My first day was a tough day. All things in my checklist was ditched for a "hostel hunting". It was a very frustrating day...especially on one's birthday! I was too tired to really roam around so I spent my time in my bunk the whole evening reading the stuff I got from the tourism station at the airport.
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Top Bunk, Bed C, Room 2 |
I woke up late because I was not used to sleeping in a sort of "public" place. I always have the room for myself when I travel. It's just that I am in a shoestring budget when I decided to wander out of the "Philippine Area of Responsibility" (parang bagyo lang!:))). Hence, backpacker's hostel became the most apparent option!
First stop: Marina Bay
I did not intend to have my first stop at the Marina Bay. It was my natural tendency to be lost that brought me there!
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The Marina Bay Sands Hotel Resort - Casino |
I hopped on the MRT hoping to go to Vivo City and get to Sentosa Island. I guess I took the wrong turn so my wandering feet followed the flow of people out of the Marina Bay Station. I walked as if I am a local and blended with the crowd. Confident in the outside, uber worried and lost in the inside (parang M&Ms lang!) And There I go! I walked past the mighty Marina Bay Corporate Center and Residence towards the lagoon where the Marina Bay Sands Hotel-Casino stands mighty and proud.
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A closer look... |
The park around the bay area looks great and refreshing!
The Fullerton Hotels
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The Fullerton Bay Hotel |
The wrong stop was the right stop after all. My walking tour started by going around the bay in search for a better angle to shoot the enormous piece of art...err hotel. The walk introduced me to The Fullerton Bay Hotel and the more historic One Fullerton where I first saw and touched (may ganun!) a Lamborghini! It's just sad that I didn't get to have a photo (natakot ako baka bawal...hehehe)
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The Fullerton Hotel |
Did I forget to mention that the weather was bipolar?! One minute it was freakin' hot and it gets wet a second after!
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It's like a scene in a movie where the darkness is slowly eating the light! |
I took shelter under the shades of those posh cafes along the bay while continuously marveling at the sights.
The Merlion
The Merlion is Singapore's Symbol, part lion-part fish mythical creature. No tourist leaves this small state without having a photo with this famed creature! Not me! Well, not that I don't want to. It's just that he's having his beauty rest for his birthday celebration.
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no tourist-y souvenir photo with the Merlion! T_T |
Since I can't unwrap the mythical beast, I settled for the baby merlion!
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It may not be as fierce as the original, but it's definitely more cute! |
I got tired of walking! Yeah! The weather's not really helping by being oh! so! humid plus I wanted to relax a bit. Because I was recently diagnosed with hepatomegaly, I haven't been to Starbucks for quite some time and I felt I deserved to have a break. After all, this trip was a birthday celebration!
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Cookie Crumble Frappe if I'm not mistaken |
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I want to buy one of those...but stopped...ANG MAHAL! |
Starbucks at home is a bit pricey for me...much more here! A venti Cookie Crumble Frappe costs SG $8.00++!!! Oh well! It's Singapore, where everything is supposed to be pricey (except maybe for gadgets). I left my alco-gel here! and I couldn't find a store that's selling one, even at 7-Eleven!
Having my coffee fix, I wandered a bit more by the bay...
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Esplanade...The durian theatre! |
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LV! Their shoppe is one of the two floating pavilions at the Marina Bay Shoppes |
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Underneath the bridge where you'll find Starbucks. |
I loved the al fresco ambiance of Starbucks...under the bridge. Sa ilalim ng tulay ay sosyal!
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Singapore Flyer from afar |
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The Duck Tour... |
The Duck Tour goes around the city like your usual tour bus and dives into the water like a duck to go around the bay...cool trick huh!
I wanted to see the world up at the Sky park so I headed towards the Helix Bridge where the heavy rain finally caught me right in the middle!
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Trapped underneath a piece of fiber glass fixture... |
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putting emphasis on the complexity of this functional work of art |
The Skypark, apparently has a fee...SG $20. The shoestring budget says no! So there I go...a bit disappointed but was determined to be back (whenever that may be). So I lounged along the ArtScience Museum. That odd, lotus-like structure just outside the hotel.
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The lotus pond outside |
Again, since I am on a tight budget, I wanted to enjoy the sights without spending much! hahaha mahirap lang talaga! :)) The fee was SG $15-25, if I remember it right. So I didn't bother to take refuge inside the marvelous structure...
My wandering feet took me somewhere free...
Gardens by the Bay!