Singapore Morning Rush 1st part (Merlion & The Flyer)

quick journey of a budget DIY 1st-timer / solo backpacker
january 19-22, 2011 thursday to saturday

objective: to visit the best tourist spots that fits my taste and budget accordingly.
additional tasks: to conquer the G-MAX reverse bungee jump and witness thaipusam festival

what a 2-days trip in singapore-malaysia!

arriving in changi budget terminal:
i arrived past 0100H on this airport and chose a malay IO because malays are known to be kind to filipino's rather than chinese and indians. as expected, she didn't bother to ask anything because all my docs were 100% ok. exited airport, then turn right for the shuttle terminal going to terminal 2. upon arrival to  this terminal, i grabbed free singapore maps nearby then went to mcdonalds to review and analyze again the itinerary against the map while eating. mcdo has also free usage of internet. since i went here around 0300H, i can't sleep due to excitement but since 0530H is the mrt opening which has a station also in this terminal, i took a nap near the mrt station but inside the terminal.

DAY ONE:
SINGAPORE MORNING RUSH

due to my body clock instinct, i woke up exactly on time. went to rest room first then made my way to the mrt. i will alight to cityhall station. i'm monitoring the stops because there will be a change lane. after around 3o minutes, exited cityhall station, then the singapore morning tour starts at 0600H. take note, i just walk by foot all the spots i planned to visit, major rule, always look for the traffic lights. this was the chronological order of my plan;

thomas raffles monument

(1) Thomas Raffles Landing Site
Raffles Landing Site is the place where Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore, is believed to have landed on Singapore on 29 January 1819. Sir Raffles was an agent of the British East India Company, had ventured to Singapore in the hope of establishing a British port and his ambition was to make Singapore a free port and a stopping point for traders along the shortest sea route between India and China. This statue is a replica of the original bronze work cast by Thomas Woolner unveiled in 1887 which is located in front of Victoria Concert Hall. not much to see, i wish i skip this monument.

(2) people of the river
Around the fringe of the Singapore River, you’ll find various groups of statues each depicting a scene of a long-gone era. If you’re fond of cats, look out on the right while crossing the Cavenagh Bridge. An endearing sight, the Kuncinta Cats is a sculpture of three cats at play, each one with distinctively thick tabby coats and different bands of colour.  On the left of the Bridge, you’ll also see the First Generation sculpture, which freezes the motion of a group of five naked boys diving off the bridge  and going for a swim  –  a rare, almost impossible sight now anywhere in Singapore. These are the statues near singapore river, good for photo-ops

people of the river

(3) merlion park
The Merlion Park is a very popular tourist attraction and took its place among the famous landmarks of great cities of the world. It is originally located at the Esplanade Bridge, about 20meters from its current location and was shifted in 2002. It is now adjacent to One Fullerton. The Merlion, is Singapore’s tourism icon, is a creature with a lion’s head and the body of a fish. The "Singa" or lion represents the animal that a Sumatran prince saw which resembled a lion, and the fish is a tribute to Singapore's history as "Temasek", the ancient sea town. The statue was completed in 1972, and measures 8.6 metres (26 feet) high and weighs 40 tonnes! There are five Merlion statues of note in Singapore:
1 - The original statue at Merlion Park
2 - A two-metre tall cub statue standing behind the original statue
3 - The 37-metre tall gigantic replica at Sentosa Island
4 - The three-metre tall glazed polymarble statue at Tourism Court
5 - The three-metre tall polymarble statue placed on Mount Faber's Point
Standing at 8.6 metres high and weighing 70 tonnes, the Merlion statue has a lion's head and a fish's body, and is housed here in this 2500 square metre park. Upon leaving sg river, turn right along fullerton road. i spent much time here due to the sunrise capturing, few tourists and sg's signature spot so photo-ops to the max !! since this is already in marina bay area, i can see sg's other major spots.

merlion park in marina bay

esplanade theater

(4) esplanade
walk through esplanade bridge, and this theatre is already infront.. another modern architectural fascination. The Esplanade is a waterfront location just north of the mouth of the Singapore River in downtown Singapore. It is primarily occupied by the Esplanade Park, and was the venue where one of Singapore's largest congregation of satay outlets until their relocation to Clarke Quay as a result of the construction of a major performance arts venue, the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, which took its name from this location.

the flyer of singapore

the flyer of singapore

viewing deck on the flyer of singapore

viewing deck on the flyer of singapore

singapore morning rush last part (mbs skypark)