Today's plan is to do a walking tour around the Colonial center in Singapore. I will be doing a lot of walking so I have to dress up appropriately and comfortably. I took residence in my friends house which is conveniently located near a train station.

old Fire Station building

a collage of Post its!

the Merlion is now a mermaid! So cute!

Cavanagh Bridge

a view of the Fullerton Hotel from the bridge

Want to take a plunge? But you have to do it naked!

Hawker food stalls at Boat Quay

wide selection of food

While the Hawker Center at Boat Quay was readily accessible for us to have our meal, we preferred going to Maxwell Hawker Center where the food is cheaper. From Boat Quay, we took a bus going towards Chinatown.

Maxwell Hawker Center

After having lunch, we explored Chinatown. I wasn't able to take pictures in the temples since it is not allowed. We visited temples and did a little shopping at the flea market. Then, we took the SMRT again. Now, we're headed to the National Museum of Singapore.

newly renovated National Museum of Singapore

life-size model of houses in Singapore in the past

wide halls of the museum

school uniforms

I'm not a city person. I don't appreciate the bustling city streets and towering buildings. This is mainly the reason why I wasn't looking forward to my Singapore trip. It was more of a transit--but for 2 days. But in my very short stay in this small but progressive country, I came to prove myself wrong. Singapore is a good tourist destination. There are so many things to do--and you won't be able to do everything in as short as two days.

The sky was still high up when we exited Kowloon Park. Upon exit, we were immediately greeted by lots and lots and lots of stores. The colorful lights was inviting but, we were not tempted.

After quite a long, hot-under-the-sun stroll, we ended up in Kowloon Walled City Park. To get here, check this link.

First stop is the Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars. Well, we really didn't recognize any character plainly because every single display were characters in Hong Kong comics. But they were just so cute that we took photos with the non-moving characters.

I'm not really a city person. If given I choice, I would always go for the tranquility of rural destinations. But of course, coming to a developed city such as Hongkong is a welcomed opportunity. Yeah, we have all these towering buildings in Manila or Cebu, but there would always be something new and something to learn about.

We arrived in Hongkong at about 9 in the morning via a Cebu Pacific flight from Cebu and the first thing that came to my mind was, "Wow, their airport is huge!". Haha! We immediately took out our cameras and started taking photos as we go through immigration, luggage claiming section, and arrival area.


After we had enough of our photo ops, we were headed to the bus terminal to take a bus that will take us to the city center. I was very excited because this was my first time to take a double-decker bus. We immediately paid our fare, placed our luggage on the luggage compartments, and rushed to the 'second floor', front seats to get the best view.

very spacious and comfy seats

After we checked in in our guesthouse in Mongkok, we were now ready for our stroll. We dropped by a restaurant first--an Italian--to have our late lunch. Then dropped by a Chinese medicine store to buy medicine for our friend who wasn't feeling well that time.

the streets of HK

at a Chinese medicine store

We didn't have plans of where to go or what to do for our first day in HK so we just let our feet, luck, and curiosity take us somewhere.

Continue to Strolling in Hong Kong PART 2: Kowloon Park.

Prince Plaza II Condotel is one of the many accommodations owned and managed by St. Francis Suites. Prince Plaza is located right beside Greenbelt and just a few steps away from it's brother Prince Plaza I.

photo is not mine

cable TV and free WiFi access

mini kitchen

It was so unfortunate that we had a rushed trip to Macau. Blame those travel companions without travel plans! (peace!) Anyways, I just had to make the most of my one-day-only stay at this amazingly bright and colorful city.

We took a fast boat, Turbojet, from HK to Macau. It's similar to the fast crafts that we have in the Philippines. The boat trip was short and comfortable---thanks to the cushion seats and fun companions. After getting through the immigration, we rushed out to look for maps and money changer. HK dollar is accepted in Macau though.

I always plan my trips and study bus or train routes of the place I'm going to. We took the right bus but, we failed to alight at our stop. No choice but to take another bus and alight at Senado Square. We didn't book any accommodation, so we just walked around (with our luggages!) and looked for the most convenient, clean, and cheap guesthouse.  We ended up at Vila Universal which is very near Macau's tourist spots. After a short nap, we started discovering the charm of Macau.

Me, the tourist.

We started our tour with a walk around Senado Square which is the most touristy place in Macau. Frankly, I was surprised that the old buildings were occupied by commercial establishments. I was expecting them to be filled with museums and history stuff.

Mc Mc Mcdo!

Green Tea Sundae. Didn't like it.

You'll never get lost in the square; it's not that big. And also, there are very helpful signs around.



The street going up to the Ruins of St. Paul will not only lead you to the picturesque site but will also fill your stomach. We went out without having our lunch yet. And it was a very warm welcome seeing all those free, sample food. Of course, we won't let this opportunity pass. We basically entered every store and tasted everything until we got sick of it!

free taste of beef jerky

The street leading to the ruins was full of tourists making it hard for us make our way to the landmark. Along the way, I saw a food cart selling egg tarts. I heard that egg tarts in Macau are the best. They really are. It was, by far, the best egg tart I ever tasted.




The highlight of our Macau trip was actually visiting the famous casinos and hotel. Where else to go first but The Venetian. At first glance of the building I was immediately at awe. With all its bright lights, huge size, and incredible architecture, the tour was definitely captivating.



The most mind-boggling experience was the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Those super bright lights and daylight-similar environment. Totally mind-f*ck. Haha! That canal too. Super awesome!





We also went inside the casino and met a lot of Filipino workers there. They were very friendly. They help us find our way out of the enormous Venetian Hotel and Casino.

We then took a shuttle bus from the Venetian to Senado Square. This is free so expect a queue. And this is how the square looks like at night...



Below is a summary of our actual itinerary and expenses. You may use this as a guide on your trip to Macau:
         

11:00am	HK to Macau via Turbojet	Ticket: 150HKD
12:00nn	Arrival in Macau Take Bus to Senado Square	Fare: 3.2HKD
1:00pm	Check in at Vila Universal	300HKD
2:00pm	Tour: Senado Square, The Ruins, Fortress, Macau Tower, The Venetian
8:00pm	REST
THE NEXT DAY
10:30am	Hostel to Ferry	Fare: 3.2HKD
12:00nn	Macau to HK via Turbojet	Ticket: 149HKD