Happy Hour at Barossa Bar

Black Angus beef sliders (free-flow for Happy Hour)

House Red ($12++ by glass, $60++ by bottle)

A casual night out at the Esplanade waterfront where we leisurely enjoyed their many free concerts and performance, put up for the weekends. Taking to the glass heightened the mood; our illuminated cityscape looking more stunning than ever as we strolled across the new Jubilee Bridge - we felt enveloped by this modern city!

Now, i just wished the black Angus beef sliders at Barossa Bar wasn't of burger patty material, and were better browned for that charred aroma. Maybe another night.

Night View from the Esplanade Outdoor Theater

Bird's Eye View of Malacca Coastal Town

Dataran Pahlawan MegaMall

Day in, day out, Jalan Merdeka is a busy road.

At 10pm, the car parks begin clearing, packing the street once more as the shopping malls close their doors; and we had just returned from our Jonker Walking. Missed the shopping hour, yet we were too roused for sleep. Let's just lingered on for a while, to watch the lights... from the hotel floor.

Night

Morning

Evening

Packed Car Parking at dusk

Alto Sky Lounge - Hatten Hotel

Running of Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz; overlooking Pulau Melaka

Good morning at the hotel's 22th level - the Alto Sky Lounge where their executive breakfast was served. And we caught the view of Melaka’s coastal township from another angle.

After a robust weekend, the town was quiet, and seemed to have slipped into stillness on this weekday morning. We too were making our leave for Singapore, but not before a fattening breakfast.

New Year Eve's Fireworks

It's been so many years since we gave up catching the New Year's Eve fireworks at the Marina South - some 8 years ago when we noticed Singapore's population starts burgeoning, that everywhere which used to be quiet became crowded, even at this wee hours.

I was still taken aback to see the entire roof top of the Marina Barrage filled with spectators for the midnight fireworks! Wow...! We even got to bump into some long-lost friends; which is nice :) I like this first picture taken of Ric and our friends in the shadow.

Watching the firework displays, we shared some quiet moments, crossing over to year 2014. "Happy New Year." We greeted one another shyly before parting to return home. It was a memorable night.

Aerial View of Jurong

The Singapore Science Centre, with The Chinese Garden

So you grew up in Jurong? So do i. But the view i have from here today is quite far from what i know about it. Firstly, i didn't know the Chinese garden lake is quite extensive!

Jcube Shopping Mall and Jurong East Centre

Jurong East Residential Housing

Then, i didn't know there's vast piece of green still available! Can you see your flat from these pictures?

The Pandan Reservoir

Jurong River, Jurong Country Club and the Ayer Rajah Expressway

Why didn't i know about all these? Because, Jurong's only tallest building is the one i'm here today. And, what a view! Never knew the West side of Singapore can be this beautiful!

View towards the Downtown Business Districts

But that might be changing as the government rolled out bold plans for the Jurong Lake District as part of the draft Master Plan 2008. You see these many construction sites around? Yes, they are all part of the Jurong Lake development.

Construction of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Big Box Warehouse Retail

Skies of Jurong Island

These photos were taken during my period of visit to the Jurong Island for project. It is 1 large island formed by joining 7 small islands together by reclamation of land in the 1990s!

Development of this Singapore island into a Petrol Chemical Hub is well underway. And before we lost the vast open spaces here to rising chimneys and tank farms, i snapped these shots for remembrance.

I am missing the carefree island..

Views from ION Sky

South-west of Singapore; glittering lights from our offshore plants

Singapore is a relatively quiet city, even along its busiest shopping belt - the Orchard Road. Looking down from the 56th level of ION Orchard, we see that this business district is also a lower-density residential area with just few clusters of high rise condominium.

Views from ION Sky are beautiful but not as breathtaking as those from MBS Sky Park. The place is good for its air-conditioned and spacious balcony; quiet and exclusive for its lesser publicity. The indoor viewing is especially helpful for the fear of heights and inclement weather.

Of course, try to board the place earlier to catch it in daylights; we were late and just manage the night lights up. Still, it was exciting to usher in the weekends with these.

Lighted tower of Wheelock Place

The Four Seasons and residences along Orchard Boulevard

Condominium district along Angullia Park

Scotts Rd, with swimming pool of Grand Hyatt Hotel

Views from the OCBC Skyway

Best time to board the OCBC Skyway might be 7:45pm or 8:30pm (last admission time) when the entire Supertree Grove lights up in a music and light program named the OCBC Garden Rhapsody. Then you'll be engulfed by the floods of enchanting lights as you stood in their midst!

But we were physically exhausted after just one round of touring the conservatories and couldn't wait for the later hours. Even our plans to re-enter the conservatories in the lighted dusk were scrapped.

Still, this early hour gave us a far view of the surroundings on this cloudy evening. 

Some feels that the OCBC Skyway, suspended at a limited height of just 22m above ground wouldn't provide any breathtaking scenery. True. But somehow, you just have to get up here when given the chance.

The 128m long walkway connects two 25m tall Supertrees, and gives you a different sense of the gardens against our skyscraping cityscape - The bustle of the city highways striking high contrast to the peaceable gardens.

Feel it and take this stroll.

Fireworks from the Marina Barrage

Today was our first attempt to catch the National Day fireworks from the Marina Barrage. Car parking was a jumble dues to the overwhelming visitors to the newly opened Gardens by the Bay and also the public's illiteracy to the disorientated car parks.

Alas, it was a rush for almost nothing. Everyone is obviously disappointed when we realized that the MBS building stood stoutly between us and the fireworks. Haha...

Views from the Gardens by the Bay was similarly obstructed.

Sentosa Boardwalking

Leaving our car in VivoCity mall, we strolled across to Sentosa via the garden boardwalk - a leisure and quiet meandering with gentle breezes in the beautiful sunset. The return trip was rewarded with singing guitarist from Queens dining on the boardwalk; aaaargh... the romantic mood!

All were perfect as we were in full anticipation of catching the night resident show at Resorts World Sentosa; and a promise from Ric of a supper after :D

As i do not have my camera with me, these photos were shots from Samsung Note 8-megapixel, on Auto Sunset mode. How's it?

Pasos de Tango

Pasos de Tango Cabernet Sauvignon, 750ml ($12.50)

We had our fair share of budget red wines but this Argentinian red from the NTUC Fairprice supermarket was really hard to shallow - one reason was the strong hint of alcohol, a typical characteristic of cheap wine. And this bottle clearly has it lots.

Even the scenic waterfront view at the Marina Promenade fails redemption. 

Light & Water Show at Marina Bay Sands

But we still had our time, watching the lights from the nightly show staged by Marina Bay Sands Resort. It's pretty cool and relaxing at the promenade which i hope helps Ric unwind; he had had a full work loaded week.

Maybe we should just avoid unknown budget wines... working hard is deserving of better, right?

Beijing D4 - The Great Wall at Badaling, 八达岭长城

Beijing Public Transport Bus No. 877

I read 5 guide books about transport to the Great Wall of China - and all tells me quite differently :(
One simply suggested that we join the local licensed tour bus for ¥120-160 per pax. But this was what we did today..

Clean and comfy Public Buses

Took a subway train and alighted at Jishuitan Station, 积水潭站. Move with the crowd; the majority also visiting the Great Wall, to reach Deshengmen, 德胜门 Bus Terminal where public buses run frequently to the Badaling Great Wall.

You'll know you are on the right path when you got approached by the many private bus operators touting for "fast" transport to the Great Wall, and many travellers queuing up. Their pricing was about ¥60 for a return trip but there's no guarantee for a complete journey, so we were advised not to join these operators. We walked on.

After 15mins of hasten walking, we reached the public bus terminal (like our SBS bus service) where uniformed bus marshals were directing the masses who were there for the Great Wall express buses to the designated bus queue. A cash fare of ¥$12 was collected as you board the bus that leaves the terminal once it was filled. We paid just ¥4.80 using our stored value public bus passes instead!

To our delight, there was even a bus guide on board who made helpful PA announcements about the trip; where to buy tickets, how to return by bus, toilet and food locations, what to do when you got lost and the possible traffic conditions!? Whoa!

Nearly an hour into the journey, i caught my first glimpses of the Great Wall!!! Just as our 1 hour bus trip was delayed by a bad traffic jam on the expressway which causes a hold-up of about 40 mins.

The bus finally touches down at the Badaling Bear Park where we spend another 1.5hr queuing for the pulley slide that took us directly to the North 4th watch tower, 北四楼 of the Badaling Great Wall.

From North 4th, we were supposed to climb to the highest point of Badaling, the North 8th, 北八楼 which everyone aimed to conquer!

You can see that the route from North 6th to 7th watch tower was closed to public, it was much steeply inclined; a side scaffold platform was constructed instead to reach the North 8th.

North 6th, 7th Watch Tower

We were at the North 5th before we turned back for the pulley slide ride downhill; not that we have not the stamina to go North 8th, but to avoid the returning bus crowd and the afternoon traffic jams to Beijing.

The mass of tourist congregating the peak was a daunting sight too.

As we turned to leave, more were climbing up...

I believe it was a let down to every visitors that the Great Wall was always bustling and hustling with people; such that the sense of solitary and grandeur about the structure and its wild surrounding vastness could not be quietly relished.

Seen documentaries narrating stories about watch tower soldiers who miss home badly while guarding the lonely borders for years... how much could we comprehend of that in this busyness?