A budget traveler's guide to surviving SINGAPORE

Singapore is probably Southeast Asia’s cleanest and most disciplined country. Everything is timed and measured, and the feeling of security you get when you walk through even its unknown alleyways is different from when you venture out on your own in any other place this part of the planet.

Since it’s a small country (Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is bigger) with an obvious bias toward anything Western, it’s very easy to find your way with just a metro ticket and a tattered map. So you wanna visit Singapore? Get those backpacks ready as we say a big “Hello le!” to this wonderful city-state.

1. Pay attention. Do you remember the saying, “When in Rome, do what the Romans do”? It never gets any true-r than that when you’re in Singapore. If ever you’ve read that bit on a tourist being jailed for chewing gum or vandalizing, then you better pay attention and follow the rules. After all, it never hurts to wait for the pedestrian light to give the go signal, especially when you do your shopping along the famous Orchard Road, or to throw your trash in the proper containers.

2. Hear. Singaporeans speak Singlish, their own kind of English. The accent is a cross between Chinese, Malay and English, so people not accustomed to hearing other varieties of the language must be more patient in trying to understand what the locals are trying to say. To their credit, Singaporeans are very hospitable and would be more than willing to repeat what they have said if only to make you understand.

3. Get lost. In a country so orderly, getting lost seems to be a difficult task… which makes getting lost even more interesting! Try exploring places with minimal help from your city map: the small streets in Little India with its vast array of restaurants that serve curry and shops that sell spices, the quaint alleyways in Chinatown lined with souvenir shops, Chinese items and watering holes, and the bazaars in the Arab Quarters with their exotic perfumes, handicrafts and fabrics. Enter the numerous Buddhist and Hindu temples, and Moslem mosques that pepper the city. It’s an experience you will never forget.

4. Chomp. Since many cultures converge in this country, the place boasts of a wide array of cuisine to suit your palate. For adventure lovers, a plate of curry might make your day. You can also go for the honeyed chicken biryani that is served in the Arab Quarters, or some noodles and seafood in Chinatown. You can also go to Clark Quay where international restaurants abound, or simply opt for a McDonald’s or Burger King in one of the city’s many shopping malls.

5. Cruise. Singapore used to be a fishing village before Ruffles arrived in the country, so it’s no wonder that a river cuts across its central business district. Go for a 30-minute cruise for S$15 (if I remember it correctly). The best time to do so is at night when the skyscrapers are all lit up. The boat would even take you to the Merlion, Singapore’s most recognizable symbol, with a lavish hotel as its background, and the Esplanade, Singapore’s answer to the Sydney Opera.

Marlon’s Singapore Route (1-2): It’s a small city which can be explored easily, even without an itinerary. If you want to go to Sentosa, the country’s famed leisure resort, it’s best to reserve one whole day for that. During the summer months, the period from 1 to 4 PM is very hot, so you might want to squeeze in your visit to the shopping malls around that time to avoid the heat.

Marlon’s Budget Tip: Ask your hotel or hostel if they have any SG card to spare. It’s the transportation card you acquire at S$7 that allows you to travel throughout the island. The money serves as your deposit and will be returned to you once you surrender the card. To avoid the hassle of returning it to the metro office, some hostels have cards ready for their guests, which the guests would have to load themselves and return to the hostels when they check out.

A budget traveler's guide to surviving KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

With the low-cost airline Air Asia making a lot of impact in the Southeast Asian travel scene, cities that are generally considered exotic are now within reach at an affordable price. Of course, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city and main hub of Air Asia, has got a lion’s share of visitors from all over the world and is proving to be an exciting destination for people in search of Asian cultures in one compact site.

Whether as a stopover on your way to continental Southeast Asia or a visit done because of low fare rates, Kuala Lumpur (or KL among people in the know) may just be that very elusive hideaway that you are looking for. So wanna visit KL, Malaysia? Take out those passports and say a big “Halo! Apa khabar?”

1. Ride. Whether you’re in a low-cost flight or in a normal transnational airline, you would have to go to the KL International Airport that is about an hour and a half from the city center. Transport is incredibly easy since you could take a cab (about RM 80) or a bus (RM 9) that takes you to KL Central Station, depending on your budget. Whatever you choose to ride, it would be a wise move to have a lot of leeway in both time and money especially if you’re backpacking. Buses start their operations from the KL Central Station at 3:15 AM while the Metro starts at 6 AM.

2. Fall in line. KL’s main attraction for most tourists is the Petronas Twin Towers, which could be visited for free. About a thousand tickets are distributed daily for visits that start at 9 AM with a 15-minute interval for each visit. Do be there early (around 7:15 AM) if you don’t want to spend half a day in the queue. You may also want to visit Menara KL near the Petronas, but you have to pay for this one. The view is more spectacular here but if you only want to be in some tall building in KL and stare at the city, Petronas is more than enough.

3. Savor. What’s KL without its yummy delights? If you’re big on spices and flavors, KL may just be the right place to splurge. There are many self-serve canteens in the city where you could have your binge (and I mean, scoop to your heart’s content) and then the waiter gives you the bill; alternatively, you could just sit and have someone take your order if you totally cannot relate with the procedure. Do try the curries (ask for the least spicy if you can’t stand the heat), and seafood. And please do yourself a favor and drink Malaysian coffee (plain or with milk, hot or cold), the best coffee there is.

4. Shop. Malaysia seems to be placing a lot of emphasis on shopping. Now most people prefer to go to Jalan Petaling in Chinatown to shop for souvenirs, imitation bags, sneakers, belts and electronics, or even to the Saturday night market in Little India. I personally recommend, however, going to the Central Market instead. The items may be a bit pricier but you get to shop in an airconditioned place, something which would prove to be valuable on KL’s intensely hot days.

5. Revere. Malaysia breaks the stereotype most people have on Moslem nations for its being very tolerant toward a lot of faiths. Go to the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) to see how Moslems do it, then to any Buddhist temple especially on a Saturday to see people offering incenses and food. In the outskirts of KL you could visit the Batu Caves, a stronghold of the Hindu religion in the city. There’s a bus that goes there for RM 2 (which could take a lifetime). What I did was to take the Kelana Jaya Line of the Metro to Terminal Putra (about RM 2) and then a cab to the Batu Caves (RM 10). After climbing its 270 steps and ogling at the monkey-filled shrines, I took the bus toward the city center.

Marlon’s Kuala Lumpur Route (1-2 days): Start with Petronas. Then walk toward Menara KL either for a pic or a climb. Then off to the Batu Caves. The period from 1PM to 5PM is hot so either do your shopping in Central Market or the KL Shopping Mall, or eat and relax in Jalan Petaling. Try visiting the National Mosque and taking a pic in the nearby Old Train Station. And then go back around 8PM to the Petronas area to see the Twin Towers all magnificently lit up.

Marlon’s Budget Tip: It’s tempting to think that KL doesn’t have to be a budget destination because it’s budget in itself. But please don’t get too excited with the shiny and sparkly things you see in the bazaars or the insanely low prices for watches and the like. Look for quality and for something which you *really* need.

Confessions of a ceiling addict (The comeback edition)

Just when you thought you've seen the last of my confessions, W.A.M. brings you the comeback edition of the Confessions of a Ceiling Addict, where I post some of the most marvelous ceilings I've seen in my travels. Here are five more from Spain:

Zaragoza. This is the dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Nuestra Señora del Pilar), Patroness of Spain and Hispanicity. The geometric pattern laced with paintings is mesmerizing!

Pamplona. This is the ceiling of the Plaza del Castillo, the city's main square. Though the paint is now chipping off, the nice color of the ceiling doesn't fail to get a photographer's attention.

Montserrat. In the outskirts of Barcelona lies this Benedictine monastery dedicated to the Black Madonna of Montserrat. This is one of the numerous murals that cover the wall of the church.

Valladolid. This dome is special since it belongs to the church where I used to hear mass every Sunday when the people of the Real Colegio de Ingleses are on a break. It's in the Basílica Nacional de la Gran Promesa where people have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Segovia. In the fairytale setup of the Alcázar, you see this Moslem-inspired theme.

Universities

One of the best things that studying in Spain could afford any student is the fact that he would have to choose from a variety of universities, most of which date back to the Middle Ages. Here are some of the universities in Spain I was able to visit.

Universidad de Valladolid. This my university in Spain. The historic façade is that of the College of Law in whose center the Tree of Knowledge stands. Sapientia aedificavit sibi domum (Knowledge has built itself a house) is our university motto.

Universidad de Salamanca. This is the oldest university of Spain where many great minds have passed over the centuries. The façade exalts the Catholic Monarchs who founded the university in the 13th Century (I hope I have my data right).

Universidad de Córdoba. As a habit I don't normally visit universities whenever I'm touring. But since the College of Arts and Letters (Filosofía y Letras in Spanish nomenclature) of the University of Córdoba is in the heart of the city, I took time to take a picture of its façade.

Arches

Frequent readers of my blog know that I am fixated with heights. It is no wonder why I have lotsa pictures of domes, tall buildings and arches. Speaking of arches, I have here four of the many arches that I was able to see in Europe. Enjoy!

The arch on the Praça do Comércio (Lisboa, Portugal). This connects the Commerce Plaza to the Rúa Augusta, which in turn leads to the Praça do Rossío, the main square of Lisbon.

The Arc de Triomf (Barcelona, Spain). Built in 1888 by the Catalan architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, it stands on a long promenade that leads to the zoo of Barcelona.

The arch of the necropolis (Pompeii, Italy). Though the eruption of the Vesuvius wiped out all life in this ancient city in Southern Italy, it also preserved marvelous and monumental structures such as this opening to the cemetery.

The Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France). Probably the world's most famous arch. Being the novice that we were, my friend Archie and I didn't know how to go to the arch found in the center of the rotunda of the French capital. Don't ask how we did it but suffice to say that there were a lot of horns that blared.

Battistero di San Giovanni

St. John the Baptist is also the patron saint of Florence, Italy and the magnificent baptistry of the city is dedicated to him. Until the 1800's, all Catholics of Florence are said to be baptized inside the glorious edifice.

While many people are happy at the sight of the exteriors of the baptistry (the gilded doors are magnificent!), any visitor should not fail to go inside and see the majestic decor of the dome, stiff neck and dizziness notwithstanding. It's the history of salvation in gold!

A budget traveler's guide to surviving BEIJING, CHINA

Going to Asia nowadays is fast becoming fashionable and Beijing, China is one of the top favorites, partly because it is very affordable (save for the price of flights, especially when you're coming from Europe) but largely because it evokes a certain magic that is difficult to find in any another capital city.

Added to this, the charm of the city, called Peking in the olden days, is building up as the 2008 Summer Olympics draws near. And it seems that all Chinese are prepared ("We are ready," sing the many Chinese artists in that TV ad campaign) to receive the millions who would come to visit a nation once closed to the outside world. So you wanna visit Beijing, China? Prepare your bags and your pocket dictionary, and say a big "Ni hao."

1. Speak. Let me just get this out. The one big problem with Beijing is that even the simplest question or command (as in, "Water please," "Where's the toilet?") is not easily understood, even in a three-star hotel or a posh restaurant. I talked to a Mexican tourist on my way up to the Great Wall of China, for example, and it seemed to me that his guide was struggling to explain himself in Spanish. So imagine how surprised he was when an Asian-looking guy asked him from where he was. To survive Beijing, be sure to do one of two things: First, have a handy dictionary and ask your hotel personnel (if ever they could) to write the name of common things you would most likely request during your trip on post-its. Better yet, always stick to your tour guide and never venture out alone.

2. Haggle. If you get a budget tour to Beijing, it is very probable that part of the tour involves going to some factory or store that sells Chinese items. While you may be tempted to spend all your cash for a jade bracelet or a string of pearls, remember that the Chinese are masters of marketing and would try to sell you anything that could be sold. A word to the wise: haggling works in China! And always ask for half the price (no kidding) and from there you and the seller would reach a price that is good for both of you. How to do this in a country that doesn't speak English? With a calculator, of course!

3. Look. Beijing, China is a feast for the eyes, even for Asians. The Forbidden City is Beijing's answer to Rome's Vatican and it's a complex of palaces and palaces that once housed the emperor, the empress, the concubines and the entire imperial household. No one is allowed to see the emperor, so the entire city was built for him. Of course, the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs are not to be missed even though they're outside the city.

4. Get immersed. Traveling to Beijing, China is an opportunity to know more about Chinese history and civilization. The Chinese are proud of their culture and it's evident in everything that they do. Contemplating the Temple of Heaven, knowing what the dragon and the phoenix stand for, understanding how Chinese numerological beliefs (the power of the numbers 9 and 4) helped shape even the architecture of palaces and shrines, and seeing how the Communist regime shaped the psyche of present-day Chinese by walking through the Tiananmen Square could be very enriching and gratifying. A night of Peking Opera to end your day is like the cherry on top of a beautiful cup of ice cream.

5. Sample. Going to China is also an occasion to sample some gastronomic delights that have become famous the world over. Do try Chinese teas (a visit to the tea house was not included in our itinerary but I wouldn't miss it for the world) and some of the sweets that are not as diabetes-inducing as those in the West. Peking duck makes for a hearty dinner, but don't go to famous restaurants commonly advertised on English-language website, as they are usually over-priced. Just ask your guide to take you to a good place to eat duck (usually in places where English is unspoken) and you'll get it at half the price. Do try noodles and tofu and the vast array of Chinese pickles, but go slow with them as they tend to be very oily or spicy.

Marlon's Beijing route: It's almost impossible to go around Beijing for two days because of the language barrier. Just surf the Net or ask your favorite travel agency for any suggestions. During the lean months, they offer tour packages for as low as $500 per person, tours, entrances and accommodation in a three-star hotel all included.

Marlon's budget tip: Haggle, haggle, haggle. And did I say haggle? Case in point: I wanted a porcelain doll of the Monkey God from the Peking Opera to bring home to the Philippines, but the lady told me that it sells for 480 yuans (roughly 45 euros). I threw in some charms and put my acting prowess to work, and after 10 minutes of haggling, I got the beautiful statue for 350 yuans (35 euros).

Confessions of a ceiling addict (The Italian edition)

Regular readers of my blog should know that, for some reason, I am particularly interested with ceilings. Now that I have almost exhausted the gorgeous ceilings in Spain, let's go to another country in Europe (my most favorite, probably) and let's search for ceilings there. The country is called Italy.

Italy has numerous ceilings that are indeed exquisite artifacts to behold, given its history and its strong Roman Catholic inclination during the Renaissance and the centuries prior to this zenith of artistic expression in the West.


In the sleepy town of Assisi, Italy, in the Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (Church of Holy Mary on top of Minerva), this detail is part of the lavish design of the Baroque ceiling of the Church. The present-day Catholic shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary was erected over the ancient temple of this Roman goddes of wisdom.


In Florence (Firenze), the Renaissance art hub of modern-day Italy, the most viewed ceiling is the duomo of the Florentine Cathedral, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Holy Mary of the Flower). It is the masterpiece of Italian great Filippo Brunelleschi who is buried beneath the church, in what most tourists would assume as a mere souvenir shop.


Still in Florence, Italy, just in front of the Cathedral, one could find the awe-inspiring ceiling of the Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St. John, the patron saint of Florence), a work of many an anonymous Venetian hand about the Last Judgment, which is said to have inspired Dante, another Florentine great, to write his magnum opus.


In the capital city of Rome, Italy, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of St. Mary Major) houses a magnificent guilded ceiling that stretches all the way from the main door toward the altar. The Basilica is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome.


Of course, when alreadt in Rome, one cannot afford to miss out on the dome of the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano (St. Peter's Basilica). A common misconception is that it was Michelangelo himself who designed it.

Malls

In a recent article published by Forbes, it was found out that most of the the 10 largest shopping malls in the world are found outside USA, "...where land is cheap and labor costs are low." And of the 10, three are in the Philippines!


SM Mall of Asia, near Roxas Boulevard in Manila, is the newest of the SM Malls and is the largest in the Philippines. It is also the third largest in the world.


SM Megamall was for a time the largest mall in the Philippines. It's the 6th largest in the world.


SM North Edsa for me would always be the student mall since as a student in the University of the Philippines, I was always here often. It's just a jeepney ride away. It's also the 10th largest mall in the world.

(Photos courtesy of Forbes)

Taking Dante Alighieri's path

And no, I am not saying that I am now a poet of epic proportions. Instead, the video I'm about to show you is something that I took when I did my short Italian language course in Florence, Italy.

This is the path that leads to the Church of Santa Margarita de' Cerchi where Beatrice Portinari, the lady that inspired Dante, the Father of the Italian Language and Il Summo Poeta of Italian Literature, is enterred. From there I continued walking toward Dante's house. The video is a bit dizzying since I was walking with the cam, but I guess for anyone who wants to taste a slice of Florentine life, no shaking cam can deter him. Enjoy the video!

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

What if the children's show Sesame Street were broadcast around 74 AD, in the ancient Italian city of Pompeii? What would the song "Who are the people in your neighborhood?" include?

Well, not to be missed are the actors and the poets. They provide the entertainment in lieu of television, and it was in the so-called Small Theatre that they honed their craft.

After watching the latest tragedy performed on stage, a hungry citizen could opt to pass by a thermopolium, Pompeii's answer to a snackbar. Small talk with the restaurant owner, perhaps.

Kinky? Well, anyone could go (hush-hush) to the prostitution den known as the lupanare.

A hot day requires some R&R in the public baths, what with all the drama and the sex that a citizen has had. It's the in thing back then and was perhaps the best way to be updated about the latest gossip.