Sentosa Boardwalk, Sentosa Visitor Center, and USS Globe, Singapore

It was the very first time I brought my sister and her family to other country. This was due to their profession, and commitment in both, the parents and the kids. Since they have never been to any other foreign countries, I lured them with the nearest country first, Singapore. I actually promised them that it will be cheap but fun, like what we normally did.

So I told her to prepare RM1000 for a complete package of 5 (2 adults, 2 kids, 1 infant), from fuel, toll, bus, train, food, accommodation, entrance fee, up to shopping, from KL to Johor to Singapore, and back to Johor and KL. Ha dah macam travel agent tak pekena kakak sendiri. Hahaha! Then I asked them to do a group passport, which was way cheaper, valid for a single entry (RM200 for a group of 5 to 20 pax). For those kids below 12, please bring birth cert as well ya. Click here for more info on group passport.

Similar to what I’ve planned and recommended for my sister, I tabled out the same budget to my two stepsisters, who live in Seremban and Johor. Initially, they had no issue, obliging to MY plan. When I said MY plan, they must follow MY way. I had a big doubt at first, since they haven’t been to any foreign country before, but looking at my stepmom, I thought it would be fun if she can have fun with her biological daughters, sons in law, and grandchild. So, why not. The more, the merrier.

But out of nowhere, a week before the trip, I received a big spank on my face, when one of the son in law, started to play “he-knows-all” game. Ouch, big mistake, bro! He kept on asking why we should get in by bus, how do they carry the baby, this and that. Even worst, he told me that they will only do one-entry-Malaysian-Passport, right at the Singapore Immigration. What the hell was that? Halo, what year are you living now, bro? How can you enter Singapore, when you can’t even go through Malaysian Immigration? *Slap forehead*

And so I told them, not to proceed. If they insist, please go on their own. I don’t roaming, so try your luck to find where we are. Period. (My sister actually wanted them to go on their own, to see whether they can get through or not, coz she has done it (group passport) a week before. Hahaha!)

They finally decided not to go, at all.

Pak Ein and his wife? They still actively travel. Almost becoming a yearly traveler (wahhhh!). As usual, there was no objection from both of them on the budget and itinerary, as long as there is one slot for shopping time. Hahaha!

Both families, overnight at my Palmiera Cacatoos for few nights, before we drove to Johor on Thursday night. It was a smooth drive, before we finally reached Johor and traced the Homestay Larkin, with the help of GPS. Read here for Homestay Larkin experience.

After a huge frustration on Malaysian Team in AFF Suzuki Cup, we went out for dinner at mamak restaurant, somewhere around the area.

The day after, I opened the window and sighed. It was heavily raining! I believed Singapore was raining too. Pasrah dan redho. We checked-out and handed in the house key to the owner, who happened to live opposite the homestay. With the help of GPS, we drove to the Larkin Terminal, parked next to the market building (RM5 per day), crossed over and walked towards SKS bus.

We paid RM2.70 each and hopped on the bus. I saw smiling faces of my sister and her family, but my stepmom had the widest. Well, this plan initially popped-out because of her. She kept on telling me that Pak Ein didn’t want to bring her to Singapore, coz he said “nothing there”. Knowing my dad’s history, we know that he used to live in Singapore when he was playing drum with Tentera Darat for quite sometime. He infact, had a Singaporean girlfriend and my stepmom was continuously teased him during the whole trip. Hahaha! So when I told her that I was going to bring her to Singapore, she jumped happily and hugged me. Aww…

The traffic was quite ok coz we chose not to join the morning crowd. We took our own sweet time (my sis brought stroller) and went into the immigration process, successfully. We then hopped on the same bus and headed to Woodlands, where we had to queue for almost half an hour! Before us, there was a group of 30 Malaysians, who were going for a short trip around Singapore with Muslim tour agency. Haih…

After gone through all the process, we hopped back into the bus and headed to Kranji Station, where we hiked on MRT, straight to Vivo City. Beforehand, we purchased two EZLink Card (SGD15 each, with SGD5 as non-refundable deposit) for my niece and nephew, to top other 6 cards that I borrowed from #TravelholicAwesome. Wasn’t that great? J

At Vivo City, we had lunch at the food court, where we opted for Japanese Bento, while Pak Ein and his wife chose Chicken Rice. Pak Ein, biasa la, nak nasikkkk. An hour later, we took a train to Harbour Front, and stopped right before the Sentosa Island.

Instead of getting to Sentosa Island via cable car and express train, Hubby decided to use the Boardwalk, to experience the scenic walkway with garden-themed under the canopy. And the most amazing thing is, they have travellators almost 70% of the passageway! It seems so perfect, especially for stroller, and elder people. (Anyhow, pets are not allowed here.)

From afar, we can actually see the Sentosa Island signage, buildings, and roller coaster tracks. On our right, there were two huge cruise ships and few water taxis, looking stunning over the sea. Though each of us carried a bag pack, we still enjoy the panoramic view via this passage. We occasionally stopped to take pictures and videos, ignoring the heat of the sun.

Once we reached the Sentosa Island entrance, we had to pay SGD1 for the boardwalk ticket. Since we had EZLink cards, it was a smooth entrance for the whole family. We stopped at the Sentosa Visitor Center and took the map pamphlet. We took 10 minutes to refresh ourselves in this air-conditioned building before we started the exploration of Sentosa Island.

Since all of us came with bag pack, we need to find big huge locker to keep it. At first, no sign of lockers outside the USS. But thank God, we finally found one, just next to the outer gate of USS entrance. We took the biggest locker and paid roughly SGD10 for a day. Actually, my niece really wanted to enter the USS, but we had no extra time to do so. Maybe next time, with her other cousins. So they just had a memorable photos in front of the big blue famous globe. Jadilah... 

Melaka By Night : Ikan Bakar Umbai, Stadthuys, Muzium Samudera, Menara Taming Sari, Night Market

"Umbai la kot..." 

Kitorang pun setuju je. Malas nak cari jauh-jauh. Lagipun penah makan dah kat situ. 

Kitorang pun parking kat bawah pokok. Bunyi kicauan burung je dah dapat agak, kompom la ada aksi tembak-menembak peluru putih kat atas keta kang. Tapi dah itu je yang ada. Betul-betul depan surau, senang nak solat mintak doa kat Allah jangan la teruk sangat burung tu melepas secara jemaah.

Lepas solat, Pak Ein dah sibuk suh jalan dulu, riki kedai mana yang best. Aku dah malas dah, masa ni aku cakap, makan je kat kedai no. 1 ni, sebab penah dah try. AKU ULANG, KEDAI NO. 1 YE. KARANG KORANG TAU LA KENAPA AKU ULANG. Lagipun sama jer sume tempat.

Kitorang pun duduk la kat meja panjang ni. Si Sami sejak dari mula dah terbongkang atas meja. Tak pedulik dah apa orang nak kata. Aku, Kak Ngah, Abang Mus, ngan Skin pi pilih ikan, sotong, udang. Baru la nampak yang ikan pari dia tak banyak, tinggal satu je. Cis! Nyesal plak tak jalan dulu tadi. Tapi takpe, kitorang order yang lain. Aku share jer ngan Kak Ngah. So, dapat la tiga keping kertas order.

Sedang enak berbual sambil layan patung Spiderman yang muka tak sudah tu, dalam tak sedar, air tak sampai. Nasik lemak pun dah abis atas meja. Otak-otak plak langsung tak datang menghulur. Haiiiii...apa cer ni! 

Kitorang panggil berkali-kali jugak la si pelayan yang silih berganti jalan menonong jer konon ingat la order kita, tapi akhirnya nan hado! Apa lagi, Kak Ro terus bangun, PI KUTIP NASIK LEMAK KAT MEJA LAIN! Haaaa puas hati aku! Sambil buat muka bengang abis dah ni! Patu aku sound budak yang bakar otak-otak tu, suh hantar kat meja aku. Walhal tepi tu jer!

Makin lama makin menjadi. Aku rasa korang pun dah baca kat blog Skin akan kecelakaan yang menimpa dirinya. Masa ni aku dah bangun la sebab order yang sampai, tak menepati permintaan. Lagi teruk, ada yang tak sampai! 

Aku terus gi kat kaunter sambil tunjuk satu, satu, "NI, NI, TAK SAMPAI LAGI. DAH LAMA DAH. YANG SAMPAI SEMUA SALAH. APA NI?" Terkebil-kebil la budak kaunter tu dengan muka cam haram jadu! Si pelayan tu dok kata betul, betul, sambil dok tunjuk kat mamat yang amik ikan kitorang awal-awal tadi. Korang tau dia kata apa? "Ooooo...patut la...order lain, lain...len kali duk jauh-jauh skit..." 

"HAMBOIH! DAH KITORANG SATU FAMILY, APE HAL NAK DUK ASING-ASING?! KORANG NAK SALAHKAN CUSTOMER KE??? CAMTU???" 

SUMPAH AKU CAKAP KUAT GILE SEBAB AKU MARAH SANGAT! JANGAN DAH PI SITU, OKEY?

J.A.N.G.A.N!

Dengan suasana yang agak tegang, kitorang bayar and blah dari situ. Cari belacan. Hahaha! Bleh? Siap komplen nak cari yang murah gile. Beli 3, tapi sume lupa nak bawak balik. Ada dalam peti es aku ni ha...

Seperti yang dijanjikan, kitorang pegi jugak la town malam tu. Nak jalan jugak tepi sungai tu. Masa ni dah nak agak jem, so kitorang parking tepi lorong. Ada la apek tua ni jaga parking, mintak duit. Aku tak bayar pun, laki Skin yang bayarkan. Mekasih :D

Then kitorang jalan-jalan la kat Stadthuys tu. Ada la ayor pancut lampu ijo. Walaupun terpercik-percik ayor nyer, family Pak Ein gagah jugak amik gambor...

Patu kitorang teruskan perjalanan kekakian ke kincir angin tadi. Still tak bergerak, so amik gambar je la. Cantik rupanya di malam hari. Sonok anak sedara aku sorang tu, dok layan DSLR baru dia...sampai abis battery!

 

Kat tengah jalan, ada satu roundabout kecik. Ada kancil batu sekor kat situ. Masa ni keta dah banyak tapi aku layankan je la bebudak ni nak bergambar.

Abang-abang beca masa ni dah mula menjaja beca lip-lap diorang, siap pasang lagu dun-cit-dun-cit boom box kalah keta kat Stadium Shah Alam ngan Taman Tasik Tepen. Ada yang pasang lagu Hindi, ada yang pasang lagu Dangdut, tak lupa jugak ada yang pasang lagu Disko. HOI! MANA LAGU DONGDANG SAYANG?! Sungguh tak mencerminkan Melaka. Hahaha!

Dari jauh nampak la Menara Taming Sari, tapi tak naik sebab nak bayo untuk satu kampung memang tak daya. Lagipun Cik Ro dah naik kat Sentosa Island, udah le. (Ewah, kat negara orang, naik! Kat negara sendri? Hmmm...)

Patu Pak Ein tak abih-abih la nak pegi jugak tengok kapal besar atas darat tu! Muzium Samudera namanya. Walhal dia pegi ada la berjuta kali kot! Haih...nak bawak cucu merasa katanya...tapi tak masuk pun, sekadar amik gambar jer. Dia tau, anak cucu dia sume gile gambar. DIA PUN SIBUK LA SUH REPAIR CAMERA DIAAAAAAAA...

Kat depan Muzium Samudera tu ada pasar malam. Barang ada yang murah, ada yang mahal. Kitorang tak beli apa pun. Ada gak cite menarik kat blog Skin pasal peniaga kat tempat ni.

 

Agak semua dah ngantuk tak larat, kitorang jalan balik ke keta. Masa ni baru la nampak segala tembakan burung-burung kat kedai makan tadi. Tak yah susah-susah beli sticker. (Ingat tak dulu-dulu, sibuk orang tampal sticker splash air/taik burung tu? Hahaha!)

On the way balik, sempat benti kejap kat tepi jalan, beli hasil Melaka. Tanpa berpikir panjang, aku cakap kat Skin "Eh, kita beli la kudap-kudap untuk lepak hujung minggu ni ngan bebudak Travelholic!" 

LAKU ABIS DODOL MELAKA TU YEEEEE HAHAHA! BABAI MELAKAAAAAAAA :D

Melaka By Day : River Cruise

Dulu, dikalangan kawan-kawan, everytime orang tanya nak pegi mana jer, mesti jawab, Melaka. Tu kira jawapan kurang ajar namanya sebab asal soalannyer camtu, maka jawapannyer pun camtu. Memang takkan jawab benda lain dah. Aku pun tatau nape. Hahaha!

So, bila family Pak Ein turun KL baru-baru ni, kakak aku tanya, nak pegi jalan mana? Aku terus jawab, Melaka. Mana nak sangka, family Pak Ein ni amik pot plak bila aku jawab camtu. Hahaha! So, TERPAKSA la pegi.

Aku terus roger Skin and sebab a day before, laki dia si Hasrul tu dah siap-siap ready nak ikut family Pak Ein ni berjalan. Masa ni aku tak pun tatau nape aku tak roger si Chawana. Chawan keja barangkali. Mintak mahap la, Kak Ro lupa...

Maka 4 kereta pun berconvoy...keta aku, keta Kak Ngah, keta Kak Saba and keta Skin. Kalo la keta Abang aku ada, kan menarik! Kitorang naik highway jer, senang. Kali ni aku tak drive, maka aku la tukang amik gambar. Cuaca plak agak muram...cis!

Masa ni anak sedara aku dok test camera DSLR baru dia. Dapat jugak dia bodek mak dia (Kak Ngah) untuk beli malam sebelum tu. Jenuh la aku dok kowtim ngan cina tu mintak murah. Dapat seketul. Bukan main sakan dok amik gambar ala Myspace! Hahaha!

Sampai kat town, masyaAllah! Jem TERUK! Tak bergerak kot! Dalam sibuk dok menyumpah sebab tatau nape jem sangat, aku ternampak satu banner, ada larian apetah kat depan A Famosa. Cis! Terus kitorang masuk celah bedah, benti kat satu lorong, discuss. Masa ni sesi drama dah masuk aksi tuduh menuduh tembak menembak sebab Pak Ein dengan Abang Mus cakap River Cruise kot sana, walhal kitorang nampak signboard kot sini. Kak Ngah amik jalan tengah, siap warn aku "Kalau jalan sana jem, siap hang!"

NASIB MENYEBELAHI AKU DENGAN BANTUAN GPS SKIN, JALAN YANG KITORANG PILIH TU TAK JAM! HAHAHA! Nasib jugak la ada satu uncle cina ni yang baik hati siap lukis peta bagai, last-last dia naik keta, hon-hon suh kitorang ikut dari belakang. PENAT LU LUKIS LA UNCLEEEEE...hahaha! Katanya Melaka dah berubah...weekend or public holiday saje, mesti jem. Wah...

Masa parking keta, nampak la monorel yang tergendala akan perkhidmatannya sebab dulu ada kes siap kena panggil bomba turunkan penumpang. Mat saleh plak tu! Dapat hadiah lagi. Hahaha!

Aku pun gi beli tiket sambil berjimba dengan anak sedara laki sorang ni...

Kat kaunter ni, aku tanya..."VIP tiket tu ada apa dik?" "Ada orang nyanyi kak..." katanya. "Oooo...takpe la, akak nyanyi sendri je dik...akak ni juara koke tau...mic tak lepas kat orang ha!" Hahaha! Gile ko, beza tiket jauh ok! Yang bot biasa tu baru RM10. Tu pun dah mahal untuk segerombolan family Pak Ein ni. Sabar jer la...

Masa beratur tu aku dah siap bagitau kat minah yang jaga tiket tu, yang kitorang nak naik semua sekali. Kira tanak pecah-pecah la. So dia suh orang blakang kitorang naik dulu.

Sambil amik gambar sekeliling, aku nampak la bot VIP yang ada service penyanyi tu. Hahaha! Kitorang naik bot beso jer ler...kat belah depan tu je dah penuh ahli mejelis.

Bot jalan jer, dah ada orang bercakap. Tape je pun. Dok cite pasal sejarah tempat ni, apa yang kita nampak tu, itu la yang dia cakap. Kira kalo dia suh pandang kiri, ha sila la tengok kiri. Kalo ko tengok kanan, nan hado. Paling penting, Kampung Morten, cantik dah diorang buat.

Kat setiap dinding bangunan sepanjang sungai ni, banyak la lukisan-lukisan menarik. Ada Hang Tuah, ada Hang Li Po, ada koboi, ada kuih, ada songkok, best jugak main teka-teka gambar kat sini. Hahaha! Kalo Amazing Race buat kat sini, mesti menarik!

Tetiba Pak Ein bersuara "Haaaaa tu, tu, kincir angin!" Ternganga kejap aku tengok sebab tak sangka, sejak bila plak ada menatang ni. Tapi tak bergerak plak masa tu.

Patu Abang Mus pun menyampuk "Haaaa Abang Mus naik cruise haritu kat situ la..." nak membuktikan yang jalan dia tunjuk tadi tu betul jugak. Rupanya ada dua tempat nak naik cruise niiiiiii...maka sila jangan gaduh len kali ye. Kalo naik dari hujung sana, dia akan buat satu pusingan, dan balik kat hujung sana jugak. Takde nyer dia nak turunkan penumpang kat hujung sini. Vice versa jugak kalo naik kat hujung sini ye. Hehehe! Gile ramai kat tempat naik tu!

Sesi bertukar laki pun terjadi jugak kat Melaka ni...apa masalah aku ni! Nanti duluuuuuuuu...sila lihat gambar dibawah. Kami tukar secara rela ye...Sami je yang tak rela...hahahaha!

Sambil dok layan color air yang keruh tu serta bau-bauan serta percikan air yang agak tak menyenangkan tu, kitorang dok cakap "Haiiii...kena basuh muka kaki tangan kang ni, sedap jer merasa air jamban orang hahaha!" Sumpah, ada setinggan kat sepanjang tu, cuma diorang cover dengan juntaian lampu lip-lap untuk mengkaburi mata pelancong tau! Tak bleh blah hahaha!

Kat sepanjang sungai ni, boleh jugak kalo korang nak berjalan kaki. Actually hasil hasutan Pak Ein, itu la plan kitorang malam nanti. Konon nak saksikan lampu-lampu yang menyinari sepanjang sungai ni la. Tapi harus di ingat, jauh wooooo! 1 kilo katanya!

Jembatan pun banyak, setiap jembatan ada nama. Patu kang ada la yang melambai-lambai dari atas jembatan tu. Hahaha!

"Kang malam kita datang balik ye! Kita makan ikan bako duluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."