The 3rd day in the Merlion city was dedicated for walking tours. Dyanie and I parted ways, by the way. She chose to stroll in every shopping mall within the city, with her friends. While I went to check some religious sites, accompanied by my friend AJ, and Ron of www.fliptravels.com.
Little India
That morning, AJ and I headed to Little India. It is an ethnic neighborhood found in Singapore that has Tamil cultural elements.
your nostrils will lead you here! ^_^Aside from the colorful garments and paintings that were scattered all over the place, the eye-catcher would be the Hindu Temples. In Hinduism, the people worship may gods and deities. And I must say, among all the religion I know, Hinduism has the most interesting-looking gods.
If we have crosses on top of our churches, then Hindu temples have these figures:
take a look closely
at topmost is Ganesha (elephant figure)
Vishnu - blue with multiple arms
Narasimha
Shiva, I thinkVery interesting, isn't it?
Aj and I went inside to see how the people worship their gods. I knew it's a sacred place so I minimized taking photos. Yes, this temple is open to the public, but Im sure the worshipers still want to keep this place quiet and they expect every guest to be respectful.
Nataraja
intense-looking figure
a Hindu priest
a worshiper
Im so tempted to ask a lot of details about their ritual, but everyone seems busy praying. Oh well, there's still next time. And I really hope I could learn more about Hinduism.
Before heading to Arab Street, we had lunch in -- I forgot! Haha All Im sure is it's somewhere behind Plaza Singapura.
even the public bus is clean
this was my outfit when that "traumatic incident" happenedsunugin ko na kaya ang damit na yan?
Anyway, for lunch, AJ let me try his favorite Beef Noodles. As for me, I ordered something familiar. (sakit ko yan whenever Im out of the country)
this tastes so good and flavorful, but im not really a fan of Chinese cuisine.
im not surprised, Pepper Lunch in SG tastes better than what we have here.
thanks AJ for the company and for the treats! ^_^btw, his drink tastes like aratilis. haha
and lucky me, Ive got to experience SG's S$1 ice creamArab Street / Kampong Glam
After this lunch, Aj went back to his office while I was set to meet Ron. There are many friends to meet in SG, but I didnt hesitate to choose Ron. And as expected, he is a very nice guy. Mind you, it's just our 1st time to meet then.
The first thing he did is buy some snacks at I♥Tamei. I said I was not hungry, but good thing he insisted. I was blown away by this Tofu Fries!
thank you Ron for introducing Tofu Fries. hangsarrap!After our are-we-sure-it's-just-our-1st-time-to-meet conversation, we headed to Arab Street / Kampong Glam. This place is full of traditional stores selling carpets, household wares and textiles. The alleyways of this cultural spot are filled with the smells, sights and sounds of spices.
way to Sultan Mosque
it's major landmark, the Sultan Mosque
a walking tour with RonWe continued to stroll around the side by side old shop houses and traditional wares. And look, we found a Blogshop!
the blogshop
this bicycle made this GAP wall more effectiveWe passed by this alley where the walls have graffiti and the floor had Hookah/Shisha.
Hookah/ShishaIn the Arab world, people smoke it as part of their culture and traditions. Social smoking is done with a single or double hose. When the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is available, or it is handed from one user to the next.
very nice to meet you Ron.hope to see you this month, yes?
Overall, I was surprised I liked Singapore as much as I expected. The airport is awesome. Train system is very efficient. Actually, almost everything works systematically. The best part - the locals are nice, contrary to what other tourists say. The not so good thing about SG - everything is expensive. And always remember that it is a FINE city.
Singapore is indeed a FINE citynext entries : Bali series
