave my luggage in his place so I may bring only my backpack for my Malaysia trip. Before going to Changi Airport to meet up with my friend who will be coming with me to Kuala Lumpur, Kuya Eli brought me to Bedok where lots of good deals are. Ahah! Another place to shop the next time I get back to Singapore. I love it how I learn a lot about the practical side of Singapore every single day.
He accompanied me to Changi Budget terminal. It was then I realized how big Changi Aiport is as we ride a free shuttle going to other terminals. In McDonald’s Changi, I ordered Horlicks. I think it’s the sweetest food I’ve had in Singapore. My friend went with his relatives as I joined Kuya Eli back home. We just decided to meet up at the Merlion Park in the evening. I rested as Kuya Eli did his laundry.
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| The Jesuit Novices' living room where Hangad stays for breakfast. |
It was dinner time so Kuya Ely and I dropped by the nearest Hawker Place. Good Lord, why is the Hawker Place so lovely? I had three dishes and two cups of rice. Sobrang sarap! Tsk. I had a tofu dish, another gluten like strips of vegies which I didn’t understand the name when I asked uncle, and a baked dory which the Singaporean vendor simply called fish. Two cups of rice topped with curry! Yum! And if I remember it right, we only spent around $6 for the whole thing.
I met up with my friend to plan our Malaysian trip. In a few minutes, the Marina Bay Sands show started! There were dancing lights and wonderful music! I couldn’t get my eyes on the triplet buildings as it tries to fill every second with different kinds of neon lights and dramatic sounds.
After taking pictures again at the Merlion Park, this time even more spectacular with the night skyscraper background, we headed to Makasuntra, the Halal Food place beside Esplanade. Oh food again. Thanks to the relatives of my friend. Kuya Ely and I took the bus going home to kill time. We walked a longer route this time. Just enough to burn the thousands of calories. LOL. I slept comfortably in his room.
Day Five - Malaysia
Traveled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in 7 hours total. Hmm… It really felt like the Philippines from the view on the roads, to the cautions. LOL. Actually, I appreciate my country better now. The Philippines has a lot of potential than some of the countries around it. Sorry for spoiling. Now let’s focus on my first day in Malaysia.
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| A view from the hotel door |
We took the bus from Kranji, Singapore. It has three stops for immigration purposes which makes sure also that all passengers are secured. It is a really easy way and also very cheap. You will just use your E-Z Link Card from Singapore and will charge you the same regular rates in the city buses. Passengers will be dropped off to Larkin Station in Johol Bahru Malaysia. We have been warned about the pickpockets in this place so we carry our backpacks in front of us. Reminds me of Quiapo. Anyway, from there, we rode a luxury bus for only MYR31. Pretty convenient. I was able to use my laptop without fear because the few passengers in the bus seemed to be tourists and businessmen.
We arrived in Kuala Lumpur around 4 in the afternoon. They have this really big bus terminal which seemed to be an airport at first sight. We took the train from there going to Plaza Rakyat. When we got off, we decided to go to a food court since it was raining very hard. My first impression of Malaysia wasn’t that really good. The vendors are not that approachable and seemed to be only aiming to get money from the customers. I tried the Malaysian Laksa. I was disappointed.
The rain stopped and we got ourselves a hotel for only 75MYR. The room for two is already airconditioned, with bathroom and WIFI. After resting a bit and planning our KL itinerary, we headed to our first stop – the Petronas Towers. It was magnificent. The lights make it really appear elegant and beautiful. The only think I notice is that aside from taking pictures at the park in front of it, there’s nothing more to do unlike the way things are in Singapore where spaces and business opportunities are being maximized. There’s a shopping mall under the twin towers and also some food shop reminding me of Eastwood City in the Philippines. We also passed by the KLCC or the convention center and the park in front of it. The next thing we wanted to do was to go back to the hotel and take a bite.
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| The tallest twin towers in the world. |
Near the hotel is the central market. There’s a Malaysian eatery that serves authentic Malaysian food. I finally tried Thosai. I got the egg and onion flavor along with my dinner, Fish Mesala and Rice in Curry. I miss Singapore. LOL. Malaysia’s spices are a bit over my tolerance. I didn’t finish my meal. The Thosai was good. It could have been better if they used white onions just like in Singapore instead of the regular violet ones.
Tomorrow, I am looking forward to a more memorable Malaysian stop as we go to Batu Caves. I also hope I can find a Malaysian Rosary somewhere.
Day Six - Malaysia
Time Zone is just the same as in the Philippines but rush hour here starts at 8am. Why? Because sun rises later in Kuala Lumpur than in Manila due to the Geographical location. As planned, we woke up early for our first destination for the day which is the Batu Caves. Phobic of the Hawker food, we took our breakfast at KFC just a few steps from our hotel room. Afterwards, we got our bus tickets for Singapore reserved at TBS-BTS, a bus terminal which looks better than some airports I’ve seen.
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| Garlands for the temple altar |
The way to Batu Caves is now more convenient than ever. With just MYR2, you can get straight to the last station of the Sentul-Batu Caves Komuter Line. But you might like to allow a time allowance to wait because the train going to Batu Caves passes only every thirty minutes.
It has been such a big relief to see the caves in front of you. The magnificent nature’s work of art is simply stunning. There are three major caves on site. The main cave or the Temple Cave is the spot’s main attraction with its 273 steps of staircase right before the cave gate. This main cave doesn’t’ charge the tourists for entrance fee. Monkeys are everywhere. It also seemed that they reign in the place. Why? People witnessed how one of them stole the banana inside a bag of fruits carried by a tourist couple. Freaky primates.
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| The Temple Cave and the Golden Statue of Lord Muruga |
There are also other caves like the Dark Cave, which charges around 20MYR for a guided tour. Since it is dark, you really need one. It smells funny from the outside so we spared ourselves with the 20MYR. Another cave which was closed when we get there is the Ramayana Cave. We only made it to the temple at the façade of the site. The whole cave was closed for some so called maintenance. I don’t know how they do that that they have to close the whole thing.
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| Beware of these monkeys |
Another attraction on site is the Villa Cave which charges the tourists for 15MYR. A lot of animal species are inside including snakes. Except the main cave, we didn’t get inside the other caves so we made it before 11:00 AM, just enough for us to travel back to our hotel for our 12:00 NN check out. We had meal at KFC again. We ordered their version of the fried chicken in Tom Yum flavor. We decided to go to the Central Market for some shopping since we didn’t like the items in Chinatown last night. We spent few hours shopping and window shopping. Some items are really good so I had some more of my peso changed. It’s a bit more expensive in Central Market but the choices are better. Some Malay vendors know how to speak Tagalog because many Filipino tourists opt to purchase their souvenirs in the place. Malay products are much like that in the Philippines so it was really hard to get stuff that can’t be found in Manila. Actually, their products are generally Asian crafts and foods.
The culture is generally a mixture of Indian and Islam. That is probably the reason why I can’t seem to find the item I always look for in a place, the Rosary. We asked the Central Market receptionist where the nearest Catholic Church is located. She pointed us to Saint Mary Cathedral which is five minute walk from the Central Market. Upon talking to the receptionist, we grabbed another map and to our surprise, it’s the official tourist map of the city. Hence, from that point, we were able to go to the nearby tourists spots like the Independence Square, St Mary Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur Gallery, St. John Church and other nearby spots. It rained hard again so we decided to try KL Sentral. We didn’t know it was just a central terminal. LOL. When the rain subsided, we went back to Central Market to dine in their food court.
We learned how we lost a lot of opportunity to have the taste of real Malaysian food. They cost the same outside but the food court offers better options and wider varieties. I tried the Ayam Goreng Berempah Set which is a spiced chicken meal with nuts, anchovies and weird coconut rice. LoL. At least, in that place, spice is optional. You’re rice won’t be topped by blazing curry sauce unlike what I experience last night. We met a Filipino who was dining alone. He was attending a training in the business district of Kuala Lumpur and will go back in Manila after five days.
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| Ayam Goreng Berempa |
The time has come for us to leave Kuala Lumpur. Somehow, I felt attached to the place. Or maybe it’s just my personal sentimental complex. LOL. We headed to the TBS-BTS, the airport-like bus station and took the last few shots of the city from my cellphone.
We boarded the bus on time. The lazy boy bus for 45RM per passenger is such a big comfort. It has a massage mechanism for all the seats. To our surprise, we arrived earlier than expected. In four hours, we were already in Beach Road. We waited for the MRT station in Lavender Road which opened at 5:30 AM.
Day Seven - Singapore
Last day of my first Asian trip. We arrived earlier than expected so we had to wait for an hour to catch the first train. My travel partner and I parted ways at Lavender Road Station. I was able to get to Kuya Eli’s house in Kembangan in no time. Clutching my backpack in the sofa, I subconsciously dozed off. I just woke up with my cousin preparing the longganisa for breakfast.
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| Dhoby Ghout Station |
He accompanied me to Mustafa to shop for my pasalubong. I got good deals for all the family members and close friends apart from the stuff I bought from Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market and Singapore’s Chinatown. The Mustafa burger was perfect for lunch.
Kuya Ely insisted to go to Sentosa despite the chance of me being late for my Manila flight. In fairness, I never regretted taking the chance. The Sentosa center is beautiful. The Sentosa Island was even more spectacular. We rode the monorail going to the island. I was not able to enter the Universal Studios but I already had a foresight of bringing my family in that place. After some picture taking, while carrying all the Mustafa stuff, we went home. I had to get a cab to catch my flight on time. I was just more than an hour earlier.
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| Mustafa Burger |
Much can be said about this experience of mine. All the first time I had in this trip was very memorable. But aside from the desire of going back to Singapore for more shopping and strolling, I also made up my mind to travel within our own archipelago to discover the Philippine beauty. The first thing I did when I came back? Plan my Mindanao and Cebu backpacking adventure in February. My Malaysia experience was such an unfolder. It makes me wonder why Philippines don’t get the tourism limelight in spite of the strategic geographical location within the region and the undeniably impeccable natural beauty.
