TOURIST GUIDE: SINGAPORE RIVER CRUISE

When I was in high school, me and my family had a short vacation here in Singapore. I fell in love with the country instantly. I remember I thought in passingly that I would love to work in this country maybe like one or two years because I like the thought of me in my lunchbreak eating sandwich in one of the parks in Singapore. Talk about passive visualization! Viola! My innocent daydream is now a reality. I am now work in Singapore and eating sandwich in the park hahaha! I guess it really matters what we plant in our minds.

I recall in our first day of the trip, we went for a river cruise. But what stuck in my memory was how my sister and I were fearful how much the boat rocked and how scared & magnetised we are by the Merlion Statue. We thought he looked so big and scary and weirdly, we are surprisingly attracted to the big white statue. As the boat rocked, we feared a real big merlion would swam up the water, really! He was so mystical! My sister and I laughed about it that we are having secret crush on the merlion statue. A little history for you guys out there, something I learned in history that stuck in my mind. Singapore is called the Lion City because a prince landed on the island around the 13th century saw a white lion on the edge of the river bank and he took this as a sign to settle in the place he called Singapura which means Lion City.

In one hot Saturday afternoon, me and my friend Mel, had a hearty late lunch in Boat Quaye and we saw a nearby kiosk offering a Singapore River Cruise. Mel wanted to try it and I (hesitantly at first) wanted to relive my 1st Singaporean experience. 

The Singapore River Experience cost $18 for adult and $10 for kids. It runs from 9:00 AM to 11:00PM. Regular departures are approximately 15minutes interval. As always, Mel and I were the only passengers in the boat! Haha! There is a video commentary that narrates and highlights the different parts of Singapore as the boat glides on. But Mel and I were horrible tourists, we were  not listening at all. We were too busy taking snaps of the scenery and chatting along the open deck. But it would be good, Mommies and Daddies out there, for kids to be in this river experience and listen on the commentaries especially for their history or geography lessons. Don't let them follow our bad example, hehehe....

This is the route of the river cruise:

  

Me and the Merlion met again and surprisingly he isn't scary looking as I remembered him to be. Actually he was even quite small. Still, I couldn't help but to respectfully acknowledge this mystical creature whatever size he may be.

 To Mr. Merlion, 

Thank you for inviting me to live and work your city. You were nice to me the last time I visited. I hope you continue your kindness as I work here. You have a beautiful city and I am excited to get to know it & explore it more. Thank you for allowing me to take this uncertain adventure in your vibrant city. I don't know what you can offer me in this unpredictable sojourn. Will you embrace me with warm open arms? Are you going to make me cry in frustration and regret? Are you going to scare the living wits out of me and force me to respond by hiding in a safe sanctuary? Whatever tricks you got up your sleeve, I tell you up front that I like you so I hope you like me too. Please be nice to me because I come in peace and a lot of spirit of glee, positivity & resiliency, something that I took with me from my country the Philippines. We Filipinos are fun-loving, happy people, even in calamities, we can burst in smiles and laughter. This is something I can share with you and your people too. Hoping for more adventures with you. Are you game? I am.

All the best,

Little Miss Honey