Singapore Trip

At the end of September, we went to Singapore for a long weekend.  The best part of the trip was meeting up with some great friends from home.  We only got to spend the day with them, but it helped ease some of our homesickness.  The city is incredibly clean and safe, but the weather is hot and humid.  Just an FYI, during the month of September Indonesian famers burn their farms, creating a haze that travels all the way to Singapore.  The haze was really bad a few of the days we were there, but we survived!

Gardens by the Bay was an awesome place, we went there at night with our friends and went to a bar on top of a tree (the views were amazing)!  Art and I went back on our last day to tour the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, I would recommend a stop here for anyone visiting Singapore.

We also toured Fort Canning Park, also known as the Forbidden Hill because it was once home to Singaporean ancestral kings.  The English used the land as a residence for the governor and then as a fort. 

No trip would be complete without a visit to at least one museum, so we went to the National Museum of Singapore. 

Marina Bay Sands, a hotel with a roof top bar and roof top infinity pool.  The pool is for hotel guests only, but we did go to the observation deck near the bar.

Laksa soup at the food village inside East Coast Park.

  

Bike rentals at East Coast Park.

The Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay.

Celebration of Chrysanthemums in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. 

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.  We only had time to run in on the day we were leaving, but it has 6 floors of artwork and historic artifacts that you can tour for free.  If we make it back to Singapore, we will be going back here for sure!

It was soo awesome getting to see friends from home halfway across the world!

Want to Visit the Philippines?

Here's a little advice if you ever want to visit the Philippines.

Things to bring:

1. White Gold (a.k.a. toilet paper).  There is very little toilet paper available, even at restaurants.  Also, don't flush your toilet paper, you'll need to throw it away in the trash can (usually) provided in the stall.  If the toilet doesn't flush and there's a bucket with water in it in the stall with you, you somehow are supposed to use the water to flush the toilet.  (Seems easy enough, but it might not be).  Also, don't be surprised if there's no soap in the bathroom.

 2. Hand wipes, face wipes, body wipes, any kind of wipes you can get your hands on.  You will sweat, and then continue sweating until you have fallen asleep in your sweat.  If you can't stand feeling dirty or grimy, you might have a hard time enjoying yourself.

3. Excitement over tiny, cute planes and finally getting to walk on the airport tarmac (or apron, if you want to use the technical term). 

 

 

4. Sense of adventure.

 

(This is what happens when a bag is abandoned at the airport in Manila, it's just roped off)

 

 

But, it's worth it.

View from Mount Tapyas

 



 Lastly, here's a Philippines edition of Odd Store Names:

Oops Chicken, a Korean restaurant that offers fried chicken tossed in various sauces.  Although it's an odd name, it was tasty! 

Philippines Trip

We took a trip to the Philippines last week to celebrate Art turning 30.

Happy birthday old man!

We flew into Manila last Tuesday and were planning to fly to Coron, off of Palawan, the next day.  That flight got canceled, so we stayed another night in Manila and were on the island by 8:30 Thursday morning.  Thursday and Friday we hired private boats to take us around to some of the great beaches and snorkeling sites.  We stopped at Malkaouya Island, Banana Island, Cauayan, Twin Lagoons, Kayangan Lake, Banual Beach, and Siete Picados.  The water was crystal clear and warm.  Lunch was prepared onboard both days for us.

Journey to Siete Picados

Siete Picados

 

Kayangan Lake

Kayangan Lake

 

Lunch for the birthday boy at Banual Beach

 

Before the trip, we got a GoPro.  We had some issues with it (all user related) so we only got a few videos from the second day.  Here's our first YouTube video, mostly taken at Cauayan.  And, yes, Art picked the music.

Sydney, part II

 As a lover of all things museum, while in Sydney I fit in as many as I could.  Maybe four museums in one day doesn't sound like a dream to you, but YOU'RE WRONG!  Most of the museums I went to had interactive sections, mostly geared towards children, but could be enjoyed by kids of all ages.  The Australian Museum basically had an entire floor devoted to hands on activities, including lots of skeletons I (I mean kids) could play with. 

The Australian Museum

 

My personal favorite museum was the Sydney Museum.  Located where the original Government House once stood, the Sydney Museum gave a great overarching history of Sydney.  The Hyde Park Barracks Museum was another great stop on my museum tour.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this museum highlights the early days of English settlement in Sydney. 

 

Hyde Park Barracks Museum



 

Interior View of the Hyde Park Barracks Museum, highlighting the evolution of the building

 

Also in Hyde Park is the stunning ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Memorial.  Originally dedicated to those who gave their lives in the First World War, it has since been rededicated to all members of the Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces. 

 

Interior of ANZAC Memorial

 

Hyde Park or, in my mind, a sign that Harry Potter has been to Sydney

 

 

More photo highlights of the trip

 

Fort Denison

 



New South Wales State Library

 

Royal Botanic Gardens

 

The Zoo

 

View from the Ferry

View from the Ferry

 

 

 

Signing off with these sweet whales that, try as I might, would not fit in my suitcase.  Until next time Sydney!