Post-covid Manila - Sofitel Manila

 Manila - It has been 2 1/2 years since I am back in Manila - with the airports opening up and making travel to Manila easier if you are fully vaccinated with a booster jab.   Prior to my trip, I took a 2nd booster just to be on the safe side.   

I flew Scoot to manila as the price on SQ was more than twice and for the price of SGD 400+, I had meals and a chosen seat closer to the exit door.    My colleagues Willy and Edmund were on the same flight as me.   It was full flight and it was packed and it was minimalist flight.  The seat distance seems shorter than on SQ, there were no inflight entertainment, and the food trolleys were to serve chargeable meals and drinks.   I order food prior to boarding as it is much cheaper and you had a wider selection - it tasted good too.

Beef Kway Teow, chocolate biscuit and a bottle of water

When the plane landed I was taken a back with the utter disorderly the passengers were.   The stewardess were no where in sight, all the passengers were shoving to standup and take their bags.   I am not sure that they know the passengers cannot alight all at once and all the shoving and standing up first does not make difference <sarcasm intended>.

After we exited the plane all the passengers were stopped by airport authorities with no explanation given - I notice that other passengers from other planes were allowed to passed by us.   After waiting for a while, we decided to join the passengers from another plane had overtaken us - we were stopped by airport authorities and asked whether we had e-travel done - we had it completed prior to arrival and we were shown to another queue.   This led us into another queue to verify our vaccination status and after that immigration.   There was no system to simplify the process.

We turned on the e-sim purchased in Singapore and it worked like a breeze and booked our grab to Sofitel Manila.  

Sofitel Manila pool deck

Kid's pool

Chill zone to lie down and relax

Jogging path

There is a jogging path around the Hotel - one round is 500m.  Some mornings, Edmund and I took a morning brisk walk around the hotel many times for exercise.

Pepperoni Pizza United Square

 Singapore - Today was back to the office @ United Square and had the team for lunch at Pepperoni Pizza.   

The Singapore team

We had 2 giant pizzas 21" (in comparison Pizza Hut XL is 14") and this is huge.

Seafood Pizza

This seafood pizza had topping of Squid, Prawn, Venus Clam, Oregano and it was good but there was too much for the 6 of us - had to tabao the leftovers for dinner.   The pizza were thin crusted and tasted delicious.  

 

Great to meet my Malaysian friends

Kuala Lumpur - Time flies so fast and it has been more than 2 years since I am back in KL.  After such a long time, countries are opening up and it was good to have met up with my good friends from KL.

Kuala Lumpur is back to pre-Covid, streets are always in traffic jam, malls are filled with shoppers and restaurants are crowded.   This was Shangri-la and their buffet was crowded on this day.

Coach to KL

 Kuala Lumpur - I decided to book a coach to KL via Aeroline - an executive class coach direct from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.  The boarding process is smooth but required a negative ART test before boarding.   With no ART kit with me, had to walk around Harbour front mall to locate a pharmacy to buy one - fortunately it was cheaper than usual at SGD 2.85 per kit set.

The coach did not leave on time and the journey was comfortable.  There was one cabin attendant and he distributed blankets.   A while later, he was back asking what kind of beverage I wanted - coffee, tea or milo.   

mask on throughout the journey

The entire journey took 6hrs as there were 3 stopovers.

1st was Singapore immigration through Tuas, 2nd was the Johor immigration and the 3rd was a 15 mins break if any one wanted a relief or buy some drinks.

Double deck coach

good leg room

The meal provided was minimal - plain rice with sweet and sour fish ball and boiled vegetables.   I was quite hungry so I finish it up.   

Bread Street Kitchen (MSB) by Gordon Ramsay

Singapore - Attended the Milipol Exhibtion a homeland and cyber security event in Singapore.  Had a booth with my partner but many of the attendees were more interested in homeland security and protection.    

There were guns on displayed like this booth from Glock.

Lunch at MBS was a crowded event and we had to settle for Bread Street Kitchen - expensive for a simple burger.

Michelle, Willy, me and Johnny having lunch

My fancy burger

Good and juicy burger

Johnny had to return to the kitchen his fish and chips dish because the fish was deep fried badly on brown rather an golden colour.   I think the standard has dropped and not worth the money paid for this lunch.  

Plank Sourdough Pizza @ Serangoon Gardens

Singapore - Had a welcome lunch for my colleague, Anthony @ Plank Sourdough Pizza.   Ranked one of the best pizzas in Singapore but the pizza was a disappointment as it came with the dough soggy at the bottom.   This dough is not thick enough and the thick ingredients leaked into the dough making it soggy.  Having a soggy thin crust is bad as you had to fold the pizza into two to avoid the ingredients flopping over the table and making a mess.

tomato sauce, mozzarella, parma ham and rocket

tomato sauce, wild mushrooms, shrimps, capers, rocket, smoked salmon,
sour cream and dill

On good note - the garlic bread was the best I ever had.  

Best garlic bread

Kampung Lorong Buangkok - Last Kampong in Singapore

Singapore - Drove to the last remaining Kampong in Singapore also called Kampong Lorong Buangkok.  Even BBC had a TV programme on this Kampong.   The kampong is a private property located off Yio Chu Kang and can be visited by members of the public.

Tiny mosque within this Kampung

The land is owned by Madam Sng Mui Hong, who inherited it from her father who originally purchased it in 1956.

There are currently 26 families staying in the kampong. Madam Sng rents out the various homes which can be found at Kampong Lorong Buangkok to her tenants for around $30 a month, many of which are descendants of first-generation residents. It is amazing that some long-term renters only have to pay $4.50 a month.

I remember my grandfather's kampong which looks like that but it has been torn down to be built into HDB.   You have chickens roaming the around the houses.