How to enjoy your vacation even when you’re sick
The next entry is focused on our last couple of days in Singapore. After driving or riding for close to 4 hours from Kuala Lumpur back to Singapore we got back to Joey and Yam’s apartment on Sunday close to midnight. The four of us decided to head downstairs and eat our late night dinner. I opted for the mini wok noodle. I needed some good hot broth and this one did the trick. Yam ordered fried oyster omelet….the oyster was so fresh. Joey ordered a bowl of fishball minced meat noodles, while Nancy had her eyes on a traditional Singaporean breakfast with soft boiled egg, Kaya toast, and kopi-o. We chose not to eat on our way home from Kuala Lumpur for we all knew we’d be eating back at home. It was a perfect way to end our day.
Once we got back to the apartment, I sat on one of those massage reclining chairs. I enjoyed it way too much that I sat there for 30 minutes. I must’ve hit a nerve because my neck started to hurt. That’s what I get! We all went to bed close to 2am. And then things started going downhill for me.
On Monday morning, I woke up with a huge migraine. If you know me very well, you should know that my world stops whenever I have a headache. Fortunately, the past couple of years, my doctor had found a fix for my headache. I was prepared, I brought my prescription drugs (Naproxen and Imitrex). I am to only use those on the onset of a headache. Many times those two tablets would do the trick. I took them at 6am, I continued to stay in bed, and by 8am, my headache was still there. The advise to me was to take two more if the headache does not go away. So I did. The side effect? I got really, really tired, and sleepy. So there I was, in pain, in bed….meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I felt bad because we were down to our last two days and I was dragging our vacation by staying in bed. Joey went to work that morning but he made it back home by noon. Nancy and Yam went to market to shop for a bit.
By noon, I felt a bit better, still tired, but better. The three of us (Nancy, Joey, and I) headed out to the city. This time we took a bus to the nearest train station, and that’s where we caught our train towards Farrer Park.
I had a bit of an appetite at this point. But I could really feel body aches and pain. I blamed my extended visit with the massage chair last night. We had lunch at Anjappar, a restaurant in Farrar Park where most of the Indian restaurants are located. It had all kinds of spices, and it was big enough for the three of us to share. We also ordered garlic naan with that.
We also went to Mustafa Center – a huge shopping mall in Farrar Park.
Shortly after lunch, we started walking again and took a train towards Raffles Place. We walked around for a bit and we found ourselves in the gorgeous Fullerton Hotel. Maybe one day I’ll stay here.
Not long after, we walked towards Merlion. I was really dragging our group. All I could think of was to sit down, and rest. The heat, the humidity surely did not help. Have you ever had that feeling when it seemed like you were the only one sweating while everyone seemed to feel cool and comfy? Yes, that was me? I was dripping in sweat, while everyone else around me seemed fine. I kept longing for a place to sit. It was then when Nancy said to stop drinking local drinks served with ice. This had happened to me many times whenever I travel to Asia. I find myself sick from drinking local water or mixed drinks.
Anywho, we did our best to explore whatever this little sick puppy was able to explore. We hit up quite a few local tourist spots, including great view of Marina Bay Sands from afar…..we also saw:
the mythical Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, the head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay.
We also walked over to the Esplanade Theatre, this huge concert hall that has been a home to many concerts, Broadway shows, and other types of performing arts. Honestly, it also became my refuge. That’s where I rested for quite a bit. There was a sitting area where the three of us killed time hoping I would feel better. But I didn’t. We had other plans of going to Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa, but I just couldn’t. Next thing you know, we took the next bus that took us back to Pasir Ris. Once we got home, I went straight to bed. That was a tiring day for this adventurous guy.
But, with the hundreds of pictures we took, would you really think I was sick? Imagine me….I just went straight to bed, and did not even bother to eat. Yeah….something was definitely wrong.
The next morning, while I woke up with no headache, there was no denying that I had a stomach flu. No fever. But man, my body aches and pain – just excruciating. I asked if we could stay in for a few more hours instead of going out. Remember, this was our last full day. Joey had taken the full day off from work but I was in bed. By noon, it was a now or never moment for me. Suck it up, Jason. Suck it up!
For our last day, Yam and Kiefer joined us this time. But before that, I decided to be seen by a doctor. Of course, I had to experience everything in Singapore. Fortunately, there were two clinics right downstairs where Joey and Yam live. I was amazed at the efficiency and thorough check-up by this doctor. While he knew that I was of Filipino descent, he knew that I was an American. It was no surprise that he gave me three different medications for my flu. He also knew that I need to be in tip top shape since I’d be flying back to the US first thing the next morning. So how much was the visit and meds? No more than $40 USD.
Once I left the doctor’s office, we all made our way out to the city. Instead of taking the bus or train, we decided to catch an Uber ride to Vivo City. The plan today was to hit up Vivo City (this humongous mall). We had lunch there at Hong Kong style restaurant. I wanted to take it slow and opted for a wonton soup. The rest was all Joey’s idea hahahahaha. I couldn’t complain, they were all tasty!!
Finally, it was time for us to head to Sentosa. Nancy was the one who did most of the research. I had no idea what Sentosa was until that moment. There was a train from Vivo City to Sentosa. All I can say is think of a huge master-planned amusement park with a man-made beach, lots of hotels, Universal Studios, and outdoor shopping and dining. It was huge.
It was just too bad that I just didn’t have the energy, but I gave it my best shot. The cool thing about Sentosa, knowing that we didn’t need to go to Universal Studios (heck, the nearest one to me is only 45 minutes away), getting to Sentosa did not require an admission fee. Your train ride is your ticket. So we were able to get to the beach area, and to this one section that reminded me of Parc Guell in Barcelona – it was a section filled with mosaic tiles, just beautiful. We just walked around the park and we found ourselves at a Starbucks and this sick puppy appreciated the little break that we had.
Our next plan was to try and make it again to Gardens by the Bay. We caught an Uber and we began our drive that way but that’s when heavy rain started to pour. It just wasn’t meant to be. I was thankful though. My body was just worn out from the humidity and I was still sick with the stomach flu. We headed back to the apartment, and on our last night, I just went straight to bed, and didn’t have the energy to even eat dinner. This, however, was how the rest of them enjoyed their dinner 🙂
