How it all started?
One day, my friend/officemate/housemate came to my desk not being her usual composed self. She said she was stressed (she looked like one, honestly speaking) and talk me into traveling to Singapore. A few minutes later, we were busy looking up cheap flights.
In the coming weeks, we looked for cheap accommodations, researched for a good itinerary, contacted friends who have been there, and asked for suggestions.
Days passed by and finally, the day of the departure came.
The Twist
WE.MISSED.THE.FLIGHT. Another twist, we just had enough budget to make it through the whole trip. We were not earning a lot and it was safe to say that at that moment, we were broke.
My friend did not want to go anymore but then we received a notice that our yearly bonus was sent to our accounts. It was only then we decided on a “full” go.
Finally, at midnight, the next earliest flight, we were flying to Singapore. An infant passenger was crying throughout the flight we barely managed to nap (Hello, economy class!). Good thing Changi airport is an excellent airport, we were able to get some sleep from there.
Day 1 - Settling and roaming around the Lion City
We have no time to waste. After literally just dropping our bags at my friend's cousin's place (our original hostel got forfeited because we were not able to check-in the other day), we started our journey in the city.
First stop, Marina Bay. You have never been to Singapore if you haven’t seen the Merlion, the iconic half-lion-half-fish symbol of the city.
It was a beautiful morning. There were very few people at the Merlion Park waterfront when we came because it was super early.
Thirty minutes later groups of tourists start flocking and so we left the scene.
We found refuge in this bridge. :D
We did the cheapest way possible to explore - by going on foot. We found some interesting buildings nearby, the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and the Asian Civilisations Museum.
The museum was closed that day. (We don’t have time to explore museums anyway). I was holding the map we got from the airport. Aside from not having enough money, I also do not have a mobile phone that time. It fell on the beach some time before our trip. So, we our doing our old-fashioned tour, through a map!
We also passed by the Cavenagh Bridge, one of the oldest bridges in Singapore, with Fullerton Hotel, a five-star hotel, on the other side.
We then decided to try the MRT (at least, we got money for the train), which led us to China Town!
It looks like a typical China Town. :)
The weather was really hot that day - perhaps it is always like that in SG but there are things that made our senses busy, like these colorful stores.
We also passed by this path. I found it amusing to see this kind of path in the middle of the city.
We went to Haji Lane after and spent quite some time here because there were a lot of instagrammable spaces! We stopped by each store to take a picture or two.
You will love this place even if you are not an artist.
We got curious about the Sultan Mosque, too. Although we did not spend much time here because there were too many people (we practiced social-distancing even before the pandemic).
We also passed by the Malay Heritage Centre where we struggled taking photos of ourselves. One of those days when you question yourself, "why did I not bring a tripod?"
In the afternoon, we decided to go to the mall for a quick break. Walking in Singapore streets in broad daylight is tough!
After eating at a restaurant, we decided to see the Singapore Flyer.
I specifically love this particular street because of the greens. Singapore has a very good balance of nature and city vibe.
One of my fave spots. Not a lot of people. The grass, the wind, and the silence are simply refreshing. I can sleep here! But wait, no time to waste!
Afterward, we thought we would like to see the Marina Bay Sands. It looked so pretty in the golden hour. We don’t have money to check in though. :D
We went to the Shoppes instead, a Marina Bay Sands shopping mall. It smelled of elegance upon entry. We were mesmerized.
For some reason, we could not find the exit (laughs). We kept on walking until we got up to the rooftop and rode the elevator from there. Perhaps we were just really bad at directions.
My friend got blisters on her feet. I felt bad seeing her walk uncomfortably.
We stayed there for a while to just appreciate the beauty laid in front of us. I must say, the best of Singapore can be seen at night.
Ah, I cannot believe we survived the first day in Singapore. It is not a cheap city but we were able to feed ourselves just right. We ate chicken rice at a local stall. We just know it is good judging on the people who kept in line to order. We also ate at the mall and I brought biscuits with me (laughs).
That’s it for the Day 1 of our Singapore trip. It was tiring but the beauty of the places compensated for it. We still had one more day to roam around. Join me again on the next blog where we get to explore more of Singapore!
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