Uniquely Singapore 2016: Day 1

It's been a while since I wrote a travel post, that's why I am very excited to share with you my recent Singapore trip. Just so know you, this is my 1st trip abroad so its a HUGE deal for me. Now you may be asking, "Why Singapore?". Well, first thing, I got my round-trip ticket in promo fare so that was a deal breaker hehe. Next, I have a friend there (Hi Fred!) that I want to visit. There you go, so let's get down to my post.

Like my Palawan trip, I will share with you my day-to-day in my Singapore and then I will also post separate entries of places, activities and what-have-you, that made my trip truly sassy!

I arrived in SG around 3AM and my friend was already waiting for me. Below is the 1st photo that I took, and if you notice I was in a restroom. Well, I was the only one there and I'm just too happy and excited that I made it haha.

Touchdown SG!!!

According to Fred, MRT will open at around 5AM so he suggested that we have breakfast first. To be honest, I am so excited for this trip that I want to go out and explore SG already. But reason prevailed and my friend hasn't gotten some sleep yet so I went with his suggestion. After breakfast and chit-chat, we went to his place so we both could catch some sleep.

People close to me know that I am a fan of Asian food, so part of my "must-do / must-try" for this trip is try authentic Singapore dishes and have them in true Singaporean style, eating at hawkers :) So for lunch, my friend gladly brought me to a hawker near his old office and mind you, the food selection was endless. I mean, there were so many that I want to try but I don't know where to start. So I asked Fred what he will be having and I'll just have the same. He recommended the Chicken Sambal of Aspirasi.

Chicken Sambal and Kopi

I'd describe Chicken Sambal (SGD 4.00) as fried chicken with sambal sauce which is kind of spicy. It has this what looks to me is crispy fried batter, you top it and eat it together with the chicken. It was good but it was too spicy for me so I removed some of the sambal sauce. We paired our meal with Kopi (SGD 1.00) which delighted the coffee-lover in me.

My first stop for my SG trip, Universal Studios Singapore! Yey!

It was raining that day so while waiting for it to stop, picture time around Sentosa.

It was already 3PM or so when we entered Universal Studios. Well, I just followed Alfred's lead and went to whatever ride he recommends.

I admit I am such a scaredy cat that's why I am not a fan of horror houses and even horror movies. I was even about to cry when we tried the Mummy Ride in USS, but I survived (hallelujah!). 

Welcome to my castle :)

I enjoyed myself in USS but it was really tiring, my legs were crying from all the walk that I did. There is no time difference between Philippines and Singapore but 7PM there feels like 4 or 5PM in PH. We left USS around 9PM and decided to have dinner in a "high-end" hawker in a nearby mall.

For dinner, Alfred let me pick what I want to have and "left" me so I could try buying for myself.

Thank goodness for the English translation on the menu :)

 I decided to have the Single Set Meal (SGD 6.50) at Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. The set includes Hainanese chicken (I chose the roast variant), chicken rice, veggies and soup. It was good but I didn't like the veggies, it was kinda bitter. Alfred got a noodle dish (which I forgot the name) that has prawns in it.

Some rest before boarding the train :)

That wraps my Day 1 at Singapore. It was a tiring but definitely a fun-filled day. Stay tuned for Day 2!

Paradiso Palawan: Day 7 - More of Puerto Princesa City

 For our last full day in Puerto Princesa, we did a DIY Tour and again hired Tatay Rey to be our driver/ service for the day. He fetched us early and our first stop is the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.

So what is it about this prison that makes it unique? Well Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm has a successful program that lets their inmates be"free" and work at the rice fields. Upon entering, you will see hectares of land planted with rice and other vegetables. Crops and produce that they harvest are used for their sustainability and they also sell them to visitors of the farm.

Iwahig Prison also has souvenir shop which also serves as a livelihood program for the inmates. Displayed here are handicrafts, artworks, souvenirs and other items that the inmates made themselves. Items here can be a bit pricey from the regular souvenir shop, but a portion of the sales enables the inmates to send money to their families or buy personal effects.

A very talented inmate who draws pictures on wood using a soldering rod.

After Iwahig Prison, our next stop is the Palawan Wildlife and Conservation Center or commonly known as Crocodile Farm. Although both Arby and I are not a fan of crocs, we hope to see them in action.

Crocodile Farm is open daily from 8:30 - 11:30AM and 1:00 - 4:30PM. Entrance is fee is Php 40.00, Php 30.00 and Php 20.00 for Adults, Senior Citizen and Children respectively. A tour guide is available and will explain to you the life and habitat of crocodiles.

Honestly, this is not my first time in a crocodile farm. I've been visiting one in Davao since I was a kid. Somehow I already have an idea on what to expect but still as we walk on the makeshift bridge, just above the crocodiles, I can't help but feel really scared.

I'm good with this :)

Next in our itinerary is the Butterfly Garden and Tribal Village.

Aside from the pretty butterflies, the place also houses a Palawan bearcat, some crocodiles, birds and other insects. A tour guide is also available and explains the qualities of each creature.

It was a nice surprise that this place also has another attraction which is the Tribal Village. Here they explain the daily life of the indigenous tribe Palaw'an; showcase their skills in handcraft making as well as in hunting.

Some members of the Palaw'an Tribe.

Across the road from the Butterfly Garden and Tribal Village is the road going to Mitras Ranch and Baker's Hill.

As the name suggests, Baker's Hill is famous for their baked goods. Entrance is totally free but food from outside is not allowed. There are few establishments inside the "park" which serve different food choices; from pizza and shakes to meriendas like turon (deep fried banana in spring roll) and pansit palabok.

The Unofficial Prenup Shoot of Arby and Van!

The Official Photographer and "Third Wheel" hehe J

We stayed a bit more in Baker's Hill. Took many many pictures because the place was beautifully landscaped and bought as many goodies as we can! 

So that's it for our last day in Puerto Princesa! I had such a blast from our whole stay in Palawan that I was feeling that kambak-kambak (come back, come back) they're talking about! But hey, no need to be sad because I am definitely coming back!