Monthly Archives: April 1992

The Causeway (Singapore)

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Singapore Customs and Immigration Office

Upon arrival at the Queen St. Bus Terminal, I took the SBS (Singapore Bus Service) Transit’s service 170.  These public buses provide one of the cheapest and most reliable form of transport directly into the heart of Johor Bahru, across the causeway over the Straits of Johor, from Singapore. The Johor-Singapore Causeway, completed in 1923 after 4 years of construction, was partially destroyed in 1942 during World War II, to prevent the Japanese army from invading Singapore. However, it was rebuilt once the Japanese had captured the island.

Huge Water Pipes, Railway Track as well as Roads Line the Johor-Singapore Causeway

Very popular but terminally congested, the causeway is crossed by buses, trains, taxis and cars and is normally jam-packed on Friday evenings (towards Malaysia) and Sunday evenings (towards Singapore).  However, it was the Qing Ning holiday (similar to our All Saints Day) and the bus queue was very long going to Johor. Seeing the traffic, I decided to alight from the bus and just walked towards the Singapore Customs & Immigration Office at Woodlands for the necessary departure clearance.

A second crossing, between Johor Bahru and western Singapore, was open on January 2, 1998. Known as the Tuas Second Link, it is much faster and less congested than the Causeway and  is used by some of the luxury bus services to Kuala Lumpur.

Traffic Along the Johor-Singapore Causeway

I also decided to just walk the whole 1 km. length of the Causeway to the Malaysian side.  It seems I was the only one doing so. Along the way, I noticed, aside from the huge traffic jam, the huge water pipes as well as the railway track between the two sides of the Causeway. I was dripping with sweat by the time I reached the other side.

In December 2008, immediately after the opening of the new Johor Bahru CIQ complex, crossing the Causeway, on foot, from Singapore to Johor Bahru was officially forbidden by the Singapore authorities. Once you have cleared Singapore immigration at the Woodlands Checkpoint, you have to take any of the public or private buses waiting at the bus bays downstairs to cross the Causeway. There is always a Singapore police officer stationed at the staircase entrance to the Causeway to prevent anyone from crossing the Causeway on foot.

Malaysia Customs and Immigration Office

Enroute to Queen Street Bus Terminal (Singapore)

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On my second day in Singapore, I decided to make a tour, on my own, to the nearby Johor Bahru, the first Malaysian town (and the capital of the state of Johor), across the Causeway, from Singapore.  After breakfast at a MacDonald’s outlet, I traveled all the way to the Queen Street Bus Terminal (also known as the Ban San Bus Terminal), a centralized location for commuters traveling to Johor Bahru.

St. Joseph’s Church

Along the way to the terminal, I passed a couple of noteworthy Roman Catholic churches.  The attractive, Gothic-style St. Joseph’s Church was originally built  from 1851-1853 by Portuguese Rev. Vincente de Santo Catharina.  The present church, built from 1906-1912 by the notable firm Swan & MacLaren, has a portico supported by 4 columns; a central, octagonal tower capped by a dome and flanked by 2 smaller towers and beautifully crafted stained glass windows.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

The Renaissance-style, graceful and charming Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Singapore and the seat of its archbishop, was completed on June 6, 1847 with funds collected by French parish priest Fr. Jean-Marie Beurel. Designed by Denis Lesley McSwiney, it was elevated as a cathedral in on February 14, 1897. It has 6 entrances, Palladian-style porticos, a high timber ceiling and round arches. On June 28, 1973, the cathedral was gazetted as a National Monument.

St. Joseph’s Church:  143 Victoria St., Singapore 188020. Tel: (65) 6336 2664 and (65) 6338 3167.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd: cor. Queen St. and Bras Basah Rd., Singapore 188533.  Tel: (65) 6337 2036.

Bad Trip at Singapore

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After a month of planning, our 8-day Singapore and Thailand trip (4 days in Singapore, 3 days in Bangkok and 1 day in Pattaya, Thailand), arranged with Mondial Tours, was pushing through this April 5.  Joining me were my sisters Salve and Tellie and our mom Carol.  We were to leave Manila 8:30 AM, a Sunday, and we ll arrived at the NAIA Terminal I very early in the morning only to find out that our flight was cancelled due to a wildcat strike by the airport’s flight controllers.  We were told to await further announcements regarding our new departure time.

That being the case, I returned home to a very surprised Grace, heard the 10 AM Sunday mass at Merville and met up with friend Raymond Dayrit, all in the morning.  Later, we learned that our departure to Singapore was moved to 5:30 PM and we all returned to NAIA I.  We departed Manila on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 (my first time to ride such a huge plane), with former presidential daughter Imee Marcos also on board (she was in first class though).

Arrival at Changi International Airport

We arrived at Singapore’s Changi International Airport by 10 PM and waited an hour for our tour guide and pick up.  It never came.  We decided to take a taxi to Hotel Grand Central along Orchard Rd., our designated hotel.  The Front Desk Manager told us that our booking has been cancelled due to the strike and, even worst, there were no available rooms for us in the hotel, it being a holiday (Qing Ning).

However, the manager was king enough to check with the other hotels for available rooms.  The only room available, a penthouse suite, was at the nearby Cockpit Hotel.

Check out “Hotel Review: Cockpit Hotel“

Tired and sleepy, we decided to take it.  It was a good thing that we brought some US dollars with us.  Thought near, walking to the hotel wasn’t easy as I was carrying my mom’s luggage as well as my own.  Aside from her Luggage, Salve was also toting a new bowling ball she bought at NAIA which she, unwisely, decided to bring with her to Singapore.

Thus, we were all dead tired and irritable when we arrived at the hotel and checked in at our suite.  What a way to start a vacation, losing precious time, energy and our booking at the hotel.