Singapura Take 2

The first time I was in Singapore, I didn't think I'd be back any time soon. Or ever. For me, it's worth visiting only once. It's a small country after all and if you're after the cultural experience rather than shopping for signature brands, there's not really much to do. As I'm not one to travel just to go shopping abroad, I wasn't really planning on visiting it again.

Dinner with Nee-chan and Karly @ Yellow Cab, NAIA Terminal 3

But guess who's back in less than a year? Both Nee-chan and Karly haven't been to SG yet so we decided to make it the first stop in our South-East Asia (SEA) adventure. Don't get me wrong, Singapore is a beautiful and extremely clean country. But there's only one thing that can make me want to come back again and again in a certain place. Food. And from the last time I was there, it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. I went home barely craving for anything from Singapore. I don't think Reese's White Peanut Butter Cups and flavored Yakult count as authentic Singaporean cuisine, right?

Nee-chan, Karly and I left Manila on April 5 (Maundy Thursday) at 11:25 PM. With my trusty neck pillow and eye mask in hand, I was ready for our red-eye flight. I think I fell asleep even before the plane took off. Haha

Getting ready to catch some Z's!

We arrived at Changi International Airport around 2 AM but instead of taking a cab to Ate Sugar's place, we decided to crash at McDonald's while waiting for the MRT to open. I woke up at 5 AM shivering from the AC. Tip: No matter the weather, bring a jacket for red-eye flights! I learned the hard way that a pashmina is not enough. :(

The MRT didn't open until 6 AM so we had no choice but to wait along with other tourists at the lobby closest to the elevators that lead to Changi Station. The train ride from Changi to Chinatown takes about 40 minutes but after getting lost a little, we arrived at our hostel after an hour. The landlady at Fernloft Chinatown obviously wasn't happy with our early arrival even though I informed them about it beforehand. Ugh. It's way better to stay at backpacker hostels with younger staff. *ehem* River City Inn *ehem* She was so unaccommodating, we decided to just leave our luggage and go to Ate Sugar's place instead to freshen up.

Rainy afternoon at USS. :(

After a quick shower and some breakfast, we're off to Universal Studios Singapore! Upon arriving at the MRT station, Ate Sugar realized she left her phone at home and went back to get it as it's the only form of communication we have with Gwenn and Sha who will be arriving later in the day. We agreed to just meet up at Loui's NY Pizza Parlor at 12 PM for lunch.

Thank God for coin lockers!

Nee-chan, Karly and I then set off to Sentosa by ourselves. It was raining when we arrived. :( Thank goodness, we came prepared unlike the last time I was here. We rented a locker to leave our things behind while we go around USS. After buying discounted tickets, we're off to USS! Tip: Check their site for promos and discounts prior to your trip.

New York! New York!

We took a map and quickly came up with a strategy on how we're going to make the most of our time at the park. First stop: New York. After a couple of photo ops, we went to the nearest attraction - Lights! Camera! Action! which is hosted by Steven Spielberg. After the show, we went to Loui's NY Pizza Parlor to check up on cousins. When we didn't see any of them, we went to Hollywood hoping they would already be there.

A day with Marilyn.

Guess who we found in Hollywood? Nope, not our cousins. But hey, it's Marilyn Monroe! Who can pass up a photo op with her? I think Karly enjoyed that encounter the most.

With Frankie.

After Marilyn, we saw Frankenstein near the popcorn stand and asked for a photo with him. He obliged but not without putting his scare on first. RAWR!

With Po.

Meanwhile, there was a line forming across the street but the star was nowhere to be found. When he arrived, the crowd went wild. It was Po! Now, Ate and I are absolutely crazy about pandas so we were naturally ecstatic and hurriedly fell in line. Funny how Karly looked the happiest in these photos though. :))

With Woody.

We decided to call Ate Sugar's cell and learned that she was already buying her ticket. We were waiting for her at the entrance when Woody Woodpecker appeared! Okay, so I called him Roadrunner at first but whatever. Haha After our photo op, we finally saw Ate Sugar!

With Audrey Hepburn's star.

Looks like it's our lucky day, right? So many character encounters in just a few minutes. Since Audrey Hepburn couldn't make it in person (duh), we just took pictures of her star. This time, with Ate Sugar. One down, only two more cousins to find! I wonder what Gwenn and Sha were doing then.

Free food always tastes better!

We were so hungry, we couldn't wait for Gwenn and Sha, and headed to Loui's NY Pizza Parlor for lunch. Ate Sugar treated us so you can somehow say that we've had a taste of her SGD earnings. Thank you, Ate Sugar!

Ar Madagascar.

After lunch, we went to Madagascar: A Crate Adventure to relax. And I'm glad we did! After the ride, we saw another character celebrity come out the door and stalked him all the way to the pavilion!

With the biggest PUSSy we know. Haha

It's Puss in Boots everybody! We were one of the first ones in line thanks to our stalking skills. A photo op with Puss is always interesting. Look at all his poses!

At Far, Far Away

By this time, we were really starting to worry about Gwenn and Sha. As if they knew we were thinking about them, they called Ate Sugar's cell so we told them to meet us at Far, Far Away. While waiting, we noticed that it was almost time for the Shrek 4D Adventure to start. Naturally, we all went in without even thinking twice. True cousins FTW! :))

After the show, we looked for Gwenn and Sha around the vicinity but they were nowhere to be found. We were already considering moving on to the next world when Ate Sugar and I went back to the little outdoor cafe next to the castle one last time just to be sure. We were about to give up when we saw Gwenn and Sha sitting at the farthest table! OMFGFINALLEEEEEH!!

At  Ancient Egypt.

We talked about their misadventures (aka why they arrived super late!) on the way to Ancient Egypt. Now that our party is complete at last, we all headed to my favorite ride in the park - Revenge of the Mummy!!!! If you're in USS, don't ever leave without trying out this ride. Sure, the walk from the entrance to the actual ride is pretty creepy and really tiring, but I'm telling you, it's all worth it. I'm terrified of heights but I'm a sucker for indoor roller-coasters. Especially the ones with surprising twists and turns. Literally and figuratively in this case.

Can you find us?

Our picture ended up looking way funnier than I expected, we actually bought it even though it's crazy expensive. I couldn't choose between Ate Sugar and Karly on who's got the most terrified look. HIGHlarious! If we had more time, we'd definitely go on it again.

The Parade.

Since we have time to kill before the next WaterWorld show, we went to Lost World for the Canopy Flyer. Gwenn and I shared a canopy and it was crazy. The ride was not scary the first time I tried it. But now, it seemed scarier because I was sitting in front. Or maybe because I was wearing leggings and I can't help but slide down a little during dips.

After the ride, we were just in time for the parade so we found ourselves a nice little spot and enjoyed the parade. Not much to say about it except Prince Charming sure was charming! I wish he went around for photo ops as well. Hihi

WaterWorld.

When the parade was through, the ropes for WaterWold was finally released and the people started running towards it. Crazy people are crazy!!! I found myself running along with them though. Haha

Next to Revenge of the Mummy (and TRANSFORMERS The Ride), WaterWorld is my favorite USS attraction. I love attractions that are indescribable. You just have to experience it and find out for yourself what it's like!

At Sci-Fi City.

Finally, we went to Sci-Fi City and decided to fall in line to try the newest attraction - TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle. We've passed by it several times that day but the line just seems to never end. I'm glad we decided to stick around though. It was definitely worth the wait! The ride was so realistic, I was screaming and ducking the entire time. Amazing!

Dinner at Mel's Diner.

After riding at least one ride from each world, we went to Mel's Diner for a quick dinner. And then, it's time to finally leave USS. By this time, I was feeling a little sick already.

Didn't get to ride the Luge again. :(

Since we arrived late, we also got out of USS late. We were rushing towards the tram, hoping that we'll make it in time for a ride at the Luge before it closes. Unfortunately, we didn't make it. Sad cousins are sad. Yes, na-luge talaga kami, if you know what I mean.

Day 2

Singapore Flyer

Since we're only staying in SG for 2 days, now's the time to do all those touristy stuff. And since our guesthouse was near a bus stop, we decided to take the bus this time. Unfortunately, we got off the wrong (first) stop so we had to take another bus to get off at the right stop where we'll wait for the actual bus that will take us to Singapore Flyer. Whew! But the misadventure didn't end there. The (second) stop where we're supposed to get off was under construction so we had to get off at the next stop! We ended up walking from Marina Bay Sands to Singapore Flyer! Nakakaloka! But we did make it eventually.

Flavored Yakult for recess! The start of our many trips to 7-11.

We were so tired from the long walk from Marina Bay Sands to Singapore Flyer, we had to stop by the nearest 7-11 for refreshments. Oh thank God for flavored Yakult!

Pardon our subway weirdness.

But even though we're tired, we still had time to goof around in the subway. We even followed a couple of guys who dressed like they're in a boyband or something.

Singapore River Cruise

Next stop: Singapore River Cruise. I've tried this before but I'm willing to do it again for my sibs and cousins. Plus I got discounted tickets (Singapore Flyer + Singapore River Cruise) from Cebu Air Travel & Tours Pte Ltd. If you want, you can check out their office at Lucky Plaza (304 Orchard Road #03-65, SG 238863) for some affordable tour packages. Tip: Again, do loads of research for your trips! You'll be surprised at how much you can save thanks to promos and discounts.

Aeroline + The Chicken Rice Shop.

After the river cruise, we went back to our guesthouse to get our luggage then headed to HarbourFront Centre to claim our boarding passes at the Aeroline Ticket Office. Since we were a bit early, we had lunch at the nearby McDonald's. Yay for seaweed fries! We also bought a couple of snacks to bring for our trip. Then we exchanged a few Singapore Dollars to Malaysian Ringgits, and waited for the bus to arrive at the terminal.

The bus was pretty clean and comfy. My favorite part was the free dinner from The Chicken Rice Shop. It's the best meal I've had in Singapore. Or should that be Malaysia? I don't care where it's from (where it's frooom~♫). I just love it! And now that I'm thinking about it, I kinda miss it. :(

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Traveling party: Gwenn, Karly, Nee-chan, Sera (organizer), and Sha
Travel date: April 5-7, 2012 [Day 0-2]
Photo credits: Karl