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.

Braving a cold Sevillan morning to watch the Macarena

This is a video I took in 2007 when I was in Sevilla, Spain for Holy Week. Seville's most attended procession is called the Madrugá, the dawn procession on Good Friday. My hostel was right in the heart of the procession route on Calle Sierpes, so I was able to see one of Spain's most famous images of the Virgin Mary, the Esperanza Macarena.

More naked Italian men

It's official: the most popular post of W.A.M. is that one about nude Italian men, closely followed by a hodgepodge of naked European guys. And I'm betting 50 pesos that most -- if not all -- accessed my blog thinking that I'm talking about that kind of nudes, and kept reading the entry with the hope that some flesh would be seen.

But no, since this is a wholesome (ahem!) blog, the most we could show is some hard and smooth... carved marble (ehehehe). Here's more from the Vatican; don't you just wonder why we have so many nudes in the heart of Catholicism? So here you go, dear kinky readers! Look at naked bodies and learn history!

Apollo del Belvedere. The most part of the art collection of Pope Julius II that shows the Greek god of light in his naked best... which seems to say that if you have good bone structure, you could go naked and pose all you want.

Laocoön. Another piece from Julius II's collection. The Greek prophet Laocoön is shown here with his two sons being strangled by serpents sent by the goddess Athena. Talk about revenge.

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.

Nativity scenes

As a kid, one of the things I tremendously enjoy was setting up the family belen, the scene that depicts the birth of Jesus. It has an all-star cast: the Holy Family, the Three Kings, the shepherds with their sheep, the ox, the mule and the angel.

So imagine my surprise when, as a student in Europe, I saw that many people love their creche and that they have bigger sets, including anachronic figures such as Renaissance farmers, chandlers and butchers. Here are two of the most memorable I've seen:


Rome, Italy. I forgot the name of the church dedicated to the Virgin but my friend always frequents this place to drink the healing water that wells from beneath the place. Its presepe, for me, was the best feature of the church. It's displayed during the entire year in a room at the left-hand side of the altar under the soft and romantic shimmer of blue lights.


Barcelona, Spain. This guilded belen was located outside the Generalitat of Catalunya. It's a simple set with the Holy Family and the ox and mule, but its glimmer beneath the winter sun was simply divine. It's encased in a glass box which in turn is covered with tall reeds and bamboo-like plants.

Happy Holidays!

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.

A Pucela, en grato recuerdo...

September 8 is the Nativity of Mary, Mother of God, and her representation as the Nuestra Señora de San Lorenzo is the major feast day in the city of Valladolid, Spain. And to be honest, there's no other place you should be in on this day other than Valladolid.

Heos aquí algunos videos (uno sacro y el otro, un poco más profano) hechos el año pasado por alguien que de por vida ya quedará encantado de esta ciudad castellana. La guarda siempre en su corazón y está convencido cada vez más de que una gran parte de él se ha trasformado ya en pucelana. ¡Aúpa Pucela!


This is the procession of the Patroness of Valladolid toward the Metropolitan Cathedral for the high mass. She is escorted by honor guards and is showered with roses on her way.


It's also an occasion for street parties and endless beers and food. Here's the start of the merrymaking, with the members of social clubs called peñas imposing the pañuelo de fiestas to the statue of Conde Ansúrez, founder of Valladolid, in the city's main square.

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!

Meycauayan's Mater Dolorosa in a Spanish digital newspaper

Spanish newspaper 20minutos has recently published a picture I took of the Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowful Virgin) of Meycauayan during Semana Santa. The last time I looked the picture appears here. But since they keep on adding new photos at the beginning of the album, you might have to browse through the gallery to see the pic I sent.

The caption reads, "Esta foto es de los 45 pasos que tenemos aquí en la ciudad de Meycauayan, Filipinas. En lugar de cofradías como las que tenéis vosotros en España e Hispanoamérica, son las familias adineradas quienes se encargan de sacar estas imágenes en las procesiones, con lo cual las imágenes antaño 'heredaban' fincas y propiedades para poder participar cada año."

(This picture is one of the 45 karos that we have in the city of Meycauayan, the Philippines. Instead of cofradías like the ones you have in Spain and Hispanic America, it is the rich families who take charge of bringing these images out on processions. Therefore, the images used to "inherit" lands and other properties to be able to join the procession each year.)

Nuestra Señora de las Angustias

The most beloved Virgin of Valladolid is the Nuestra Señora de las Angustias (Our Lady of Sorrows), a masterpiece by sculptor Juan de Juni.

This video is taken on Holy Tuesday in 2007. The Señora is taken out of her Temple and greeted with the sounds of the Marcha Real, the Spanish National Anthem, and by the myriad of camera flashes of devotees and tourists alike.

Passion of Christ

Images have been an integral part of worship in the Roman Catholic Church, so it is but logical that on the days when the very core of the Catholic doctrine is commemorated by the faithful the world over, some of the most splendid images done throughout the centuries play an important role in the Church's popular display of faith.

The following are taken from the many processions done in the Castilian city of Valladolid, in Central Spain. While most people would more familiar with the celebrations done in Seville in Southern Spain, the processions in Valladolid remain unparalleled in their wealth of artistic creations that carry the most illustrious names in Spanish religious art, to wit, Gregorio Fernández, Juan de Juni, Alonso Berruguete, Pedro de Ávila, Francisco del Rincón, Pompeyo Leoni, etc.