Singapore

After working his way from Viet Nam down to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, RV Escatron arrives in Singapore with a backpack bursting at the seams. Find out how he tried to stitch the loose ends of his shoestring budget in what proved to be the most expensive, and some say boring city, in Southeast Asia.

This is the last leg of my Southeast Asia backpacking trip. There's nothing much to do in this citystate other than shopping for gadgets, shopping for clothes and just shopping. And for obvious reasons, I didn't go shopping, baby! Otherwise, if I'd break something at Orchard Road, god forbid, I'd bus tables or mop floors to pay off.

Singapore is indeed one green, clean and, as expected, an expensive city but never boring. There are actually hostels and adventure packages that suit your budget like Inn Crowd Hostel or Sentosa and Night Safari; Iconic Esplanade (unless you splurge at the mall or get tickets for performances) and Merlion are treats for freeloaders. By the way, the art scene in this lion city is they say the most vibrant in the region. And I silently agree. The time I was there, an orchestra played songs from anime shows, perhaps, in the this age of facebook and manga, trying to get the younger generation acquire aesthetic sensibility like the old days but of course, with a twist.

In one of my walks to Singapore River, I said to myself: "when I grow up, I want to work and live here. Someday. And let the cost of living find its own answers." Oh, brother! The food, the rent, the cab. So expensive!

bleep! bleep! GETTING THERE:
Taking the bus from Melaka to Singapore was a big mistake. All the route could provide was a tad four hours of boredom personified looking at the palm oil plantation up until the Malaysia-Singapore border. If there was any consolation, it was the business class bus seat with a leg room enough to fit one pregnant goat. What I had in mind was the Malaysian countryside. You know, the sights: little villages, rice paddies, rolling hills but no! On the other hand, if I took the train, it would mean another three hours back to Kuala Lumpur Central Station and guess-the-train-schedule game. I was actually left with no choice at all.

Once at the swanky Malaysia Immigration building at the border, everyone had to alight and proceed to passport control which for the most part was a breeze. Then, traffic in the bus lane turned bottleneck from the causeway to Singapore. Passing through Singapore Immigration was again, a breeze. By the time the headcount was completed, the bus left for the terminal near Little India. I was planning to stay at Inn Crowd Hostel known for a fun atmosphere as its website claimed. But the afternoon heat took its toll on me. So, I decided to take whatever hostel nearby. Voila! Footprints Hostel! SD13.00 breakfast included and with free internet. The room was clean, the staff friendly but, urghh! My roommates smell! Officially, I welcome myself to hardcore backpacking sans the filth. Just the smell of, you know what I mean.



for travelers on a shoestring budget:
YMCA near Orchard Road, Inn Crowd Hostel and Footprints in Little India. (there's one hostel in the book by Robert Alejandro but I figured out it was way too far from the bus terminal and I read it's filthy, so, I just went straight to Little India which is only a good 15-minute brisk walk away.




Getting Around:
Get the Singapore Tourist unlimited day pass for buses and MRT at 30 Singaporean Dollars (SD$20 refundable deposit included). There are 2-day and 3-day passes as well. Whatever suits you.





I took the MRT to Changi Airport budget terminal and spent two hours waiting for the check-in counter to open. By the time I got my boarding pass, I spent time checking the goods at the Duty Free which claimed to be the lowest priced anywhere in Asia. With USD500.00 still left in my pocket, it's high time I splurge! And yes, I did!

Pasalubong, intawun! Saun na lang.