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Singapore & Jakarta Trip 2008

I took 3 weeks annual leave and flew to Singapore and Jakarta to visit some friends and relatives. My friends accompanied me for the whole weekend in Singapore (thanks heaps!), and the days in Jakarta were mostly spent with my parents.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

The view from my room at Sleepy Sam’s. Rather shabby, I know, but I’d much prefer it rather than staying at some fancy hotels.

This part of Bugis is my ‘hood in Singapore :). I think I can navigate the area blindfolded.

We visited National Museum of Singapore. Call me boring, but museums tend to have unexpected interesting exhibitions.

The front porch of my parents house in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta.

After the nightmarish Jakarta Flood in 2007, my dad raised the floor by a meter, I could easily touch the ceiling.

Traffic has always been beyond terrible in Jakarta. That bus in the picture eventually broke down and suddenly moved backward hitting my parents car (the bus driver ran away, gosh).

As much as I love travelling, this first time trip with budget airlines (Tiger Airways and Valuair) really took the comfort away, though the money saved was definitely worth it.

If I could recommend one thing to the Singaporean and Indonesian governments, please make your customs officers smile to the visitors. Seriously, I was given suspicious looks and frowned at each time I passed their areas. Maybe next time I should wear a t-shirt saying “Dude, I’m neither a terrorist nor a drug mule. Res-pect!”

Sleepy Sam’s

I stayed at Sleepy Sam’s Bed & Breakfast on my latest visit to Singapore few weeks ago. This place gives you a good value for money, I highly recommend it. Their rooms were fairly clean and they had aircons (thank goodness because Singapore is too hot without one).

Having my late 10.30am breakfast on the mini verandah, watching the passer-bys along the quiet Bussorah St. The feeling was totally laid back.

They provided several bookshelves inside the cafe. I managed to read a book on Tiger Woods and another book on the history of Sarong Party Girl to accompany my daily breakfast, a set of kaya toast, a variety of fruits, and a cup of hot tea.

Internet connection was also available from the 2 PCs next to the bar, but seriously, who could be bothered with checking emails during a holiday?