Singapore Holiday Trip: Changi Airport, Universal Studios and Little India

2103 December. Said goodbye to my country for a while for a six-day adventure around Singapore.

It was my first time to ride the plane and travel outside the Philippines.  I rarely travel into distant places then, and should there be opportunities, they were due to family outings, educational trips and Church camps, which usually occurred once or twice every year. Other places I've been outside our province (Laguna) were Cavite,Quezon, Bulacan, Batangas, Manila and Baguio. Hopping to Singapore was such a surprise. Thanks to my little sister who brought us there.

We arrived in Changi Airport 4 hours after. The place was classy, quiet and organized. I picked some free tourist maps placed beside the hallway.

SG is the melting pot of various races. Indians, Chinese, Southeast Asians, Western Whites scatter around the urban jungle. The Filipino work-force are present in different establishments. Being branded as the 'Fine City', strict regulation of rules are evident wherever you look. No wonder why the surrounding was clean and peaceful. 

TRANSPORTATION: Double-decked buses looked amusing. I learned that one needs to have a card which are placed before a small detector upon riding vehicles, be it a train, shuttle or sometimes, taxi.

 We stayed in Tito Dan and Tita Neunilyn's cozy and stylish apartment located in Toa Payoh and celebrated Christmas there. Our noche buena involved a meaningful discussion on the evident Reason of the occasion. Their Filipina friends joined us in our meal.  

Strolling around the country was tiring yet worth it. One has to gear up for a long walk to visit the sights. Here are two of the places we've been to:

THE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Universal Studios is one of the best tourist destinations in SG. You have to ride the Sentosa-bound train to reach this surreal dreamland where you can meet Pinocchio, walk around a huge castle and go candy shopping.

We saw file of people entering the castle, so we joined them to see what's inside. When we knew it was a 4D ride, we backed out.

We feasted on Indonesian delicacies during lunch. Nasi Goreng + Satay + Unfamiliar yet tasty dip = Perfect Burp!

LITTLE INDIA
...is a place blooming with colorful discoveries ranging from saris to  cheap gadgets. There are shops near Mustafa which sell DSLR Cameras for less. One of the shop owners offered me cool lenses for quite a low price.  I didn't buy them because I only had more or less $20  in my pocket, yet I was able to afford a nice filter.

...and what is visit to Little India without stepping inside one of its spice houses?