Happy Birthday Singapore! SG50

Happy Birthday Singapore! 

It is Singapore 50th birthday and SG50 Golden Jubilee long weekend. Lucky me, my friend gave me a ticket to attend the National Day Parade at the Floating platform.

This is the first time I attended the actual NDP. Although its just the LED screen at floating platform (actual performance is at Padang),  but there are quite a few highlights which you will be able to see from the float.

Before the parade started, the MC were trying to bring up the atmosphere and we started singing national day song. These songs we had been singing since we were young.

The parade started off with a tribute to our late former PM with videos and Black Knights’ five stars tribute aerial flypast.

Close up pic of the Black Knights's 5 stars. 

The marching segment started off with the vintage parade uniform march of the police, military etc when police still wearing shorts. Haha.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane featuring a Singapore flag design flypast during the Singapore Girls on trishaw segment.

This is the front view of the Airbus A380 (photo from Singapore Air). There are 2 SIA airbus A380 planes with the Singapore flag that will be flying to Hong Kong, London, Mumbai and various other major cities around the globe till end of the year. Hopefully I will be able to catch a glimpse of it. But I have no travel plan yet...

M3G Floating Bridge show case.

The Presidential 21 Gun Salute by Singapore Artillery.

State Flag flypast is a traditional which during the singing of the national anthem, staged by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, escorted by two AH-64D Apache helicopters. Could not decide if I should stand at attention to sing the anthem or to take photo of the flag.

20 RSAF’s F-16 finger jets formation of 50 flypast which represent our 50th birthday, SG50.

I guess this is the main highlight of the aerial airshow. The Black Knights bomb burst and criss cross.

F-15 flypast the Singapore Flyer.

The Mobile Column which display strength, resillience and vigilance of our defence pillars. There are a total of 179 and they drive past from Padang to the float. Not sure if all the platform went to the float.

You can check out the full 179 mobile column here. This was given to us as part of the funpack. 

This is one of my favourite photo. The view of Fullerton Hotel from the float with our Singapore flag. 

And of course, the national day parade entered with the beautiful fireworks display. 

Hopefully next year, I will get the chance to win the ballot for the NDP tickets! So I can get to celebrate the national birthday at the actual site. It is totally different from watching the parade at home. 

Taiwan Trip Day 2 - Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

Our destination for today is Sun Moon Lake!

From our hotel, we took the free Taichung HSR (THSR)shuttle bus 160 from Fengjia University (the bus stop opposite McDonald's at Fengjia Night Market) to THSR. The journey was about 40 mins. Just tap your Easy Card and it will be free (currently)!

Once you reached THSR, at the bus station area you can proceed to Nan Tou bus counter to buy a round trip ticket to Sun Moon Lake. You can check out the bus timing here.

Single trip ticket costs NTD 190 and round trip ticket costs NTD 340. When we were at the Nan Tou counter to buy the ticket, the auntie was quite rude. When it was our turn to purchase the ticket, we told her we want to go to Sun Moon Lake. She shouted to her colleague "2 more paxes" and hurried us to pay. We did not even know what was going on as she did not even bother to explain (e.g. the bus is here, how long the ride is etc) and we were still looking for more information on the bus service to Sun Moon Lake at the counter. So she shouted at us to be faster and the coach is waiting. So much service...

The ride took about 1hr 30mins and the bus will drop you off at Shuishe Visitor Centre 水社遊客中心.

There are a lot of options to explore Sun Moon Lake. You can choose to take the boat ride, bike rental, bus service or ropeway (cable car). We chose to take the boat ride to explore. You can check out the other services from here.

It is not hard to find out where to buy the boat ticket. Once you alight from the coach, there will be staff approaching you to sell the boat tickets. The Sun Moon Lake website actually recommended to purchase only from the ticketing booth.

The standard ticket price for a round trip is NTD 300. The boat will stop at 3 piers which include ShuiShe pier, Syuanguang pier and Ita Thao pier.

To get to ShuiShe pier, you'll have to turn back (from where you alighted) and walk toward Starbucks Coffee and turn right toward the shop houses. You will see the sea and pier once you are along the shop houses.

Boat trip to Syuanguang pier: During the ride, the crew will explain to you about the history of Sun Moon Lake and the landmark along way. Sun Moon Lake is divided by the Lalu Isand and one side of the lake looks like the shape of the sun and another side look like the shape of crescent moon. And this is how Sun Moon Lake got its name.

Along the way you can see Lalu Island. It used to be much bigger but after the 921 earthquake, you no longer can visit the island.

First stop is Syuanguang pier where the famous Ah Po Herbal Egg is.

At Syuanguang pier, you can also can visit the Syuanguang Temple 玄光寺 here. The temple is built to honour the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang who traveled all the way to India and brought back the Buddhist scriptures.

Next stop, Ita Thao pier where you can have your lunch or tea break here.

Bamboo rice:

Mango shaved ice. Yummy.

Some random tea house for the hot weather.

The bird eye view of Sun Moon Lake. Can you see the sun and crescent moon? Not me. Hahaha.