Travel round-up for 2012

I started out this blog a year ago not knowing if people would actually spend their precious time reading what I write in it. And as the year ends, I want to thank all of you who have read, commented and joined me in my trips. This blog has opened my eyes to new horizons and have been an avenue for me to bond with friends and meet (even just online) some of the most friendly and down to earth travelers/backpackers/ nomads out there.

So as we say goodbye to 2012, let me take you to the trips that made me smile and realize that though we may have been to a lot of places, there are still a lot more waiting to be discovered and explored. Happy new year everyone! :-)

                                                        Southeast Asia

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Putrajaya, Malaysia

Putrajaya, Malaysia

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore

Philippines

Biri, Northern Samar

Biri, Northern Samar

Biri, Northern Samar

Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Mt. Pinatubo, Zambales

Angono, Rizal

Paoay, Ilocos

Kapurpurawan Rock, Ilocos

Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Mt. Pinatubo, Zambales

      

Bangui Windmills, Ilocos

                                                                                                         

The Merlion and the Changing Colors of Marina Bay Sands

Singapore’s most famous symbol, the Merlion stands high near the Marina Bay Sands. What is a trip to Singapore without taking a picture of this symbolic icon? According to Wikipedia - "the Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore.  Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese.  The lion head represents Singapore's original name — Singapura - meaning lion city or kota singa."  We had a hard time taking a picture of it though since it rained the night we went there.  Droplets of water have covered our camera lenses and after several attempts, this was the best I could come up with:

Near the Merlion statue is another Singapore icon, the Marina Bay Sands. It’s shape is like there’s a surfboard on top of three buildings. We were fortunate enough to witness the lights show.  Here are some of my shots before and during the show:

A day at Universal Studios Singapore

 A trip to Singapore will not be complete without visiting the Universal Studios.  We bought our tickets at one of the train stations in downtown Singapore. We got it for S$72 (less S$2 of its normal Peak Day pass of S$74) plus they also gave us a free ticket to the Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium.  We bought our ticket a day before so as we can avoid the long lines at the park's ticket counter.  Below are the ticket prices published in the park's website:

Prices are in Singaporean Dollars

Universal Studios is located in Sentosa Island.  You can reach it by taking a train from Vivo City to Sentosa and alight at the first station, the Waterfront Station.  Your first glimpse of the park is it's infamous landmark, the rotating "Universal" globe.  You surely can't miss to have your photo op in this area. Tip:  wait until the entire word "Universal" is seen before you hit your camera's shutter.

The theme park is divided into seven zones: Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar.  I recommend that you spend the entire day here so that you'd be able to explore all the attractions in the different zones.  Don't forget to check out the Transformers attraction as well as the Shrek 4D experience, it's really, really cool!  To complete the experience, you can line up for a photo with some of the famous cartoon and movie characters.

Photo op with Marilyn

New York

With Bumblebee at Sci-Fi City

Entrance to the Transformers ride

People flock to ancient Egypt

Water World

Shrek and Fiona's castle in Far, Far Away

Madagascar

There are some restaurants and snack booths all over the park so don't worry about getting a bite or two.  Drinking fountains are almost everywhere so you can refill your water bottles.

Has anyone ever tasted Marilyn's legs? :-)

Pick your souvenirs at the various shops throughout the park.

Just before we left Universal Studios, I met Woody!

Not Woody Allen, but Woody, Woodpecker :-P

Eating Singapore style

Aside from shopping, Singapore is also known for its hawkers.  These are food stalls selling cheap but delicious Singaporean dishes.  I was so excited to try out the food!  We went to a hawker station near the Esplanade and my friend who's based in Singapore did the ordering.  She made us try out the stingray and rose drink.  We also tried the Char Kway Teow. The food was a bit spicy but it was something that one can still tolerate.  I think you can request for no-spice when you order it.  I have an allergy for seafoods but that didn't stop me from trying out the dishes served in front of me (I bought my medicines anyway, haha).

From left: Fried rice, barbecue, rose drink, Char Kway Teow and Spicy Stingray

If you happen to be in Singapore, you can also check out their chicken rice.  Chicken rice is also a known dish in Singapore.  But unfortunately, I wasn't able to taste it.  I wanted to see if the chicken rice in Wee Nam Kee Singapore tastes just the same as that of their branch here in Manila.  You can also try out the tofu fries in I love Tamei.  I've heard it tastes good too.  Do share your stories with me when you get to taste it. :-)

Orchard Road and Bugis Street

Most people usually think shopping when they hear about Singapore.  True enough, it was a shopaholic's paradise.  Orchard Road is filled with famous brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Georgio Armani to name a few. A wide selection of clothes, shoes and bags are there for anyone who's ready to burn their wallet or max out their credit cards.  But for a poor backpacker like me, it was torture. I was contented posing in front of the stores and just do window shopping.  Haha.

There were a lot of different malls along Orchard Road and one can easily get lost among the long aisles of branded items.  Prices range from S$12 to who knows what. The Great Singapore Sale happens this weekend so expect all the items to be on super sale.  My friend says that sometimes prices can go down to 70% off during this time.

After going to different stores we saw this S$1 ice cream stand.  It's a perfect refuge on a hot summer day.  You can choose from a variety of flavors and whether you want your ice cream to be placed in a cone, a wafer or bread.  I chose a sweet corn flavored ice cream in a wafer.  It was delicious!

Further away from the ice cream stand, there was a guy playing an instrument along the street.  I was impressed by the beautiful sound that he made using an Appalachian Dulcimer – an American folk musical instrument created somewhere between 1800’s - 1940.   His music evoked a certain calmness, very different from the fast-paced people walking along Orchard Road.

Budget conscious people flock to Bugis Street for cheap finds.  It's also a long stretch of stalls selling shirts, souvenirs, bags and many others.  I was able to buy my trip souvenir here - a Singapore magnet for S$5. Haggle and you can get discounts when you buy in bulk.

Singapore truly is a shopper's paradise.  It has something to offer someone who likes branded items and someone who's on a budget.  Be sure to wear comfortable shoes since walking through the long stretch of stalls can be tiring.  Also bring enough water or be prepared to pay at least S$1.50 for a bottle.

And as a bonus, there was a Canon Blogger Workshop on one of the malls in Orchard Road. I get to see the international celebrity photographer, Russell James.