It was Jurong Bird Park day for me. Instead of taking the MRT straight through, I decided to ride through all the stops of the red line to see "what's out there." Apparently, not much: just high-rise apartments at each stop. But seeing the greenery and nice roads really made me like Singapore. What a stark contrast from Manila!
At the Jurong East MRT stop, I took the bus to Jurong Bird Park. I was pretty proud of myself for knowing where to go, and not having to backtrack. After paying the entrance fee, the first thing I saw was the photo place where you can get your picture taken with the birds. Price tag? SGD17. I thought that was way too expensive and decided to forget it. I went around the park and sweated every step of the way. Grabe, super init eventhough I got there at 10AM. I tried to stay away from the SGD3 bottled water, but when I found the SGD2 bottled water at the back of the park, I decided that I better cough up the money before heatstroke caught up with me.
While going around, loneliness was what caught up with me. All my shots were of birds and none of me! Blasphemy. So what did I do? Yes, I paid the SGD17 for the picture of me with the birds and I looked like a dork because all the birds were on me. Even the photographer had to ask, "Just you?" Dammit!
After four hours (didn't think it would take me that long), I headed back to the MRT station to go "downtown." I was again starving by this time because I wouldn't eat at the only restaurant at the park because I knew the prices would be inflated. So what happened? I got lost again. I took the Raffles MRT stop instead of the City Hall MRT stop. When I got off Raffles, I went around and around, trying to find the Raffles Mall. Of course, I couldn't find it because I was at the wrong stop...and I can't read maps (This was THE revelation of the trip. Eventhough I love referring to maps, I don't know how to read them! If they're not pointing the right way, I don't know where to go! Tsk!). I finally went back down to the MRT station and took the train to the City Hall MRT.
I ate lunch at Raffles, checked out St. Andrew's Cathedral, and went down to the CityLink Mall to go to the Esplanade. Another thing to love about Singapore: there are directions everywhere! You'll never get lost (once you're inside somewhere).
Once at the Esplanade, I went to the rooftop to see the awesome bird eye's view (ang init!), then to the Esplanade Park to make muni-muni. Grabe, I loved the view of the Merlion, the marina, and the skyscrapers! I sat there for about forty-five minutes...while listening to two Filipinos behind me speaking in Tagalog. The guy goes, "Ano kaya yang babae na yan? Hindi naman Chinese kasi hindi naman brown yung buhok. Tiyaka kung Filipino yan, kinausap na tayo." God, I love it when I can understand people talking about me without them knowing! I eventually left them when a Chinese girl (who did have brown hair) sat down to the left of me and started smoking. Totally took me out of my muni-muni-ing!
I pulled out my Singapore Walking map and followed it to get to the Merlion with my uber memorable episode of jaywalking in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. Yup, I jaywalked in Singapore! Only to see the Raffles statue. I wonder how that excuse would have held up at the police station (I also jaywalked on Orchard Road, by the way. I'm cool, I know)! I saw the Boat Quay (pronounced "key") from afar, crossed the Cavanaugh Bridge, walked around Fullerton Hotel, then finally stopped in front of the Merlion. Asus, I thought it would be all grand, eh nilulumot na yung bibig ng Merlion, no! Regardless, I think I took pictures of the Merlion from all possible angles. It was the only thing I could do since there was no one to take a picture of me (tear!). Then I sat down and made muni-muni again...now from the other side of the marina! HeHe. Again, Filipinos were talking about me: "Pare, ako ang kukunan mo ng picture hindi yang babae!"
I headed back to Esplanade, thinking to myself that it does look like a durian. I took the CityLink again to go to Suntec for the Fountain of Wealth, the largest fountain in the world. You know for such a small place, Singapore has the most "largest" of somethings! I didn't touch the middle of the fountain (Supposedly, after going around three times while touching the water, your wish will come true), but found myself making muni-muni again.
Refusing to spend too much money on food, I just rode the MRT back to Orchard and bought myself some pastries at the Paragon grocery store. Price of bottled water? SGD.40! If you want it cold, just add SGD.15. Darn those over-priced goods at Jurong!
Once I got back to the hotel, I ate, showered, and ended up sleeping instantly. Grabe ang pagod! Loved the exercise, though!
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