Sounds like fun?

YES IT WAS. I did all that at Rottnest Island, a nature reserve characterised by dark green Rottnest tea trees and lofty cypresses.

I love this island.

I think Rotto is one of the most picturesque hideaways unspoilt with natural beauty. Perfect place to wind down and cycle like there’s no tomorrow. Ok kidding.

A little background on the cycling; I think that conquering Rotto with Winn, my pretty sista and CW, our tough guide on these bikes is a courageous act. Why?

Those rented bikes were super lousy and literally a PITA!!! We suffered from an irritable butt ache the next 2 days after conquering Rotto. All you delicate girls who are thinking to try what we did, be prepared!

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I have a confession to make. We only managed to cover half of Rottnest Island. YES, not the entire island. Unfortunately, we woke up late and were only just in time for the 12pm ferry. Hey I’m on a vacation. How could you expect me to wake up earlier than an average day? That’s ridiculous. Heh.

Though it is a tiresome task, cycling around the island is really the best way to enjoy its beauty and everything it has to offer. I appreciate the fresh air, tranquility and a total lack of traffic. What a perfect getaway from an over-crowding city-life.

Felt so at home cycling carelessly on this charming island once inhabited by Aboriginal people for approximately 23,000 years when rising sea levels separated it from the mainland of Western Australia. It’s just so awesome to just keep peddling without ideas or serious thougts messing up my mind.

Then suddenly, a teeny-weeny crazy feeling came over me.

I got distracted by an enticing secluded beach!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Couldn’t hide my excitement. Skipped along the shoreline while both of them shared a smoke. I just had to soak up this awesome scenery. Look at the marvelous blue background.

I can’t believe that this lovely island was once a prison for Aboriginal people between 1838-1931? Rottnest was also an internment camp during both world wars. Goodness. What a dark history for a place so beautiful.

Fascinating isn’t it?

Dark stories aside, the island is refreshingly uncrowded with 63 sheltered beaches and 20 bays to choose from and that’s bad because I have a strong tendency to stop by every now and then to touch the crystal blue water and soft golden sand.

I know. I have such naughty fingers.

We would have gone for a quick swim if it wasn’t so chilly. The weather was spectacular and the cool sea breeze was never that comforting but the waters were still too cold. Argh should have stayed overnight to star-gaze.

Am so regretful for not having that planned out.

Good thing we scored at Quokka spotting. Oh hello little kangaroo-rat babies. I was so delighted to see these chubby rat-looking creatures!

Look at his beady eyes! SO CUTEE! I shall name him Koka. Lol. Ah Koka is almost about the size of a domestic cat. Missed Yuniko so much that I had to pat Koka a couple more times before my cravings to touch furry animals were satisfied. Koka’s thick shaggy fur was course and odd.

I felt like pulling his tail but he hopped away before I could try. Bad Boy. Pfff.

Native to Rottnest Island, he looks like a pint-sized kangaroo doesn’t he? Yeah he is not a rat! He’s actually a small marsupial like the forest wallabies and tree kangaroo. Lovely little creatures. Was playing with the thought of smuggling it to Jindi’s backyard. Nah.

Oh guess what. I’m sure you won’t like this too.

My worst ever experience at Rotto was this deceiving looking uphill ride! It was a horrifying route to the lighthouse. OMG. It looked OK right? But it was so tough to cycle up this cunning, sly, steep hill! We were like so gonna kill ourselves when CW said that’s the only way to reach Little Salmon Bay.

Blahhh we made it in the end. But it was tough. By the way, it is compulsory for a helmet to be worn at all times while riding. Urghh. Uncomfy. Thank goodness we made it over the salt lakes and got to one of the stunning cliffs.

After all that strenuous peddling, I needed a breather and this is the perfect spot to let my hair down.

Staring blankly over the horizon, I listened to the waves crash and died upon the rocks wishing that time could come to a standstill. Then I realised that it would be a huge mistake. I wouldn’t want that because I was alone. Felt like an aboriginal prisoner awaiting for some sort of emancipation. Yeah it was a rather grave feeling. Maybe the death of waves sneaked some grieve into my heart. Since that’s the case, I guess I rather be stuck in this imaginative vision with a soul mate. Makes more sense now. I’m so selfish. I know. But that’s just too bad.

I remember a story my girlfriend once told me. She lamented telling her ex everything he needed to know about her which include her desire to visit Rottnest but yet no action was taken. Years passed and he gradually forgot. A classic case of humans taking things/people for granted. In turn, she seemed to have forgotten how she fell in love with him too. Sad right?

Anyway a moment of peace and isolation up high on a cliff is such an enjoyable escape, however temporary, from the pangs of life. You should try it too. Someday.

Hehe. I wore Vibrams for this adventure and it was a good decision. Was compelled to strike a pose with it. For that moment, I pretended I was a Vibram spokesperson.

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We had too little time to do more stuff at Rotto! Well there are actually lots of stuff going on here. Other attractions include guided walking tours, scenic flights, a family fun park, the Rottnest Museum, as well as tennis, lawn bowls and golf. If you are a tough and adventurous person just like me, have a go at kayaking, diving, surfing, boogie boarding or fishing.

Otherwise, simply plop yourself on any lush, rolling green lawns with a cup of hot chocolate and a good read. I love doing lazy stuff like that too.

After the exciting adventure. I was seriously in need of a cuppa hot chocolate to kick back and relax. Can always count on such simple things to make me happy. Life’s been good to me. Thank you.

Before heading back to the jetty for the late afternoon ferry back to Freemantle, I had a strong feeling that I’ll definitely come visit again. I must share this beautiful haunt with Ken. We shall catch the sunset over a glass of wine and enjoy one of the best beach-side views in the world. Shall we, dearie?

(:

If you wanna Conquer Rotto too, here are some useful links and suggestions:

• Rottnest Island: Visit their official webbie to find out more.
• How to get there: Getting to Rotto is no sweat at all. We bought tickets on the spot, took the Rottnest Express and it ferried us to the island from Freemantle in less than 45 minutes.
• If you have time, do stay over for a night or 2 so you can catch the sun rise and not over-strain on the bike tour.
• Be a smart traveller. Do your homework before hopping on the ferry. Check the weather forecast and remember to bring a good book along.

Thank you CW and Winn for the lovely company.

Unfortunately, there’s a huge pile of drafts waiting to be completed and published. But before I could even pen down all the interesting stuff I’ve experienced, I’m already looking forward to stealing time from serious work for more getaways.

Well since you are here, I bet you also love the idea of being footloose. Eager to travel. Having no attachments or ties; free to do as one pleases?

Photo credit to glynsen kor kor.

Oh 2009 was a bad, busy year for me. All the mad attempts to multi-task drove me nuts. Can’t believed I’ve survived the mad juggling between organising a ROM reception, preparing for graduation and completing an internship.

Photo credit to glynsen kor kor.

Though I had fun, I was terribly deprived of travelling adventures.

But that was 2009. Good news is that I have at least 3 vacations to fly off to this year! 2010 is gonna be a good year for travel adventures!

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First stop. Australia.

Yes I’ve been there and it was kinda boring. I WAS SO SICK. Dragged the portable heater everywhere I went because I couldn’t take the cold! I thought I could die and no one would found out. Ok kidding. Was sick but still went for a road trip all the way to Lancelin with darling girlfriend and our bfs.

I wore colourful toe socks with flip-flops and we were so young! Haha. And that’s a real background! Not some studio backdrop!

Right now, I need a lazy vacation with my girls and it’s been ages since we last bitched over wine and spent quality time just being us, Perth seems like the perfect place for lots of relaxing time for myself and mega chill-out sessions with girlfriends. This trip is all set to be a rejuvenating one.

I will be far far away from the madding crowd for almost 11 days. No serious shopping. More nature stuff ie. hiking or cycling where I can unleash the prowess of the Vibram Five Fingers. Wonder if the weather would be too cold for me to laze on Cottesloe beach. Perhaps idling or blogging along the cappuccino strip with a hot cup of latte would be more enticing.  I’m so gonna spend time with Pete, my neglected DSLR and try to capture silly moments with my girlfriends.

Can’t wait to over-indulge  in wine tasting. Will make my way to Swan Valley first thing I get there to stock up on the wine and cheese for the entire trip. I shall have lots and lots of opportunities to swish, swill and swallow! Hello fabulous bottles of riesling, gewurtztraminer and semillion!! Oh and of course, how could I forget. Cool camembert is invited too.

Counting down. 28 more days to go.

Well, Macau is a safe city, perfect for those who don’t mind walking. Before trying to embark on our adventure at Macau, we put on comfortable walking shoes and picked up a free map at the MGTO info counters at the ferry terminal or airport. We know that if we planned well, we can actually travel around Macau for free simply by hopping on and off the complimentary shuttle buses operated by all major casinos and hotels! Then again, I still prefer walking around the city. That’s still the best way to get around Macau.

Our day started with some famous Portuguese egg tarts at Margaret’s Cafe e Nata (Gum Loi Building Rua Alm. Costa Cabral, Macaubefore) before take a relaxing stroll through history at Senado Square, the heart of Macau where there’s lots of opportunity to camwhore. Hehe.

Apparently this cafe bakes the freshest, most crispy and tastiest baked Portuguese egg tarts on the island. True? You know the answer. My contented face explains everything.

Oh my the custard filling was super smooth, soft and rich in flavour. I could still recall how much I loved the burnt caramelised bits and the flaky puff! We paid MOP$1.25 for each egg tart. Breakfast was just about MOP$10.

Feeling kinda full from breakfast, we decided to use the map and walked over to Senado Square. Well, everyone must visit Senado Square because it is like a must-visit site. Check out the lovely wave-patterned mosaic of coloured cobble stones on its pavement. That place feels new. Not very comfortable. I prefer old places.

I can’t seem to find any interesting pictures of us here. Probably we didn’t really care much about the square while we were there because we were distracted by this particular shop! That shop which sells steamed milk! We did some research online and was advised to look out for Yee Shun Milk Company when we visit Senado because that particular outlet at Senado Square is the main branch. You can’t miss it. It’s exterior is pink.

We ordered a bowl of steamed milk pudding (MOP$14) and steamed egg custard (MOP$14). Yummy! If you are looking for that famous chain from Macau specialising in milk and custard based dessert, there’s no other than Yee Shun Milk Company. And it is true that the steamed milk and egg custard taste better in Macau than their branches in Hong Kong. Plus it is slightly more expensive in Hong Kong.

After satisfying the dessert cravings, we attempted to unfold history at some old churches around Senado Square. I think we covered the Cathedral Church (1622), the Church of St Anthony (1560) and Church of St Dominic (1587). Entrance to the attractions mentioned above are all free! Oh look. I played pretend and it was fun to provoke exasperated facial expressions from him.

I wanted to confess all my evil-doings at the St. Dominic’s Church. But the priest was off-duty. Probably another day then. Anyway the most awesome architecture in Macau is definitely the St. Paul Ruins.

Beautiful structure but can’t get enough of it because all that’s left was just the southern stone façade. This site once stood the largest Catholic Church in Asia at one time before it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon. Sad right? And we didn’t know that it is customary to throw coins into the top window of the ruins from the stairs, for luck. Wiki said that.

Well well, the fact that we were in the Las Vegas of Asia means we cannot escape these casinos. Have to at least step into one to get a feel of it. Since we don’t gamble, we just gawked at the gaudy/grand decorations, ordered a drink and indulge in the free, non-stop entertainment shows in the casino lounge. It was pretty boring. Oh if I’m not mistaken, the Venetian perhaps the biggest hotel in the world but Cablenazi and I did not have the chance to check the Venetian out previously when we were here. We were lazy. Just want to chill, relax, hold hands and explore the old city. Lunch was pork chop buns from a local shop we chanced upon! Not bad.

Getting lost is in a quaint place like Macau is a simple pleasure itself. I like the sight of old, crumbling architecture of the past. I like the rough stale feel of old bricks. We also chanced upon spots that were lest touristy. Such as this breezy park somewhere in Macau. Lol. We bought ice cream from a cart and people-watched. Also realised how much I enjoy his company.

No idea how we managed to walked back to a familiar lane that brought us back to the vicinity of our hostel. Then it is time for dinner! We decided to try something exotic for dinner that is unavailable in Malaysia/Singapore. Fresh Duck Blood Cake! We found it at a local roasted meat shop right opposite our hostel. Look at that bowl of protein.

Dinner was cheap. Roughly MOP30/SGD6 per person.

To end the day, we bought 2 cans of Macau beer each from 7-11 and chilled out in at a romantic garden. It was an  impromptu decision! So we ended up in a random garden near Senado Square. Actually with proper planning, you can consider visiting the Camoes Grotto, a garden with ancient pagoda trees and winding paths. That’s the oldest and biggest public park in Macau!

By the way, the Macau beer is a lightly flavoured brew suitable for ladies! I’m a fan of its grassy, pungent green apple skin-like flavour. Nice!

What we missed: Museum Hopping

Often misunderstood as the oriental Las Vegas, a sin city for big-time gamblers and playboy tycoons, Macau actually offers more than just that kind of entertainment. For history buffs like me, I wanted to museum hop as there are museums that are really worth visiting in Macau! But we had no time! In fact, there were so many interesting museums that we really have a tough time short listing the ones to visit. But if time permits, the one not-to-be-missed would be the Macau Wine Museum.

Wine sampling at a museum? Perfect excuse to get high.

He would be swaggering along the super long pathway to the Altar of Heaven for sacrificial rituals in his dragon robes. Escorted by an entourage of elephant chariots, flag bearers, horse chariots, noblemen, musicians and acrobats to the altar where the ceremony was held, the scene must be spectacular. My heart felt a little heavy because this space is so empty now.

I strutted daringly into this place once forbidden to “commoners” and foreigners in imperial times. I wondered if I’m an intruder in this sacred site as I imagined myself watching the Emperor fast in the Hall of Abstinence, offer sacrifices and prayers at the Altar of Heaven or pray in a magnificent procession.

I recalled feeling a little awkward as I let my imagination ran wild within the noblest example of religious architecture in the whole of China. My senses heightened as I peered into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The heavy wooden beams, the unending cold stony granite pathways and the glare of gaudy Qing decorative motives which looked like talismans and symbols exercised a sense of protection and vulnerability, of heaven, earth and man.

Drawn into the mood, my friends and I gave our own interpretation of Chinese spirituality with a picture in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

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The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a bewildering symbol of China’s agricultural past. There’s a reason why the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is round and stands on a square yard. Well, for the ancient Chinese, earth was represented by a square and Heaven by a circle. Thus, this structure was meant to represent Heaven and Earth; symbolising the connection of Heaven and Earth.

To the ancient Chinese, number 9 is divine. It symbolizes heaven; hence everything in the Temple of Heaven is built in tiers of three. The spectacular triple-gabled circular building with a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure was built without a nail.

I never knew that Chinese architecture is so driven by spirituality, mythology and folklore. I knew they were very concerned with something greater than this world but I’ve never expected them to create grand structures in their quest to solve these cosmic issues.

I was awed yet a little disappointed as though I’ve missed a lot simply because I am just a bystander. To me, ancient China is more than just the rise and fall of dynasties, old China as a whole, is a romantic era I’ve always wanted to explore. Deep in thoughts, I went into a daze as I walked across the dewy, misty garden flanked by centuries-old cypress trees.

Streaming sunlight awakened me. I tuned my ear to the group of old Chinese retirees who congregates every morning at the Temple of Heaven Park’s Southern Gate. They were singing revolutionary songs. Perhaps they have yet to recover from the Mao fever.

Time flies when I attempted to relive the past of this place. Unknowingly, we spent close to 2 hours here. The Temple of Heaven is definitely worth at least an hour of your time in Beijing. It’s a marvellous site that exudes serenity and bears much traditional and religious meaning.

Besides the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Altar of Heaven, there’re other places within the Temple of Heaven such as the Imperial Vault of Heaven. If you are interested, you can read up more details about this ancient architecture here.

I paid 30RMB for the admission fee. You can get here by subway line 5 exit A at the Tiantan Dongmen station. It brings you right in front of the east gate.

My 2 weeks in Beijing was a cultural-study trip on the intellectual, cultural and historical traditions of China. As a supporter of the arts, I shall start with a special place that has significant importance to a niche segment of China’s population, the avant-garde artists in Beijing. 798 Art District.

This place used to be the centre of socialism. Now it’s the centre of modernism and individualism. Puzzled? No worries, I will elaborate further.

As state-run factory estate designed by the East Germans in 1954, 798 Art District was an emblem of China’s industrial production and a symbol of the country’s brotherhood with fellow socialist countries. 47 years later, Chinese avant-garde artists from the outer margins of society set up studios and lofts in 798 Art District; marking the beginning of 798 Art District’s iconic role in new modern Beijing.

This place practically showcases China’s ideological shifts in history. Over here I became conscious of how contemporary Chinese art has transformed from a deviant activity to a source of international prestige in modern China. It was also heartening to find that the presence of a cultural base as opposed to an industrial one in 798 Art Zone suggests the appreciating value of the creative middle class in China’s economic growth.

798 Art District is a really big huge industrial estate where many of the spaces were designed by the artists themselves and as such reflects their own particular aesthetic tastes and interests while creating an ambiance of which their audience anticipates. This aligned with the cultural change in modern China where popular cultural attitudes shifts from society-oriented to individuality.

I found numerous slogans of the Mao’s era in 798 Art District such as “Learn the theories of Chairman Mao, Defend the theories of Chairman Mao.”, “To sail in the sea you need a great helmsman, to do some revolutionary work you need the theories of Chairman Mao”, “Long live the great Communist Part of China!” and etc. It was kinda bizarre to imagine people worshiping Mao as thought he is a deity. Then again, he’s the great helmsman. Everyone was seen walking around with a little red book when he ruled China.

In any case, the diversification of artistic outlets at 798 Art District is astonishing. Various cafes, galleries and clubs refashion the social and physical spaces of Chinese culture. And yes! Pink Maos are funkier. We can’t helped but thought that there were more underlying meanings behind the choice of using pink.

798 Art Districts houses trendy international and Chinese regional restaurants such as the Jianghu Western Restaurant and Sichuan No.6 Restaurant designed by the artistic community at 798 Art Zone. We had a hearty lunch at Tianxiayan Restaurant located at 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District.

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That large bowl of beef in oily chilli oil and Sichuan pepper corns numbed my lips and tongue! Other dishes were ok though personally, I thought that the Sichuan fare I had wasn’t very spectacular. However from what I know, this three-floor restaurant on the southeastern part of 798 is usually packed on weekends.

In a way, these restaurants reinterpret Beijing through the interrelationship between consumption, popular culture and space as the growing importance of social interactivity in activities such as dining, clubbing, theatre and performing arts places high value in atmosphere and aesthetics.

From its industrial beginnings, 798 Art District had transformed into a symbol of modern China that hosts foreign dignitaries and tourists and formed alliances with former capitalist adversaries. Apparent a Sony product promotion was launched in 798 Space Gallery and Yan club, a former factory cafeteria had transformed into a landmark of fashionable place to be in Beijing which had hosted the renowned British band “Morcheeba”. In addition to the frequently held art events, 798 Art District is also the new hot spot for commercial activities where many large enterprises such as Omega and Nike chose to hold product promotions and related commercial activities.

Sigh. Let’s just hope the artists at 798 Art District can sustain the unique undertone in their works to look at China’s industrial past in today’s context.

It is important to note that the artistic community at 798 Art District had won a stunning victory against their limitations as a minority in spreading new ideas and culture.

As a proud symbol of a modern and creative Beijing that blends the contemporary generations’ inherited past, acquired present and anticipated future within its space, 798 Art District is a space that celebrates the individual and portrays nuances of red china unpretentiously.

A visit to 798 Art District is a must if you like Chinese contemporary art and want to catch glimpses of China’s industrial past.

(:

798 Art District
Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District

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Our guide was LTA Foo Yiing Kai, a former Fire & Rescue Specialist and presently an Senior Officer. Pss. He has a gold badge for IPPT! Impressive! LTA Foo Yiing Kai was also deployed to Sichuan when international help was needed for the earthquake disaster. He’s exactly how I would imagined a fireman to look like! Suave, muscular and manly! Oh la la. Haha. OK come to think of it, all of the officers there fits the bill too! Perhaps it’s because they were all oozing with passion for their vocation. That must be it. Don’t you agree that passionate people are extremely sexy?

Well it’s no laughing matter to be in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). This is not an occupation for the faint hearted. Besides providing fire-fighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services and mitigating hazardous materials incidents, these guys also formulate, implement and enforce regulations on fire safety and civil defence shelter matters. We are talking about a dedicated team that respond to all types of life-threatening emergencies round-the-clock.

They actually sleep in their uniform and are ever-ready to grab a pole, hop on the fire-fighting vehicle and leave the fire station in 1 minute after the alarm bell rings.

After giving us a really informative special-guided tour with exclusive entry to some of the off-limits areas to the public, LTA Foo Yiing Kai shared a heart-wrenching story with us of how he once rescued a toddler from an accident scene. The terrified baby girl actually clung on to him like a koala baby, refusing to let him go because of the trauma she suffered. He had to leave his team at the accident site and accompany the baby to the hospital. I can’t imagined how bloody the scene was. The little girl’s mom was on her way to the hospital for a check-up. They were in a cab and apparently the cabbie took a wrong turn. When the stupid cab driver made a u-turn ILLEGALLY to get to the ride side of the road, a lorry ran over the cab. Luckily the mom and baby survived.

High chance that the firemen had to use this super loud and scary saw to rescue the mom who was stuck at the back of the car when they found her. The roar of this heavy machine (which he lifted effortlessly) was deafening.

After the tour, I kinda got inspired to join SCDF as a part-time fire woman. Oh look! I had loads of fun trying out the equipments!

The gun-like hose handler was so heavy! How can they hold on to this thing for so long while fighting fire? No wonder their arms looked so yummy sturdy!

Oh that’s the Light Fire Attack Vehicle or more affectionately known as the “Red Rhino”, a formidable well-designed vehicle which could maneuver into every corner of a HDB void deck! Woah, it looks small but it is equipped with a hydraulic system for rescue tools, a water mist gun and a water monitor.

You know, it was amazing to see so many families spending their Saturday morning at the fire station! Kids were running around in firemen helmets and attire, playing pretend. These mini fire-boys/girls were so adorable! I strongly recommend parents to bring their kids to visit a fire station! There’s a few fire stations around the island. Just pick one that’s near you. Visiting a fire station a fun activity for both kids and parents to do on a weekend. Plus, they will get so exhausted by the end of the day, you can enjoy some quiet time with your spouse alone. Have some wine and laugh over your kids’ hilarious stunts at the fire station.

OMG I had so much fun! A big thank you to LTA Foo Yiing Kai for broadening my knowledge on your occupation. Don’t you agree that the peeps at SCDF are unsung heroes who we remember only in times of need? Perhaps in time, more will acknowledge the efforts put in by SCDF to protect and save lives. You can start by finding out more about what they do here or even drop by a fire station and talk to one of the friendly officers. If you’re lucky, they may stay long enough for a chat before the alarm bell rings!

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I’m so pleased with my experience at the Central Fire Station that I shall end this post with a whacky picture of me taken by Andric! Thanks aaandric de blondee for the nice shot! The building totally rawks! I mentioned earlier that it’s 100 years old, remember?

Disclaimer: SCDF is a client of 24seven. This post is not an advertorial by SCDF. I wrote it because I really enjoyed myself and I want share my awesome visit to the Central Fire Station with my friends!

This is the Eevon-the-photographer shot by Geng Hui. Thanks Geng Hui, I like this pic alot!

The purpose of this visit is to discover fun places and facts of Singapore in light of the contest by S’pore Discovery Centre called SG Tidbits 365. More info about the contest here!

This group picture was taken at the Clementi Railway Track, Our last stop. Before that we were at Dairy Farm Park and Bukit Timah Hill.

It was a dewy evening
The muddy trails were soft

There was a fresh scent of greenery
and life whizzed by the moment

I thought I heard squirrels are scurrying back
but perhaps I was wrong
for the trail was mostly silent
if not for our chatters and laughs

I enjoyed the stillness of hiking
We were aware of the scenery along every hidden path

I breathed the scent of nice fresh air
I saw clouds form shapes within the skies
I smelt the flowers with my nose

No real dairy cows but
I saw two black bears play

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Out of the forest,
we chanced upon an abandon trail

We trekked the unkempt path and took a chance
The way across this old bridge seem peculiar, different and strange

It must had been the caramel-grained face of the rusty bridge
or the gushing waters from the river beneath it
for my senses danced as I walk upon the rustic tracks

As I navigated the old train tracks that made up the rusty bridge
I thought that this was a fabulous photo-outing
A good start for many more to come

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Check out the old retro building where the backpacker inn is located. Woah super old school!

Many asked me why I love backpacking so much. Why not just check into a normal hotel and let the good service staff take care of my needs. Surely I can afford it but hey, what’s with the fuss over backpacking? One of my bestie never fails to squeal whenever I tell her one of my backpacking horror stories. Don’t you have to agree that the best time to rough it out and travel on a shoe-string is when we are young! There’s no way we’re gonna do this when we are like 30?

Yup you are looking at the entrance that’s our ‘lodge’. We almost missed the little green signboard. It has a narrow little stairway like you have seen in those typical HK dramas up to the 3rd level where August Lodge is situated. It does not really help if you have bulky heavy luggage as it does not have any lifts. Luckily we travelled light!

This ‘lodge’ is actually a little 3-room flat. The owners were really friendly and they had backpackers from Germany, Australia and a family from Malaysia! We were surprised to see 5 people (all ang mohs) sleeping in the small living room.

We were lucky to have a tiny little private room.

Well the flat was very old with parquet floorings almost flipping out and the water pressure was pretty bad. Guess what? The common toilet is sub-divided so that one can actually use the sink while another shower and ANOTHER poo poo-ing!. Can you imagine that??

Also, there wasn’t any water heater! OK maybe it was spoiled or I can’t get it figured out. At least, they have a common computer terminal to surf the internet but its first-come-first-serve.

Again, you must be asking WHY I put myself through all this crap! lol. There’re really a lot of reasons for backpacking! For some, the emphasis is on the exercise or the exploration, for others it’s the social side, and the romantic type like me will focus on the scenery/experience of noticing things that have been taken for granted, or perhaps have not seen before. But there is a little of everything for each of us!

So if you think you can survive dusty bed sheets + super-cramped toilet and room with a few cockroaches scurrying pass your stuff, do go off the beaten track and try this backpackers lodge.

Pss. We only lasted 2 nights here.

Augusters Lodge
24, Rua Do Dr. Pedro Jose Lobo
Floor 3J, Block 4, Edf. Kamloi, Macau
+853-66645026 or +853-28713242

Certainly, candid observations on a given product/service is much more credible than any forms of advertising/ information found on their own website. Kudos to those organisations that are proactively engaging people on the ground.

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Actually, this is our 2nd visit to the Flyer. Previously, we went on a boat ride to catch the F1! This time, we took the MRT to City Hall and walked to Coleman Street where the FunVee bus stop can be found. It’s directly opposite St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

This was our first time on FunVee. Purchased the $2 shuttle bus tickets and sat on the open-deck. It was kinda enjoyable to have cool breeze slapping our cheeks!

We hung out at the Halloween Village (Singapore Flyer’s Outdoor Promenade) before checking in the VIP waiting area! Check out the crowd!

The highlight of the village was the Tarot Card wizard! The way he presented his divination was professionally crappy. LOL. The performance was so well done that the balding guy sitting there actually believed!

Come to think of it, due to mundane circumstances in life, many of us had to dress a certain way, wear our hair, limit our jewelry to only conservative pieces. Hence, Halloween is really a good time to express our own fantastic wild side! Imagine being who and whatever we want to be! But it’s not a local custom for people to dress up for Halloween so it was pretty hilarious to find lots of ‘interesting’ characters hovering around us.

One particular ghoul really spooked me out.
Make a guess which one!

Was it Scar, Simba’s evil uncle?

Male Sadako ghoul with unkempt hair?

Screamm/pretty Corpse Bride with smeared make up?

Unknown Prince of Egypt with odd coffee stain? Perhaps related to Pharaoh Tutankhamen from Night at The Museum.

Slasher!!! The psychopathic killer!!

Haha So which spooks/monsters is your favourite?

(:

That pesky Sadako ghoul was the one who gave me lots of frights! OMG he kept creeping behind me, sweeping his uncombed hair against my arm! EWwWW so itchy! Then he knew I was freaked out and he kept coming back to haunt me! Haha. I had fun. In fact, we had so much fun at the Halloween Village that before we know it, it’s time to board the Flyer!

The set-up was lovely! We quickly got into the mood to savour our romantic Halloween sky-dining.

Wait wait before I start, take a look at my bird-woman get-up.

ROARRR I WANT FOOD.

Oops fine dining. I forgot. I should be chirping demurely instead.

HEHE. Tada! First up, our Halloween cocktail! The Spicy Dracula! It contains vodka, celery stick and chilli padi bits served in salt-rimmed glass. It was a really quirky drink but I couldn’t finish it! There was some Tabasco sauce in it. Felt like I was sipping pizza. lol.

For appetizer, we had the Maggoty Pumpkin Soup served with ghoulish fingers. The soup was creamy and rich in flavour but… where were the maggots? Can’t find any gross maggots swimming in my soup.

:/

Luckily, it was filled to the brim with pumpkin goodness!

O look! Happy face on my soup with a third eye (the inner eye)!

Ghoulish fingers were sliced ham stuffed with pumpkin.

You know, I really need to brush up on my close-up macro shots. Perhaps it’s time to get a new lens instead of using the kit lens which comes with my Canon 450D.

Our main entree, Chucky’s Bloody Eye looks pretty tame. I’m sure everyone knows who Chucky is.

It was ribeye on a bed of eyeball salad and roasted pumpkin. The steak was so tender I could cut it with a fork. We couldn’t get enough of the roasted pumpkin. It looked like wedges but so much sweeter.

Let’s take a closer look at Chucky’s Bloody Eye.

Booyah! LOL. Do they look alike?

Dinner was sumptuous! We were serviced like VIPs by our butler. Dinner would be creepier if there was some eerie music playing over the background. Overall, the sky-dining experience was sophisticated and tasteful for a romantic date.

And you know what? A guy actually proposed to his partner in our capsule! Then again, he should had booked the entire capsule instead of sharing it with 2 other couples! haha. AND he did not went down on his knees!!!!!! Isn’t that how a wedding proposal should be? Probably he was feeling awkward with 4 other sets of eyeballs staring at him.

:/

Well, he shouldn’t worry so much because we were too absorbed with the stunning view than anything else! ?

So after 2 rotations, we were escorted by our friendly butler, Grace to the VIP Lounge where we enjoyed dessert. Witches’ Hat was served with a choice of freshly brewed coffee or specialty tea.

Looks like the ‘witch’ was wearing a pretty white sugar bow instead of a hat. She had long mustache too. Sexy?

:p

Need I say more? Our Halloween experience at the Flyer totally RAWKS!

Though it wasn’t spooky at all, our sky-dining experience was so amorous! Guess what, I think SDU should arrange speed dates on the Flyer and run a campaign called “Romance is in the Air”. Seriously, romance is a creation of circumstances that makes lovers feel special and for that, Singapore Flyer passed with flying colours.

BTW I found out that the Flyer has lots of interesting stuff coming up. For starters, they are extending the $10* Student Weekday Flight. Any student with a valid student ID can enjoy this offer! Also, check out the sky-dining menu for November. Mm. the Braised Beef Cheek with Aromatic Spices sounds scrumptious. Well, $199 for a date with full butler service is pretty reasonable.

Where else can you have a romantic dinner date 165m from the ground?

Singapore Flyer
30 Raffles Avenue, #01-07
Singapore 039803
Tel: 6734 8829 / 6333 3311 for bookings

To get there, we took the Ocean Park Citybus 629 from Admiralty MTR station.

After a 15 minutes ride, we found ourselves at the Tai Shue Wan entrance which is near to the park’s Headland.

OK here’s how it goes, Ocean Park’s marine attractions, thrill rides and shows are divided between 3 areas: Lowland, Headland and Tai Shue Wan. There’s two modes of transportation to move between the Lowland, Headland and Tai Shue Wan. The Lowland-Headland is connected by cable cars while, the Headland-Tai Shue Wan is connected by the second longest outdoor escalator in the world which stretches over 225 metres!

These were our tickets to a entire day of fun-filled activities!

That’s Chief (Mr.Parrot) and James Fin H2O (Mr.Shark)! Ocean Park has 6 mascots. Besides Chief and James Fin H2O, there’s a waving sea lion named Whiskers (known as Wai Wai in Chinese), Jewel (a butterfly), Swift (a dolphin) and Professor (a turtle)!

With much stuff going on, we decided to plan which attractions, thrill rides and shows we wanted to catch so we won’t be wasting time running all over the park aimlessly. The map was pretty useful.

Despite ‘studying’ the map for few minutes (too distracted), we started our adventure with a terribly wrong choice.

Our first ride was the Space Wheel.

It still baffles me why we went on that monstrous contraption of thrills spills and action before other moderate attractions. Perhaps we were too excited and couldn’t wait to get ourselves in a giddy adventure.

I puked 3-4 times after that damned ride.

That was a really wrong decision, I ended up feeling nauseous and weak the entire outing. Which was pretty upsetting because there’s so much other stuff to do at the Headland! Headland houses many thrill rides, including the Dragon, Eagle, Crazy Galleon, Ferris Wheel, Flying Swing, Raging River, Mine Train, and Abyss Turbo Drop.

I was too weak to go on any rides after the horrifying Space Wheel! Sat at a corner while he tried other rides.

:/

After that hair-raising experience, we hopped on the Ocean Park Escalator to get to the other side of the park. At 225 m (745ft), it is the second longest outdoor escalator in the world and I felt like puking the moment I stepped on the escalator. It doesn’t help that it was a super long way up. Baby laughed at me when I had that manic look, searching for places to vomit!

To make me feel better, he dragged me to watched an ice skating showing with people juggling fire batons, performing acrobats, and dances.

But half-way, we left because I felt like puking. Not that the performance was sucky. It was Space Wheel.

He laughed at me again!

:S

Had to rest at a bench for about 10 minutes before moving on. Lucky the weather was cool and breezy. I felt much better and that was the last time I puked. Thank God.

Eventually we gave up following the map and decided to roam randomly. We found ourselves at the Marine Land. We were hoping to get a seat at the Ocean Theatre but it was totally packed! Well, this show is a family favourite where dolphins and sea lions participate in lively daily shows. Good place to bring your kids and educate them on marine mammals. Probably that explains why it’s so popular. We had to stand all the way at the back. Snap a few pictures and made our way to other attractions.

Ocean Theatre features shows by talented dolphins, sea lions, and a killer whale. How exciting! But we only caught the dolphins. Here’s some shots of the dolphins doing tricks!

Nearby there’s the world-class Atoll Reef aquarium which holds 2,000 fishes from close to 250 species and the unique Sea Jelly Spectacular, where we could interact with 1,000 beautiful sea jellies!

Had to grab a drink near the Pacific Pier. Felt thirsty. Here’s a weird ice drink everyone buys at Ocean Park. A witch hat with a green ice ball!

Since we couldn’t grab a real sea lion to hug, the fake ones were perfect for photo-taking!

(:

Oh there’s plenty of choices for food here. We grabbed some BBQ spring chicken and BBQ sausages from the Light House Grill somewhere near Pacific Pier. Pretty ok but a little over-priced. Hmm there’s McDonald’s with typical hamburgers, french fries and soft drinks at Headland rides. Over at Adventure Land, you can find this stall, Raging River Squid which offers delicious-looking fried squid and drinks. Chinese food is available at Noodle Bar (somewhere along Tai Shue Wan entrance). They serve Chinese soup noodles, wanton, dumplings, Chinese dessert and beverages.

Took a quick stroll to one of the tallest observation towers in Southeast Asia, the Ocean Park Tower! This tower gave us a 360º gently rotating view that enables us to see clear to Aberdeen and the outlying islands. I think my body is better-suited for this sorta ride. sigh. sad. I’m just not made for zany rides.

That was our last stop at the Headland, shortly we boarded the cable cars for a spectacular 8-minute ride over a hill to the Lowland. The cable car system offers a convenient and exceptionally panoramic route between Ocean Park’s Headland and Lowland.

The view of the rocky coastline was spectacular.

The lowland is also subdivided into several areas and attractions. But most of the stuff here are more suitable for kids. We were thrilled only at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Giant Panda Habitat (?????????) where Le Le, Ying Ying, An An and Jia Jia, greet visitors!

Adorable! If you want to see what they are doing now, check out the Giant Panda Live Broadcast!

After about 4 hours here, we rushed off to catch a church service at Cain Road. Yup, to do Ocean Park justice, plan on spending at least 4 hours here, but you’ll probably stay the whole day if you’re travelling with kids.

Note: never NEVER go on crazy rides first and do plan your trip beforehand.