China: Tsinghua University

Old Building of the School of Life Sciences

Saturday, 27 May 2017

Setelah malamnya totally wasted by continuous walking and a little bit of wine, aku kebangun jam 11. Z sama K yang udah berangkat kerja left me a note to come to Z’s campus, Tsinghua University. Yes!

Tsinghua University is a top academic institutions in Asia. Refer to 2017 Times Higher Education, it receives 35th place of World University Ranking. President of the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Community Party Paramount Leader, Xi Jinping, is an alumni with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Z works as a researcher in its science department. There’s no way I missed the opportunity to visit this remarkable university.

China: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and Wangfujing Street

Beijing totally revolves around this place: Forbidden City. Located exactly in the center of downtown. This place can not be missed.

Friday, 26 May 2017

Pagi ini bangun jam setengah 8, lumayan pagi karena semangat mau jalan-jalan di hari pertama. Nengok keluar kamar ternyata udah sepi, aku pikir Z sama K udah berangkat ke kantor, ternyata mereka masih tidur. Jam setengah 9 baru berangkat ke kantor, naik sepeda, boncengan. Suaminya yang dibonceng. Hihihi.. super sweet.

Hari pertama jalan-jalan di Beijing langsung aku rencanain buat visit the most famous palace in the country, Forbidden City atau sekarang disebut Palace Museum. Bahasa Cina-nya: Gugong. All my gears udah masuk ke tas rucksack item andalan:

The North Capital: Beijing, China

Happy Sunday!

Just a month after solo backpacking flashpacking to Singapore, I packed my bag and my yellow minion Lojel luggage heading to Beijing. Why so impulsive? It’s not. I had missed my best friends who currently reside there. And I thought, early summer was the best time to go. So, I checked my travel app and booked return tickets from China Southern Airlines. For I stayed in my friends’ apartment, I did not prepare to book any hotels.

Itinerary

The one I did not think through was that in between my 10 days visit, there were 3 days celebration of Dragon Boat Festival. It was long holiday in China, not a smart move to visit several popular sites. And so, in those 3 days, I practically went nowhere, except nearby mall and park. Ahahahaa…

Singapore: Gardens By The Bay – Supertree Grove – OCBC Skyway

Monday, 24 April 2017

I was having a great time inside the Cloud Forest. Around 5.30 PM, my tummy started to sing. Hahaha.. So, I decided to try the most famous dish in Gardens By The Bay, Satay By The Bay. Yummy!

The canteen was rather far from the conservatories. I walked under the Supertree Grove to follow the sign. Lucky for me that the weather was nice for a walk. The rain had stopped, people were very few, birds were chirping along my way. For 15 minutes passing lakes and giant bird statues, I found the cafeteria.

Supertree Grove

There were various choices of food and beverages. Nasi lemak, briyani, seafoods, hainam, ice creams, juices even beers. I directly approached one of the satay stalls, in the back side of the canteen and ordered a plate of 6 mixed satay (pork, chicken, mutton, beef) for only $4.2 ($0.7 each). I sat in one of the park benches facing the lake. The ambiance was comforting. 

Singapore: Flower Dome and Cloud Forest

Monday, 24 April 2017

Early morning, I directly went for Merlion Park and Universal Studio to see if it’s less crowded compared to Sunday. I was completely wrong, there were so many people I could only stay for a while to take photographs, found a lunch and then came back to hotel.

The sky was cloudy. When I arrived at hotel, it was raining. It turned out to be a great thing because in the afternoon, at around 3 PM, the rain stopped. Leaving only cool and fresh atmosphere. Perfect for a stroll to Gardens By The Bay!

Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest of the gardens is Bay South Garden at 54 hectares (130 acres).

Inside the conservatory

The one that I visited was Bay South Garden. It comprises two cooled conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest and the most famous Supertree Grove which I saw from height the night before, Sands SkyPark. While the Gardens By The Bay itself was free, to enter the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, the ticket was $28. I bought mine only for $23 from the hotel.

Singapore: Sands SkyPark Observation Deck

Splendid view of Singapore from Sands SkyPark

Sunday, 23 April 2017

I was supposed to ride Singapore Flyer when Desmond recommended me to go to Marina Bay Sands instead. To the huge “ship” on top of three tall skyscrapers. I had no idea there was this superb place to see Singapore from 56th floor of the most famous building in the country. I knew there was Infinity Pool but not the Observation Deck. The Sands SkyPark was open for public. We may visit it for as long as we want with only $23, $10 less than Singapore Flyer.

This was the best decision I made during my visit to Singapore.

You haven’t seen Singapore until you’ve seen it from Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, soaring 57 levels above the heart of the city.

– Marina Bay Sands website

To visit Singapore, you have to measure the time, for you want to be in the right place at the right time. I came at 6 PM to Marina Bay Sands, an hour before the Sunset. This was the best time in which I could enjoy the daylight, Sunset and night light of the city, with a bonus of Garden Rhapsody Light Show at 7.45 PM.

Singapore: Chinatown

Thian Hock Keng Temple Entrance

Sunday, 23 April 2017

The weather was so humid and hot by the time I finished wandering around Colonial District. I decided it’s no good if I continue sightseeing. I was also starving, needed a plate of hainan chicken rice. The most popular cuisine in Chinatown. Thus, I went back to Chic Otel to have lunch and a nap. LOL.

At around 3 PM, I was ready to go again. My next destination was Chinatown area. As one of the best tourist spots in Singapore, I wouldn’t miss this cultural neighborhood, though only for a walking by.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

This place was remarkable. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is a four-story temple. The temple is built in a style based on the Buddhist mandala and integrated with the Buddhism of the Tang dynasty.