The next day, my landlady accompanied me on a tour since it was her day off. I decided to try breakfast at the hawker stores downstairs from where I was staying. They say eating at hawker centers is cheaper—kind of like carinderias in the Philippines. It was definitely worth it; I ordered two veggies and one meat with rice, and the servings were huge.
After breakfast, we started exploring. Our first stop was Bugis, which had a lot of affordable items and souvenirs. It’s highly recommended for shopping, and you can find chocolates at 3 for 10 SGD, along with various souvenirs. Singapore imports products from many different countries, so there’s a wide variety to choose from. I also learned that durian is popular in Singapore. I enjoyed shopping so much that I quickly filled up two large plastic bags. Since it was only the first destination of the day and it was hard carrying so much, I decided to buy a suitcase. I checked prices and found that a 20kg suitcase costs around 35 SGD. My landlady suggested it might be cheaper in Orchard since there are many Filipinos there, so I decided to hold off on buying it.
She recommended trying Mixue ice cream, so we bought a Brown Sugar Pearl Sundae, which was delicious and refreshing. Mixue is known for its 1 SGD ice cream cones, which is also popular. After Bugis, we headed to Orchard. This area has the Lucky Plaza mall, where many Filipinos sell products, including Filipino foods. I bought a suitcase here for 28 SGD and also found some great deals on clothes—3 dresses for 10 SGD.
I tried the famous Kaya Toast bread with eggs, which was delicious and unique due to the coconut jam. After Lucky Plaza, we explored the area around the mall. Orchard is known for its large luxury malls, and I walked around with my new suitcase while my landlady took videos and pictures of me. She was very supportive.
I bought a street ice cream from Uncle, which is known for its wafer or rainbow bread cones. I chose the rainbow bread with durian-flavored ice cream, and it was tasty. We continued walking around and, after getting tired, headed to Chinatown. We took more pictures there, and there were lots of people, possibly due to an event or a feast, with Chinese food set up on long tables.
After Chinatown, we went to Clarke Quay, which I really appreciated. It’s a relaxing area by the river with calming lights all around. It was nice to hang out and enjoy the ambiance. There were also ride attractions, like the Sling Shot attached to cranes that launch you into the air. It was fun to watch. We stayed for a while to enjoy the atmosphere before heading home.
