Tag Archive: Family Travel


Country Life @Villa Escudero

Filed under: Philippine Travels — 4 Comments
February 24, 2011

It is a long weekend and we took the chance to visit Villa Escudero where a vast coconut plantation estate has been converted into a tourist destination south of Manila. Left Manila 6:30am and reached this hacienda well before 9am. A welcome drink of “gulaman” , a local drink made of diced gelatine and sugared water was most refreshing.

 

Day Tour Inclusions

 

Country life, then and now, is what Villa Escudero is all about.  Our kids, aged 12 and 9, accustomed to urban living, would do well to have this ‘introduction’ to provincial life.  The adults? Well, we can all do with this break.  And country air is definitely something of a luxury these days, despite the heat. The day tour costs 1,250 pesos or nearly US$30.  Included in this package is a Museum tour of the owner Ado Escudero’s antique collections housed in a church which has now been converted into a Museum. Nearby, another museum is under construction.  Guess that means that Mr. Escudero must have accummulated more collections to warrant another structure.  That gives us a good reason to return to this place.   Also included in the package are:  buffet lunch, carabao-driven cart rides, swimming, rafting in the lake, and a cultural show.  Not bad. The elder child, aged 12 turning 13 soon,  said she thought it would be some laid-back plantation visit with not much to do.  She and her 9 year old brother were pleasantly surprised with the set up in this “real FARMVILLE” . (For those of you who play Farmville on Facebook , you know what I mean. )  Both kids and adults tried everything.

 

Museum Tour

 

No photos inside.  But this church turned Museum has quite a collection of “floats” used in religious processions, and many many religious statues.  The antique altar,  sculpture of the Last Supper,  collectors’ items such as Philippine currency/money,  local costumes,  Spanish-inspired furniture, paintings, handwritten letters of the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal,  paintings,  stuffed animals from the Philippines and other places like Africa and neighboring Asian countries,  butterfly collections, etc.  Tells us that this Escudero family is most surely a family of collectors.   And they have the money to indulge in this passion! I pointed out to the kids the local alphabet —-  which is non-existent, if not “not known at all” to many Filipinos.  Oh yes Virginia, we had our own alphabet way before the Spaniards came to rule our country for nearly 400 years.  We have to thank the Escuderos for this, as well as the other collections for many like our kids to appreciate.

 

Estate Park and a “Private Property”

 

The Museum has a plaza where one finds a sculpture of the Escudero ancestors, another Museum under construction,  and various World War II mementos like cannons , tanks, etc.  All around, there were also sculptures of typical Filipino scenes.  I like these, as i found it easier to explain to the kids how country life was in the olden days.  Like those sculptures of a man “courting” this lady.  No eye contact, while the man tries to offer a gift to his lady love.  The lady, in turn, acts coyly as women then were expected to behave. Then there was this scene of a little boy riding a carabao,  a person “picking trees” with this long pole,  a little boy feeding piglets. The premier spot in this plaza belongs to the Mansion where the Escuderos presumably lived then, perhaps till now.  The pink Mansion sits in this prime spot fronting the plaza , with Mount Cristobal in the background. On a clear day, it is a beautiful sight……matched only by the serenity of the estate lake trimmed by cottages and trees.

 

Lunch and A Cultural Show

 

In between swimming, we succeeded in dragging our 9year old back to an area where lunch is served. The place has a man-made waterfalls with water flowing underneath several tables and benches. We took our lunch while our feet enjoyed the cool waters. I even caught sight of small black fish in the 6 inch waters while enjoying my lunch. Lunch was a typical Filipino and Fil-Spanish cuisine. Oh , and some Chinoy or Fil-Chinese additions too like the vegetable rolls. I had a lot of these rolls , in between bites of diced pork chops (over-grilled though, if you ask me) and grilled tilapia fish. The peanut sauce was good for some of the freshly sliced cucumber and other veggies. The pumpkin sauce , the beef caldereta , and desserts like banana cue and tapioca balls complete the lunch. 

 

After lunch, we trooped back to the Coconut Pavilion and waited for the 2pm cultural show. There were dances from Northern , Central and Southern Philippines. As with many dance performances, the finale is the “singkil” dance from Southern Philippines. The costumes, the colors, the graceful dancers, and the sequence of tribal and national dance numbers made up for a good show. 

 

Time for Some Rowing

 

I made the good decision not to join the group who took turns rafting.  The lake is not so big nor wide.  But my arms would do me in, for sure,  and so I opted out.  Watching them row out, then back,  I could tell their arms tired out rowing .  Of course, one end of the lake is the waterfalls where we earlier enjoyed our lunch. If Martin wins hands down enjoying all the pools and playing in the waterfalls area,   Anna Patricia gets a trophy for rafting.   She rowed well in between laughter as her aunts alternated to be her partner rower in the same raft.  I didn’t think I’d have the energy to row back to safety.  A pair of tourists probably felt the same way AFTER one of them dropped into the lake as she tried to disembark from the raft.  She was all ready with one of her legs out to step off the raft into waiting hands .  But the raft MOVED.  So she goes straight into the lake.  Oh oh.

 

The Carabao-Driven Cart

 

We left the plantation (yes, it still is a working coconut plantation) nearly 5pm, and took the same carabao-driven cart back to the parking area. Can’t end this blog without mentioning these: 1.   When taking this ride, be sure NEVER EVER TOUCHING THE ROPE tied to the carabao. One of us did,  and the carabao took that to mean we were ready to go. 2.   If you have kids with you,  don’t try singing along with the kundiman singers riding the cart.  (Kundiman is local songs sang way way back by our forefathers.  Not unless you don’t care if you are embarassing them or not.  In our case, I think I embarassed our kids enough. So there,  we spent a good holiday in Villa Escudero.  Just 2 1/2 hours south of Manila.  If driving, take the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and exit at 50 (Lucena, Legazpi and Batangas exit).  Turn left at the Sto. Tomas junction and left again at Tanauan-Sto. Tomas junction.  Head straight down, bypassing towns like Alaminos and San Pablo City Proper.  Slow down upon seeing Quezon arch and turn left immediately. Villa Escudero is at the boundary of San Pablo City and Quezon province.

 

More photos in my TravelBlog site.   

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Silay’s Heritage Houses

Filed under: Philippine Travels — 3 Comments
February 23, 2011

 

Specter of Affluence From Bygone Era

Silay City, is less than an hour away from Bacolod City. Just a 30 minute drive. It is in the Philippines’ Western Visayas region and the flight took less than an hour from Manila. Because it counted many famous artists during its heyday, it was then dubbed the “Paris of Negros”. A number of heritage houses , mostly built at the turn of the 19th century, still exist, some remarkably well preserved, to this day.

It should be mentioned that Negros is the seat of the country’s sugarcane industry. Many sugarcane plantations flourished and brought wealth to a number of families here. In our country, they were called hacienderos, taken from the word “hacienda” which means a big plantation or farm. Hacienderos refer to their owners or the families who owned them. These days, whenever we meet landed gentry, rich elitist families, we are tempted to call them “hacienderos”.

 

The Heritage Houses of Silay City

Silay City enjoyed its Golden Age with the boom of the sugar trading industry. This is the period from 1880 to 1930. Many of our parents and grandparents were born during this period. The city oozed with wealth and enviable affluence. Children of many sugar barons enjoyed their fortunes which manifested in the number of beautiful ancestral homes in the city. Interestingly, this period was also marked by the country’s bid for independence from Spain. More interestingly, many of our national heroes and artists actually came from prominent families such as the barons from this part of the country. For a while, Silay City and its neighboring Bacolod City served as the hub for European artists and musicians. This atmosphere must have spawned the emergence, and prominence of many of our local artists and musicians in this part of the country.

Victorias Milling Company is about an hour away from Silay City. You’d better believe this, but it used to be the world’s biggest mill from 1960′s -70′s. No wonder then, right? After all, these hacienderos observed a regular schedule of work limited to just 6 months (planting season), and another 6 months of harvesting and spending their fortunes. Those 6 “idle” months must have invariably spelled “party season” for the rich and famous Ilonggo families. Naturally, the ancestral houses one finds here have big lawns and gardens, as well as grand receiving rooms complete with chandeliers and grand pianos . Imagine the parties they threw here when the scions of wealthy families must have grown tired counting their fortunes!

There are several ancestral houses just off the San Diego Pro-Cathedral along Rizal Street. One may opt to start a walking tour from here or from El Ideal Bakery, also along Rizal Street. Since we had an appointment for a guided tour at the Hofilena Heritage Home, we started our tour here. Hofileña Ancestral House is the repository of the private art collection of Ramon H. Hofileña. The exhibit includes the work of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal , and a number of top artists in the country like Juan Luna, Hidalgo, H. R. Ocampo, Manansala, Joya, etc. We had the good fortune to have Mon Hofilena himself give us the guided tour of this lovely heritage house. Mon shared many historical trivia with us, peppered with some of his own personal history. There were many portraits of Mon in the second storey of the house, painted by some of his friends like Hechanova whom Mon thinks should have been given more recognition as a Filipino artist of note. The photos of the Hofilena ancestors and children were also all over the house, along with newspaper and magazine clippings featuring the accomplishments of the Hofilena children. Mon didn’t forget to also mention how he was the first Filipino male bikini model (he is now 77 years old) and showed us some of his nude paintings with “strategically located” post-its in case there are children in the tour group. *Wink Wink*

Not far from the Hofilenia House but not open to the public is this private home formerly owned by the family of Teodora Morada. The Dimacalis who bought this property restored, maintained and preserved the grandeur of this charming white colonial house. As with the Hofilenia residence, there was also the grand staircase where one imagines the debutante daughters of the former owners of this mansion walking down , resplendent in their designer gowns. Teeming with prosperity, many daughters from these wealthy families enjoyed this “introduction to society” (debut) by way of lavish parties celebrating their 18th birthday.

Balay Negrense is the ancestral mansion of the Gaston Family which has since been converted into a museum showcasing how sugar planters lived at the beginning of the century. The property has a huge front lawn , and a just as huge living room, and an even bigger second floor receiving room. Up on the second floor are the rooms, where canopied beds, antique Filipiniana costumes and other memorabilia are on display. You would even find collections of old dolls and other toys in what could have been a children’s room. (Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 10:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. Cinco de Noviembre Street Tel. No. 4954916.)

Bernardino Jalandoni House , now also a Museum, was built in 1908. This house showcases the affluence of Negros at the turn of the 19th century. All items on display are authentic period pieces. Interestingly, a grandson of Don Bernardino is a high-ranking leader of the country’s Communist Party. His name is Luis Jalandoni who is now exiled in the Netherlands. (It is located at Rizal Street with Tel. No. 4955093. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Strolling along this same Rizal Street, one finds many more heritage gems which have since been converted into banks, eating establishments or other business offices. The entire Silay City is definitely one heritage town!

The Ruins. That’s how they call this former mansion built by Don Mariano in memory of his departed wife Maria Braga who died while giving birth to their youngest child in 1911. Sounds similar to the Taj Mahal of India? The Mansion pales in comparison to the Taj Majal, but its timeless elegance resonates of an era when sugar barons ruled the land. What is amazing about this place is that it was built right in the middle of the sugar plantation. With its many huge windows, the sugar barons of those days must have enjoyed a 360 degree view of their sugar plantation as the “sacadas” (paid farm hands) tilled the soil. This place is best visited at dusk. Pray there is no school group or big tour groups when you visit!

And then there are the eating places in Silay. El Ideal Bakery and Restaurant on Rizal Street, Silay City is one of the oldest restaurants in Silay or in Negros Occidental famous for guapple (guava and apple) pies, buko (coconut meat) pies and assorted delicacies. I have not stopped eating since I arrived here in Silay City, but I certainly made sure I had room for the guapple pie, lumpia ubod which are rolls with heart of palm fillings, batchoy (a very Ilonggo soup dish). El Ideal also has a “pasalubong center” (gift center) and some take outs include ibos (made from corn, wrapped in banana leaf like a suman), puto lanson (a kind of rice cake made from coconut meat), piayaya, and many more. Surely, a trip to Silay City is never complete without trying out these native delicacies! If your pockets are lined with wads of pesos, try the Showroom. Here is a place where souvenir items are put in a different class worth every cent of their price tags. The capiz serving trays, bags made from indigenous materials, hand-crafted and intricately-designed neck and ear pieces, as well as sugary and baked foodstuff make for a shopping sidetrip to remember or …. avoid.

Go check out this link too. More photos. 

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Cruising Without Breaking the Bank

Filed under: Asian Holidays — 1 Comment

Who says cruising can break the bank?  My family and I have been planning our own mini-cruise but had to wait till this great deal came along.  It was a dream come true for my family.  And it suited our budget too.

Royal Carribean’s Legend of the Seas is going to Malacca, Malaysia for the very first time! Just for the weekend. A very short cruise from Singapore to Melaka.   Of the 1,800++ passengers,  about 1,000 are Singaporeans who could have taken the road but opted to enjoy the pleasures a cruise ship offers.   When we checked out of our Singapore hotel before noon,  we called for 2 cabs to take us to the cruise terminal.   Just a 10-15 minute ride.  We planned on taking our brunch somewhere in the Terminal as we have not had our breakfast yet, having slept through most of the morning.  But the Royal Carribean crew welcomed us in , processed our papers seamlessly, and invited us to instead enjoy our lunch on board.   We dropped our bags in our 4 cabins (twin sharing for the 8 of us) and proceeded straight to the Windjammer’s Buffet for a sumptuous lunch.   My,  we weren’t shy at all as we enjoyed our first meal on the boat.  We ate the equivalent of a big breakfast, a big lunch and a big snack. Not content with that,  the kids asked for their Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (this one at an extra cost of US$4 each) on top of their desserts from the buffet spread.  Hmmmm.

 

To Swim, To Sleep or To Eat?

 

We enjoyed our tea and coffee on the deck, while the kids had more ice cream (the free ones this time, not Ben & Jerry’s) and prepared to cool in the pool.  There was an outdoor pool, and a Solarium.  The younger ones swam in the outer pool,  momentarily surprised that the swimming pool water is saltwater.  The older ones donned their suits , took a dip, and then slept in their wet bathing suits on the deck chairs.  Does that surprise you? I’ve seen that many times before.  Lol.

 

Library/Reading Room

 

Before long,  the Food and Beverage crew are grilling away some burgers and hotdogs. Pizzas from the oven.  Fries from the frying pans. The aroma is so inviting.  Dear God.   If one loses all control and discipline,  he or she would be rolled out, literally, off the ship.  Even if he/she actually swims laps in the pool!  We had to remind ourselves that our fine-dining reservation is for early dinner so we can enjoy our champagne at the Captain’s Welcome Night after the dinner,  and then a show at 8:30 pm.   We weren’t sure how long the kids (or the adults) would last.   But energy was at an all time high.   The first-time cruising experience for most members of my family must be like an adrenaline shot that kept those energy levels up despite the late nights, all-afternoon walking the day before,  swimming, and what-nots.

 

Monkey Towel??

The Atrium

Elephants On My Bed, Monkeys Hanging On The Wall

 

Having skipped the  sausages and burgers grilling away at the Top Deck,  we checked out the other facilities of the ship.    Martin putted away in the mini-putting link at the Sun Deck,  Patricia checked out the Library/Reading Room.   There was also a Spa and Parlor, which looked inviting especially for those who can really afford it.  (Not us . We trooped back to our cabins and were pleasantly surprised to find  the towels arranged like monkeys or elephants or dogs.   I had the same pleasant surprise when I tried other cruises,  but remember this is a first for the little ones.   I attempted to check how it was done, then later decided I’d never remember.  Cute-sy.  We managed a bath in the just as cute-sy showers and toilets.  (Tip:  Be sure to turn around a full 360 degrees while taking a shower. No sidesteps, no backsteps. Just turn around while the shower is on)

 

And they were singing O Sole Mio !

Fine Dining and Some Entertainment

 

For our first dinner,  Martin asked for freshly-squeezed orange juice.   We let him sign up for it too.  That was when we realized that this little boy does have a “signature”.  Not just your run-of-the-mill writing of his name.  He actually knew how to sign.   He must have practiced that signature several times before now.  I reminded myself  to refrain from telling him that he can actually shop on the boat and just sign for it.

 

How can u diet while cruising?????

 

Having enjoyed our first dinner on board,  we proceeded to the Captain’s Welcome Night  to  errr,   meet the Captain.   Wine for the adults,  Punch for the little ones.   From cocktails, we went straight on to the Show scheduled that night.    Not content with that,  dear Patricia asked me to accompany her watch a movie in the theater lounge.    I had to will myself from sleeping ,  and snoring during the movie.

 

Melaka for the Day,  Then Back to the Boat

 

There were tenders the following morning to take us to Melaka’s jetty port.   I earlier blogged on this already and you can go check it out on what the family did for the day.  The boat departed from Melaka at 6 pm sharp but we got onboard way earlier than that.   Need I tell you?  The kids were eager to get back on the ship knowing fully well that it would be their last night onboard as we head back to Singapore.

 

We enjoyed another 5 star fine-dining, complete with a parade of chefs and restaurant staff singing “O Sole Mio”.  Amazing.  Not one of them is even Italian.   The staff assigned to our Table #11 at the Romeo and Juliet Lounge (yes, that is how it is called) is Chinese who really attended to us very well, especially to Patricia and Martin.  We so loved their Pumpkin Soup, Minestrone, Lamb Shanks,  Grilled Prawn , Alaskan Cod,  Five Spice Noodles,  Baby Shrimp Salad, Sherbet,  Sugar-free Mint Chocolate Cake, Pecan Pie, and so much more!  Get the idea now?  I know , I know.  So much food, and at so short intervals!

 

There were 2 shows in the theatre — one is called Acro-Magic, some acrobatic show combined with magic.  And there was a Musical starring a pianist by the name of Linda Gentille.  The shows were good but as you may have guessed,  the little ones were yearning to get back on deck and wait for their pizza, burgers and fries!  There was a full midnight buffet on deck and I was floored that some went on to enjoy their congees and fried rice dishes at that hour.   I have yet to digest my dinner and there is this buffet spread.   Surely,  most people who go on cruises must have gained at least 2 pounds .  And ours is just a short cruise!

 

Spa, anyone?

No, It Won’t Break the Bank

 

So now,  how much did it cost us to join this cruise?

 

This Singapore-Melaka-back to Singapore cruise for the weekend meant 3 days and 2 nights on the boat.  We got the interior stateroom which is the cheapest .  At twin sharing, it cost us US$306 each inclusive of port taxes and gratuities.    Remember that this all-in price tag includes 2 nights accommodations, 3 shows,  2 movies, 2 breakfast buffets, 2 lunch buffets, 2 fine dinners,  cocktails (@Captain’s Welcome Night), 2 midnight buffets,  endless snacks or in-between meals, unlimited coffee, tea and ice cream.  Plus the use of the swimming pools, Solarium, Library,  Rock climbing and putting on deck.  The cruising experience for big families like mine is truly a dream come true.  If you want some luxury, this is one way of doing it.  And without really burning a hole in your pocket.

 

Since we also got our Manila-Singapore-Manila airfare online,  it cost us US$270 each.  There are cheaper fares, like Jet Air which flies out of Clark north of Manila.  Or there could be better deals for Manila-Singapore round trips as low as US$100 depending on the Season or how lucky you are to snag a deal.  The single hotel night in Singapore was another US$75 triple sharing, so that’s only US$25 each.  Plus we took taxis from the airport to the hotel, then to the cruise terminal, as well as taxis in Melaka. Of course, you can save more if you walked in Melaka or if you took the subways in Singapore.

 

That sums it all up at US$610 as follows:

US$306 cruise (Royal Carribean’s Legend of the Seas. Interior Stateroom. Twin sharing)
270 airfare (Cebu Pacific. Leaving just past 6 am)
25 hotel night (Lloyd’s Inn. Budget Hotel 3 blocks from Orchard)
9 taxi/transpo (Metered taxis from/to the airport in Singapore. Cabs in Melaka fr port)
=US$610 per person for this 4 day, 3 night adventure.

With cheaper airfares (my niece just booked her friend on a manila-singapore return trip at less than US$100!), you can bring this down further.

 Oh, not to forget,  we had to pay for our Universal Studios tickets too, but that is entirely optional on your part.  Some of you may rather shop , or tour the sites in Singapore.  Or do the Zoo or Night Safari. Maybe visit Sentosa Island.  We’ve done all these before, so we chose to spend what’s left of the day when we arrived at the Universal Studios Singapore.   Just think US$610 per person (or lower) for a short cruise, a trip to Malacca,  and a night in Singapore.   You bet my family will be saving up for our next trip or next cruise.

More photos can be viewed in my TravelBlog site. Just click here. 

As for me,  I am only too happy for this reunion.


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Melaka Stopover

Filed under: Asian Holidays — 4 Comments

 

Malacca.   It is old Malaysia.   Not the ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur, the capital.   But Malacca or Melaka,  with vestiges of its Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and British influences.  The place is so ethnically diverse — the stuff that makes it legendary.

 

 

And speaking of legends,  Hang Tuah is one legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. Touted as the greatest of all the warriors or “laksamana” , Hang Tuah was known to be a ferocious fighter. Judging by the many shops, streets, restaurants and buildings named after him, Hang Tuah is obviously held in the highest regard  in present-day Malaysian Malay culture.  Since I found him to be  the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malaysian history and literature, I thought I should start my history lessons for my own little cruising warriors on Melaka’s famous hero.  But I am getting ahead of my story.

 

Off the Cruise Ship, On to Melaka


We took a tender from the big boat to reach the Melaka Jetty Port.  Credits go to the crew of Royal Carribean’s Legend of the Seas for a seamless disembarkation and distribution of tender tickets.   Our family chose not to join any of the offshore excursions and to simply do the sightseeing on our own.  After all , we had plenty of time.  The ship docked at 7am, by which time we were nicely seated at the Windjammer’s Cafe for our buffet breakfast.  The ship departs by 6pm , so there’s plenty of time. By 8:30 am, we were riding the tender to shore.   All of 10 minutes or so, and we reached the no-frills jetty port.  By that, I seriously mean “no frills”.  One simply gets off the tender, helped along by strong muscled Malaysian jetty hands, onto a wooden boardwalk, and out in the streets.

 

It was refreshing that there were unbelievably no touts around the jetty port to harass us.  Sure, there were rickshaw or tricycle and taxi drivers offering to take us to the city center or to give us a tour of the city, but they were not pushy at all.   Without a single ringgit in our pockets, we negotiated with two taxi drivers to take us with our Singapore dollars.  We knew the rates they quoted were padded,  but we caved in.  Very easily, I must say.   There was a 9am Sunday mass at the St. Francis Xavier Church that we didn’t want to miss, even if the service was in Tamil.   And there was only 10 minutes to spare.  But it was a very short ride to the Church and we made it with a minute to go.

Stadthuys, ChristChurch, Bukit St. Paul, Porta de Santiago


After the service,  we walked along Jalan Kota , alongside the river, towards the red-bricked Stadthuys (in Dutch, this means Town Hall) and ChristChurch. It was tempting to linger and shop among the many stalls.   But no ringgit, remember?   So we walked towards Bukit St. Paul and climbed up the steps towards St. Paul ruins.   My buffet-fed family took the stairways  painstakingly slow,  and I didn’t know whether to worry or to laugh.

 

A little bit of history here.  The ruins of St. Paul’s Church was built by a Portuguese sea captain in 1521. This is meaningful to many of us Filipinos. I mean the year 1521.   It was in 1521 that the Portuguese Magellan, working for the Spanish monarchy,  discovered the Philippines.  This means that at the time our islands were discovered,  this Church was already standing on top of this hill overlooking the Straits of Malacca! The ruins included tombstones and some nice brickwork.   It is not huge,  but it was good to be reminded too that this was the last church St. Francis Xavier ministered before his death.

 

Atop this hill,  we had a view not only of the Malacca Strait but also of our cruise ship!  At the foot of the hill is Porta de Santiago, or what’s left of it,  which served as the gateway.  One can only imagine this fortress with a clear view atop the hill of any invading enemy ships. The Portuguese colonized Melaka by dividing and conquering Melaka’s sultan rulers.   And so the saying “Divide and Rule” truly rings true, ei?  A Mosque once stood here, was torn down, and replaced with a fort called “A Famosa”. The sole surviving relic of this fort is the Porta de Santiago. A silent reminder of what it was once.

 

 

The Sultanate Palace and the Story of Hang Tuah

Right on the left of the Porta de Santiago is the Sultanate Palace.  This houses a massive wooden replica of a sultan’s palace.   As it was high noon,  it was refreshing to get into this Palace Museum .  The airconditioning re-energized our sweaty bodies.

 

And this is where I bring you back to the legend of Hang Tuah. Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words “Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia” which literally means “Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth” or “Never shall the Malay race vanish from the face of the earth”. The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.

 

 

Hang Tuah, you may say, is the Sultan’s favorite.  He acted as general, advisor, ambassador. As such, he stirred jealousy within the ranks.  One story tells of how a rumor was spread of Hang Tuah’s illicit love affair with one of the sultan’s stewardesses. The Sultan thus sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial.  Another romantic tale tells of how this injustice prompted Hang Tuah’s childhood friend Hang Jebat to avenge his best friend’s unjust punishment and death. How? By wreaking havoc on the royal court and inciting rebellion.

 

There are many versions of this legend.  One version tells that Hang Tuah lived to a ripe old age because his executioner did not carry out his sentence. This version goes further to say that Hang Tuah was “recalled” to stop and kill his friend Hang Jebat when the latter rebelled against the Sultanate to avenge his friend’s “death”.   To this day, it is said that the many versions of the legend is a constant subject of discussion among scholars and students.  Loyalty and Justice.   You bet there are varying opinions on this legend.

 

As for Martin’s version? Hang Tuah is that soldier who was killed because of a gossip.   So what do you think, guys?  That was an epic fail in story-telling, huh?  Or maybe adults embellish stories so much so that many versions come off the same story.  Ten-year olds like Martin have no patience for long-winding stories.  The poor guy was gossiped about, and was killed. End of discussion.

More photos can be viewed in my TravelBlog site. Just click  here.  

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A Day In Universal Studios Singapore

Filed under: Asian Holidays — 2 Comments
February 22, 2011

 

We took an early morning flight from Manila to Singapore, and by early I mean a 6 am flight. That meant we are up and ready to go by 3 am.  All 6 of us. Plus the 2 kids.  And so that makes 8.  Good thing we breezed through Singapore immigration, arriving at our hotel just before lunch.  After checking in and freshening up a bit,  the Zombies were ready.  Soon after, we found ourselves at the gates of Universal Studios Singapore.

 

We did the “mandatory” visit of the famous theme park for the kids, or so we thought.   Nothing beats being there WITH THE KIDS.  Who cares if some of us got only 4 hours of sleep? Or none at all?  I was smarter than most …..  got the kids sleeping by 8pm and joined them shortly after popping a pill.  (Cheat) The kids were good .  They slept well, undisturbed, and woke up well for the early morning flight.   They also slept almost all throughout the 3 1/2 hour flight from Manila to Singapore.   I was seated right smack in the middle of the 2 sleeping “cretins” (forgive the french, they don’t mind being teased as such), so I should know.  Leg cramps for me, if you are asking.

 

Universal Studios Singapore


The Park lacks many of its American counterpart’s features but the size is manageable for a 7 hour visit.  Yes, 7 hours. From 12 noon to 7pm when the Park closed.  First order of the day was a quick lunch of burgers, salads and fries.  Then off to Waterworld.  Some of us sat in the Splash Zone, hoping to get wet.  Some water splashing would have given more excitement, but it was not to be.  There was a long line for theCanopy Flier ,  so my niece Mayette and I missed that one ride.  And no one in my family was keen to do the Jurassic Park ride.  Instead,we headed straight for the Far, Far Away Land and visit the Castle to watch Shrek and the Donkey in 4D.  I remember,  the first time the kids watched this was in Los Angeles, USA when they were aged 2 and 5.  They are now aged 10 and 13, and the younger one has been to this Park in Singapore only last September.  But as I said,  nothing beats being together to visit the Park and watch the shows altogether as a family.  Even I,  zombie-ish at that precise moment,  laughed and excitedly screamed along with the others, kids and adults.  No matter how many times you have watched this,  it would always be a thrill to hear the kids’ laughter and screams. I’m telling ya.

 

 

 

We also watched Monsters Rock, a musical showcasing the talents of some of the more famous beast characters like Dracula, Phantom of the Opera, Mummy, She-Wolf and Wolfman. Quite frankly, it didn’t rock for me.  But the kids liked it.  So that’s the more important vote. Who cares what I think?

 

Too much Carbs In Their Diet?


From here,  we strolled towards Hollywood to watch Steven Spielberg’s Technical Effects.   The hurricane production set is new to me, but I’ve got to say it did not excite me that much. Nor it did the others in my company.  What I found more exciting was meeting Beetlejuice,  Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin,  Betty Boop and Fat and Thin (what do you call them again? Oliver and Hardy?) as well as the dancing Rockafellas and singing Daddy-O’s.  I love this present-day plump-ish Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop.  Even Charlie Chaplin is not as lean-looking.   It must be all those laksa noodles , roti or fried rice they are eating.

 

 

The “production set” can be seen without riding a tram.  Unlike the LA Park,  one need only to stroll around to see all of these.  The New York cabs,  the Town Hall, etc. They even have this huge Christmas tree in front of this fake baobab tree.  The animal characters were all around.  Hard to tell what their nationalities are.  We just know that many of the dancing Rockafellas are from the Philippines.  Though Malaysians, Thai, Indonesians and Filipinos look so alike,  we can tell these dancers are Filipinos as soon as they spot us and start calling us Tita (auntie) or Ate (older sister).  My niece told me one of the singing Daddy-O’s is also Filipino.

 

 

By the time the Park closed at 7 pm, we felt we had seen just enough. And we were all ready for dinner too.  Martin has not forgotten the meals he had in Bakerzin the last time he went to Singapore with his dad and aunt.  And Patricia is obviously a pizza and pasta girl.  And so it was Bakerzin at Vivo City.  We enjoyed our mushroom pasta, pizza margharita and chops and lingered over our dinner.  Loved their macarons too.  Of course, the kids ruled in this department.  If they had their way,  we would have gone back to Bakerzin for lunch on the day of our departure too!

 

 

It was nearly 10 pm when we reached our hotel.  And nearly midnight when we hit the sack.  The Zombies survived their first day.

More photos in my TravelBlog site. Just click here.   

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