Uniquely Singapore 2016: Day 3

We are now in Day 3 of my Singapore trip.

This is the last full day I will be in SG so I really want to cover as much in my itinerary.

What better way to start the a day full of activities, but with a tasty and SG approved breakfast.

Here I had hawker-style kaya toast, soft boiled eggs and kopi. And as if the kaya toast wasn't enough, I also had some rolled pancakes. It really caught my attention because for only SGD 0.50, you get a decent serving of pancake and you get to choose what flavor for the filling. They have chocolate, matcha, red bean and custard. I got chocolate :)

Our first stop, Haw Par Villa!

This interesting park is named after the Aw brothers who created Tiger Balm ointment and entrance is totally free.
Located on a hill in Pasir Panjang, Haw Par Villa is not your usual theme park. It showcases pagodas, buddha, chinese mythology and folklore and other creatures that might give you the creeps.

They say touching Buddha's tummy brings good fortune.

Entrance to Ten Courts of Hell
WARNING: Graphic exhibit inside.

From Pasir Panjang, we went directly to Chinatown.

Aside from shopping for pasalubong, I really want to visit Chinatown because it is near two temples.

Being a Sociology major, I think it's normal that I have keen interest in different cultures.

 First temple is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

This massive architecture is not only a place of worship but also has a museum which houses sacred artifacts, a theater, the Sacred Hall where the centerpiece is what is believed is Buddha's canine tooth and a rooftop garden with a pagoda and Buddha prayer wheel.

Next is the Sri Mariamman (Hindu) Temple.

This is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and is now considered as a national monument.

For sure, you will not miss the 'gopuram' at the entrance gate, it is a 6-tier tower and detailed with dieties and other fabeled beings. There was no activity when we visited but still it was worth to see Hindu art and culture. From my research, the main festival in this temple is the fire walking ceremony usually held on October or November.

From culture and art, we now go to experience a different kind of high.

Next is the ION Sky at ION Orchard Mall.

At 56 floors above Orchard Road, you will get a 360 view of Singapore.

Entrance for this observatory is free but it can closed for private events so its better to check the date of your visit.

And since we are already at ION Orchard, I have to visit the Sephora store here.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the largest Sephora store in Asia so you can just imagine how excited I am.

I may have bored my friend here as I ecstatically browse through aisles of makeup, but what is a girl to do? Hehe.. 

However, I left the store empty-handed because products that I planned to purchase are either out of stock or not available in Singapore.

And in my last day here at SG, Fred and I got lost. Yes dear readers, LOST. 

What I remember is that we took a bus and was supposed to get off at this bus stop but missed it because we both fell asleep. We got off at the next bus stop that our bus was approaching hoping we are not yet that far.

Because of all the walking that we did that day, you can just imagine how hungry Fred and I was.

We decided to have at ___________. I am truly sorry, I never got the name of the restaurant that we ate but what I remember is that the food was really great. This mystery restaurant is in a quiet neighborhood and serve Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. We ordered Fish Curry and Fragrant Pork and paired it with some rice.

Fish Curry

The Fish Curry was no joke. It was sooo good but the serving is good for a whole family!
It was priced at SGD 25.00-30.00 so you might say that we could have realized that the serving was more for us two,
but as I said we are really hungry so we just ordered what we thought tastes good.
Nonetheless we finished the whole bowl, it was that good :)

Fragrant Pork

Our last and unexpected stop for the day is Clarke Quay. Here you get a glimpse of night-life in Singapore. 

Instead of having drinks at a bar here, we opted to buy beer at a convenience store and found a good spot at the bay. 

Over beer, Fred and I talked about life, goals in the future and whatever we can talk about. And there I realized, more than the sights, experience, food etc., it is also the people close to me that made this trip truly memorable :)

So that's it, my whole Singapore trip! If you are planning to visit SG, I hope my posts helped you decide which place to visit.  I will soon be posting individual entries for the "main attractions" that I visited so stay tune for that!