Travelers Journal :: ßry™: April 2008

Apr 15, 2008

Trekking in the Lion City - Singapore

A DELAYED BLOG ENTRY

As they say, an Asian Tour is not complete without a quick stop in Asia's Lion City - Singapore. Being the smallest country in Southeast Asia (704.0 km² or 272 sq mi), in just one day, you would be able to visit most if not all of the tourist attractions in Singapore.

In August 2005, I got a chance to revisit this fascinating city all by my self. It was indeed a nice trip. Imagine travelling alone in a foreign country (what a liberation!). It was also my first time to fly a budget airline (a courageous move that was!). What's good about Singapore is the fact that the locals speak the English language fluently. I never had the feeling of being alienated or "home sick(ed)". The city itself (particularly the shopping malls' atmosphere) gave me the impression that I was just strolling in any of the malls in Manila particularly those in Makati City, Philippines.

Just like in any of my travels, to have a picture in one or two of my destination's well-known tourist icon(s) would complete the trip. Singapore may be a small country but it has a lot of good things to offer its visitors and I may not have enough time to scribble down all of them. Let me simplify my life by highlighting a few of my destinations.

Changi International Airport - Known for being one of the world's

best international airports, what I like most about Changi is its accessibility to all types of transportation in the city. During this visit, I excitedly grabbed the opportunity of riding the MRT (mass rapid transit) which is conveniently connected to Terminal 1. The best service available at Changi Airport is the telephone service. Anyone can call a number in Singapore (including mobile numbers) using the public phones at no charge.

Hotels/Hostels - Tourists are given an array of choices where to stay but it is best to book in advance to avoid last minute hassles.

The Merlion Park - I've always been happy to meet the Merlion statue (haha). I think you would agree to me if I say that this is the most popular tourist attraction in Singapore. In case you do not know yet (but I'm sure you do), Merlion is a statue with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It stands in front of the Marina Bay. Sound a bit churlish but to me, Merlion is an attestation of a fulfilling experience by seeing it personally since I only get to see it in the pictures or in my books when I was still in grade school.

The Esplanade Theatres - I've always been fascinated by the unique architecture of the Esplanade Theatres. Many Singaporeans casually refer to the Esplanade as "The Durian". Well if you look at it, the thorny design of the roof resembles like the durian or the jackfruit. Actually, the two roofs of the Esplanade also look like the magnified eyes of a fly. I think I read about this somewhere but I can't remember exactly which material was that.

The Sentosa Island - Just one frustration - I was not able to ride the cable cars. I had to look for someone who is also alone to take a ride with me but no luck! Perhaps next time (haha). At Sentosa, I only targeted for two things (1) the Underwaterworld; and (2) the Musical Fountain Show at night. The Underwaterworld is an oceanarium which has more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. I am not sure if this is the first oceanarium in Asia but what I know is that just like the Merlion statue, I have always been fascinated by the Underwaterworld which I used to see and read about only in my books when I was in grade school (haha). What's best about this park is its 83 metre long travelator that conveniently tours the visitors along a submerged glass-windowed tunnel showcasing a vast range of marine life including stingrays and sharks.

I'm not sure about the others, but to me, the Musical Fountain Show is a relaxing treat from a full day of walking and sight-seeing. It may be good for kids only but I did enjoy it A LOT! hahaha... It's like watching a Disney show. The sounds and lights and the narration made by a ventriloquist and a clown makes the show entertaining. The music is definitely wonderful! At that night, an orchestra of Singaporean students performed before the actual fountain show started.

The above are just a few of the places I've been to during my revisit to Singapore. If you are a shopping fan, perhaps Singapore is not the place for you to enjoy. Goods are quite costly. I missed Bangkok all of a sudden! However, the food is great and I enjoyed the black seafood noodles. Ah and one more thing, I had an opportunity to meet my former English teacher in High School who is now residing in Singapore with her family for good.

Are you planning to fly to Singapore, soon? Make sure it happens. You won't regret it!

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Apr 2, 2008

A glimpse of the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm in Southern California, USA

A DELAYED BLOG ENTRY

October 2007 - Cruising down the Tehachapi Mountain Pass in Southern California in the United States gave me the opportunity to take this priceless shot of the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm. Thanks to my mobile phone ofcourse for I was able to quickly capture a very good angle of the Wind Farm.

This unique scenery brought back an unforgettable childhood memory. It was indeed a sudden flashback as I recalled one of my favorite movies when I was about 7 years old -- Mac and Me, a family movie about a disabled boy and an extraterrestial. According to Wikipedia: "The decision to create it was based largely on the success of E.T. (1982). The title itself, Mac and Me, comes from the working title for E.T. — E.T. and Me." In this movie, I can recall a scene where the characters are traversing through the Tehachapi Wind Farm. Thanks to YouTube, I found a video clip of Mac and Me. After almost 20 years, it was indeed a great experience to personally witness an unforgettable scene in an unforgettable movie of my childhood! =D

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Apr 1, 2008

A day in Saraburi Sunflower Fields and Khao Yai National Park Thailand

A DELAYED BLOG ENTRY

It was an unplanned weekend agenda for me in December 2007 to join my friends in their visit to some of the provinces in Central Thailand. In less than two-hour drive from Bangkok, we made our first stop at a vineyard in Saraburi (vineyard - a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice). A freshly prepared ice-cold 100% grape juice was a very good welcome starter! Not too far from this vineyard is the most popular destination in Saraburi during winter season --- the Sunflower Fields.

It was a delightful scenery of bright yellow and orange shades of 5 to 10 inches diameter wide sunflowers blending perfectly with the green base-like valleys. Striking against the cool wind are the sunrays that make the scene even more brighter. Imagine such a beautiful view (left and right) which I thought can only be seen in pictures and movies, while cruising down the highway. So during our stop, I got excited to plunge myself into the Sunflower fields. The ending -- I got yellow stains all over my jeans (haha!).

The day tour ended with a reinvigorating hiking at Khao Yai National Park. This park extends across four provinces: Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi. It was good to feel and inhale the fresh air coming from the mountains and forests which you will never experience in Bangkok! The steep way to the falls was the best part. We crossed a forest and a river and hiked-down to a viewing den just to get a closer view of the falls.

After such a refreshing day, the reality was that we needed to go back to Bangkok and get our lungs polluted once more (hehe).

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