Lakad Pilipinas

An alley full of delectable street food mixed with regular market fare swarmed across our way; a menagerie of fruits and raw meat mingling with banana pancakes and crisply fried pork strips. It was heaven. We ambled from one stall to the next, dodging the local crowd milling about Trat’s Night Market, unable to decide what to have for dinner with the multitude of choices presented to us.

FIVE HOUR LAND TRIP FROM CAMBODIA’S SIHANOUKVILLE TO THAILAND’S TRAT

The Province of Trat, located on the southeastern side of Thailand, was our gateway to the land of the elephants. Thailand was the third country for our Same Same Summer Trip, which started in Malaysia and pushed through Cambodia. Landing in Siem Reap and taking the land trip to Phnom Penh and the beaches of Sihanoukville, we exited at Koh Kong border and entered Trat through a five-hour land transfer by van (USD18.00 / PHP910.50).

Ever since frequenting Quirino Highway in Quezon City, I’ve always passed by an old panciteria near the Sangandaan intersection. Aling Leoning’s Special Pancit Palabok, it humbly proclaimed above its doors. I’ve always thought of trying out their food, but I always gravitate to the nearby Jollibee and its mouthwatering Chickenjoy. About two weeks ago, together with A and C, I finally got the gumption to avoid the bee, enter the old panciteria, and try their noodles.

LEONING’S SIMPLE INTERIORS

Aling Leoning’s naturally lighted interiors is straightforward enough. A foyer leads diners to a counter where they take your order, you then turn right to the small dining hall filled with a combination of heavy iron and rattan chairs paired with marble-topped tables. The furnishing was more fitting for a garden, than say, a panciteria, but I guess it gets the job done.

Honeymoons usually run under traditional scenarios; newlyweds go to world-famous places like Seychelles or Santorini, Paris or Venice. There is nothing wrong about it. But what if you long for something non-clichéd and affordable? I suggest that you have a look at less publicized destinations–they are free of the hustle and bustle and let young family couples deepen their knowledge about our world. Going to one of these places is a good way to impress a Ukrainian girl.

Singapore is a small city state sandwiched between south of Malaysia and north of Indonesia. Most budget travelers try to steer clear of it due mostly to the notion that it is an expensive travel destination. There is indeed a basis for such—the country being labeled as the world’s priciest city for four straight years by the Economist Intelligence Unit. But still, a trip to Singapore can be enjoyed without burning holes through your pockets.

During our recent trip, we actually stayed for four days in Singapore, but since we did nothing on one of those days but rest, hunt for cactuses, and walk around the vicinity of our lodging, I’ll only be outling a three-day itinerary for this travel guide. We were on a budget at the time, so the focus really are the admission-free attractions in the city. For those with more money to spend, I’ll also list optional activities for popular tourist attractions around the city where you actually have to pay to enter.

From the chaos of Chinatown, we went inside a nondescript building, up through a darkened stairwell, and into an open hallway. We were ushered inside a keypad-locked wooden door and were greeted by the tiniest lobby ever. A step away, another door was opened for us and we were, again, greeted by the smallest dorm room. Ever.

It was our last few days in Singapore. We were supposed to go to Johor Baru, crossing the border between Singapore and Malaysia, and spend a night there, but we decided to simply stay at SG. It was the end of our Beach Hop Asia summer tour and we were just too doggone tired.

The problem was, since it was an impromptu thing, we have nowhere to stay. We were then lodged at the Beary Best! Hostel, but they were already fully booked, so we have no choice but to look for another hostel. A cheap hostel.

Eating in Singapore is a daunting task if you don’t have enough money in your pockets. Understand—you’re on the last leg of your two-month backpacking trip trying to make ends meet with the last wad of dollars in your wallet. And that last leg just so happens to be at one of the most expensive places on Earth. Just how and just where do you eat? The answer, food hawker centers.

FOOD IS RELATIVELY CHEAP ON SINGAPORE’S MANY HAWKER CENTERS

Indeed, during our four days running around the city, including a visit to the National Singapore Gallery, we were quite surprised at how relatively affordable our meals were. We usually eat at the city’s many hawker centers, it was still more expensive than say Malaysia or Thailand, but it was still within our meager budget. If you have deeper pockets and don’t want the hassle of looking for the best street food in the city, you can always book online for a food tour around Singapore.

“What’s the plan?” I asked C as we broke our fast on a creamy laksa noodle at a hawker stall near our lodging, the Beary Best! Hostel. “Well, we’ll meet with R and see where he takes us.” It’s inevitable that you meet friends on trips abroad. Filipinos are just everywhere.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

After a train ride, meet ups with R and C, a Burmese lunch, and some chit chat, the plan emerged. Unlike the previous day of checking out free attractions around Singapore, the plan today was somewhat more sophisticated. Like museum sophisticated. And we’re not visiting just any museum, we’d be heading over to the National Gallery Singapore to check out artworks all the way from our very own Juan Luna to international masters like Pablo Picasso.

APPARENTLY, TODAY IS MUSEUM DAY

We’re really not into museums, but with R around, you just know you’re gonna enjoy viewing artwork after artwork. He’s quite the brain when it comes to art, especially the juicy bits about the life of the hands that painted them.

From our lunch place, we walked towards Singapore’s Civic District where the gallery is located.

It was both our second time in Singapore. During my first visit, I did the usual paid attractions and found the city to be a tad cold; it seemed too artificial. My constant travel mate totally agreed with me. But we were ready to give SG a second chance. Only this time, our wallet really wasn’t as ready as we were.

THE ONLY COST OF OUR DAY TOUR, TRANSPORTATION FARE & FOOD

So, with budget only for food and transportation, we scoured the Internet for free places to visit in Singapore. And surprisingly, we did find a lot! We started our day early and ended it quite late—we were that busy running around the city.