TRIP TO THE GARDEN CITY

Neldy

It is my wanders to Borneo that invited me to visit the Garden City back again transiting to Peninsular Malaysia at Johor Baharu. I off to Kota Kinabalu from Sandakan at 7PM, it arrived around 1:30AM to Kota Kinabalu terminal. I slept here waiting for the daylight to come. I have to secure some funds. I ate Roti Kosong, an affordable food. Taxi Cab is quite bad having its higher price to take me to One Borneo Mall.

the merlion. i am thirsty...

 At around 1:30AM I headed to Airport Terminal 2. This is for the lowest-cost airlines terminal. Take bus to here at a lower cost of 1RM. It is in the bus terminal near Plaza Wawasan, Kota Kinabalu.

The aircraft arrived to Changi Airport, Singapore at Terminal 1. I saw a sign going to the Terminal 3. Train to the city centre located here. I purchased train ticket for Raffles Place Terminal from Changi Airport.

I was assisted and instructed by the in charge in the ticket machine. She gave a directional map to every train to take. She’s very kind. She changed the currency I have into Singapore dollar. The fare is 3 and 7 cents dollar – with a 1SD deposit, people could retrieve after, in any train station to stop.

This is the LRT tiket and the Map.

The enchanting beauty of the city, reminded me to remember the time when Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram II was honored by 18-gun salute here. This was the time when Sulu Sultanate and Singapore have the political and economic ties during 17^th – 20^th century. Sulu people indeed wish to reopen the link.

 

While roaming around the city as budget-tourist, I was reminded with the story of one Tausug fighter in Jolo. He said, “the secret of the Tausug in war if they got continues fire from the enemy have only two words that is ‘take and cover’ – take cover. It gave an idea to take pictures around here while walking in the streets of Singapore.  I take but did not cover.

Environmental Conservation effort made by Singapore. Fantastic idea.

I don’t know if this related to the adage of mountaineers when I was joining them during university days, “take nothing but time, kill nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and leave no trace”. This seems to be true because I cannot trace my footprints and my foot do not print in walkway because of the sanitized street. No trace of soiled “shoeprints” could be seen.    

Anyway what is important to me here, I didn’t see any thrash in the street. I wonder how people of Singapore maintain this discipline. How fortunate Singapore people are.  

Let me finish stop here. I have to walk again for sight-seeing.  Many tourists said that whoever visited Singapore and failed to go to the Merlion, he must not have visited the city. The sprinkling water from the mouth of the Merlion proves this city-state as the bustling Garden City of Southeast Asia.  I will be in Johor, Malaysia later tonight. Happy Walking to me! Sorry for late posting, this was in February 2010!