Afternoon at the Kranji Marshes...

Last Friday, I joined a company outing. Some colleagues organised a nature walk at Kranji Marshes.

It was a good place for nature walk beginners, I suppose.

For those who want something more rustic, the nearby Sungei Buloh reserve is a good place to visit as well.

I did enjoy the walk and I did enjoy testing the macro shot capabilities of the iPhone.

It took me a huge amount of silence and stealth in taking the photos of the insects. Haha!

Erm, I'm quite happy with the photos. Hehe!

Second time at the Henderson Waves...

Singapore, why so pretty?

All around the island on a Sunday...

Another long day. Haha!

Started with a hike to the HSBC Treetop with Bernice and Mr. Lim. However, the latter only joined us until the Ranger Station. He had to head back earlier since he had a wedding lunch to attend. It was really nice of Mr. Lim though to wake up early and drive us to the starting point of the hike.

Bernice and I completed the hike in about two hours. It was a bit slow because I was carrying a backpack with toiletries and change of clothes. As most of my friends would know, I don't really know how to pack light even for very short hikes. Lol!

After our hike, we went to the FF at Ang Mo Kio to have a shower and change into fresh clothes.

In the afternoon, we met up with Mon and I-van and went to the Hermes exhibits Little Room of Wanders and Leather Forever. Both exhibits were wow! I think I'll pay a visit again, especially to the Leather Forever exhibit.

The long day ended with a nice dinner at CPK.

Short trail in my backyard discovered...

I went for a walk this morning. I haven't started running again because I want to be kind to my knees for now. Lol.

Hence, I decided that I'll just go for a walk. Initially, my plan was just to go for a one hour walk. I had a route in my mind. When I stepped out of the house, I decided I'll do a different route instead since I won't be running.

That different route led me to a short trail which was just near my neighbourhood. However, as I reached the end of the trail, I realised that I was actually a bit far off and I ended up in the industrial area of Kranji. Hahaha! It was okay though because I still managed to find my way back. And now, I know that instead of going straight I just need to do a U-turn.

Because I got lost, I ended up walking an extra 2K and an extra 30 minutes. Haha! Good exercise for today though.

Exploring the Northeast side of the island...

As I wrote recently, I went for a walk last Sunday morning with hiking/nature walk buddy Mr. Lim.

I actually invited two friends to go with us. One found the walk too early. The other one woke up two hours after the designated meeting time. Haha! I dun think think there are a lot of people across the island willing to wake up at 7AM to go for a walk. Hehe!

Mr. Lim and I met up at Bishan, our usal meeting point whenever we would go for walks. After having breakkie at the kopitiam just next to the bus interchange, Mr. Lim and I got into his car and headed to the northeast side of the island - Punggol.

Many would say that Singapore is such a tiny country, but seriously there are still several places in the island I've yet to explore/reach. Punggol/Sengkang, for example, areas I hardly go to. The last time I was in the vicinity was for another walk and the birthday lunch of Mr. Lim.

Anyway, we reached Punggol Promenade by 930. The parking area was very small and had limited parking slots (maybe because the park is so remote?). Thankfully, we saw a group of walkers who had just finished their morning activity get into a car and leave. Yay!

I'm quite confused with the correct name of the place. There was a huge sign that said Punggol Promenade. However, when I Googled Punggol Promenade, I was seeing another area.

The area where we parked and which served as our starting point was Punggol Point Park. Also in the park is the Punggol Jetty. The jetty has a viewing deck which gave park visitors a nice view of the strait of Johor.  One will also see on the other side of the straight what appears to be an oil refinery or an industrial area. Mr. Lim told me that that was already Malaysia. He also explained to me that was the reason why there was a police post at the jetty, so as to prevent any illegal exit from/entry to the country.

From the park, we followed the Punggol Promenade Punggol Point Walk. As we started our walk, Mr. Lim shared more trivia. The beach is actually historical because it is a World War II site. According to Mr. Lim, it was where many locals were shot to their deaths by the Japanese during wartime. Eeep! Hmm, I was wondering though why there was no official marker along the beach for this (or maybe we couldn't find it?). There was just a sign post saying World War II site.

It's a bit hard to believe that what is now an idyllic area was the same place where many locals were massacred. During our walk, there were runners/joggers, a few cyclists, and a number of anglers. The area was still relaxing though because of the panoramic views and also because the area is not as easily accessible as, say, East Coast Park.

Mr. Lim and I just followed the walk path until we reached the Punggol Marina Yatch Club. We crossed the main road and that led us to the Punggol Park Connector. The park connector gives one a view of the trees lining up Sungei Punggol.

Since we had no idea what route to take, we just kept on walking. An hour and a half after we started, we reached Sengkang Riverside Park. The park is located at Anchorvale Street and is right next to the Anchorvale Community Club and Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre. The best part? There was MickeyD's! Haha! Because we started our walk quite late, it was already quite hot.

By the time we reached Sengkang Riverside Park, I was in need of a drink and a seat. Hehe! So Mr. Lim and I headed to Mackers and stayed there for a few minutes enjoying the AC and the cold, unhealthy drink. Haha!

That walk alone was already about 4KM. Though we were tired, we had no choice but to head back because the car was on the other side. LOL! The walk back was much more tiring and took a lot longer though because we took a different route. Basically, the walk back also served as an impromptu walkabout of Punggol and Sengkang. Haha! At least, I got to see that there were a lot, a lot of developments happening this side of the island. Construction of several BTO flats were underway in several areas.

By the time Mr. Lim and I were back at the Punggol Point Park, it was already nearing 1PM. Wahlau! We were walking for almost 4 hours. Haha! The first thing Mr. Lim headed for was ice cream. There was a lone ice cream vendor and we were both happy to see her.

As is our tradition, Mr. Lim and I ended our walk with a good lunch. I was tired. I was starving. All I could think of was lunch. Hehe! For this, we drove to Thohirah at nearby Jalan Kayu for a happy lunch of chicken briyani, thosthai and very cold lime juice.

Afterwards, Mr. Lim dropped me at Serangoon station. I headed back to PG Boy's place where I spent the next few hours zzz-ing before heading back to my side of the island in the evening. Haha!

It was a good walk! I'm glad that I woke up for it despite having gone clubbing the night before. I'm always happy to be surrounded by nature and to just explore areas of Singapore I haven't seen. I was extra happy too because I got see the sun in the morning (it rained heavily again in the afternoon).

Yay!

To get an idea on the first leg of the walk that we did, go to page 6 of this guide, look for points 6, 7 and 9. That's the route we did heading to Sengkang Riverside Park. The route heading back I dun think can be mapped there. Hehe

Sunday morning walk...

Before all the rain this afternoon/early evening, I was lucky enough to have seen a very beautiful Sunday morning.

Hiking/nature walk buddy Mr. Lim messaged late last week asking whether I was up for a walk this weekend.

Since we haven't gone on one for quite some time now, I happily said yes.

Initially, tha plan was to go to Kranji. But during breakkie this morning, he gave me choices - Kranji, Punggol. I went for Punggol since it would still be in the NorthEast side of the island.

The catch is that he's never done this route before so it was going to be an adventre of sorts.

What I thought would be a one- or two-hour walk turned out to be a four-hour walk. LOL!

By the time we finished, we were both just so dead tired. Haha!

Looking at the pictures though, I would say it was a very good Sunday morning walk.

More deets of the walk soon.

Green SG: Hike at Dairy Farm Nature Park...

Small this island may be, I have yet to run out of places to head to for nature walks and hikes.

Of course, it helps that I've got Melvin, my Singaporean friend who's my sidekick when it comes to nature-tripping activities. I'm really grateful to have met him through our common friend Francis because the guy has been showing me the "wild" side of Singapore every now and then.

Last Sunday, we had our monthly "green" activity.

We agreed to head to the Bukit Timah Hill Summit once again.

The only difference this time is we're going to hike via the trails at the Dairy Farm Nature Park.

From what I read, the 63 hectare nature park at Dairy Farm Road was formerly a cowshed. Now, it houses the Wallace Education Centre and the Wallace Environmental Learning Lab. The Wallace Trail is also found in this nature park. The Wallace mentioned here is Alfred Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin who made significant contributions to natural science through is exploration of the Singapore in the 1850s.

Based on some of the other things I've read about the park, Dairy Farm Nature Park, compared to other hiking areas here in SG, has flat trails which is suitable for newbie hikers, kids and the elderly.

Okay, from the hike that Melvin and I did over the weekend, I can definitely say that we did not take any of the flat trails. Half the morning of Sunday was spent making our way up to the Bukit Timah Hill Summit through thickly forested area. The other half was spent for the descent back to flat terrain. Haha!

Though challenging, the good thing about the trail is that there are a number of huts along the way where you can take sit down and rest for a few minutes before carrying on with your trek. You would also find maps along the way to make sure you don't get lost, and to give you options on which trail to take.

For our trek last Sunday, we decided to take the "gentle" (which wasn't really gentle) climb up but was much longer. Melvin has never taken that path before, which is why we agreed to do that trail.

Along the way, we saw a number of interesting creatures - a green Oriental viper, a giant ant, a monitor lizard, some monkeys, and birds. Melvin being Melvin, he would get excited whenever he would see certain animals/creatures.

When he excitedly exclaimed "Ooohh! Snake, snake!" at least, this time I didn't jump out of fear. The first time he did that during a previous walk, I wanted to clobber him for scaring me. Haha!

We finished our walk just a few minutes after 11. It was just right. We started our ascent at 9AM, and we were back at the Dairy Farm entrance by 11. Though it's just for two hours, I was definitely exhausted.

From Dairy Farm, we headed to Jelina Vegetarian Garden at Cheong Chin Nam Road for lunch. Our road trip continued to Siglap Road, which was on the other side of the island, for dessert at Udders.

I've been wanting to try Udders for some time now, and I'm glad Melvin was kind enough to drive all the way to Siglap for dessert. Haha! We got the very sinful waffle with a scoop of Cookies N Cream and Chocolatey KitKat. Woohoo!

Really glad to have been able to try a new hiking trail over the weekend.

If you're interested to go to Dairy Nature Farm Park, you can take SMRT 700, 700A or 966 and alight at bus stop along Petir Road between Chestnut Ave and Dairy Farm Road.

Bring a change of clothes, insect repellant spray and bottled drink. :-)

Enjoy!

Solo morning hike...

Though Saturday was day 2 of a long holiday and even if I could have stayed in bed for an hour or two more of zzz time, I got out of bed at 630AM and prepped to go on a hike.

Earlier during the week, I already decided I'm going to visit the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve again come the weekend with or without company.

Pg Boy's sibs were in town, and I had to play invisible man. LOL! My usual hiking buddy Melvin, on the other hand, had made plans as well. Hence, I was left on my own to keep myself busy.

Anyway, I was out of the house by 7AM. I wanted to get to the reserve quite early so that it won't be too hot. One train ride and a somewhat lengthy bus ride later, I reached my destination.

When I reached the familiar starting point of the nature reserve, I really thought it was a beautiful morning for a hike. The sun was shining, but it wasn't that hot. You could feel a cool breeze every so often. There were several other people who chose to wake up as well on a beautiful Saturday to go hiking.

After a little warmup, I started with the "climb." Once I began the climb, I quickly remembered how steep the first part of the hill was. It could be quite a challenge for some. I, myself, found myself taking deep breaths as I made my way up. Haha!

It gets better afterwards. Once I surpassed the steepest part, what follows is a somewhat easier climb to reach the highest natural point of Singapore.

At the summit, there's a hut where one could rest, drink a lot of water, or maybe even have a snack, before the descent.

On my first visit to the nature reserve with Melvin and Francis, we went to one of the quarries. Unfortuantely, this time, I couldn't find my way to the quarry. Kinda sucks because I was really looking forward to seeing it again. Oh well, next time.

I finished my hike around nine plus.

It was a short hike, but it was certainly an enjoyable one. I'm planning to go back again one of these days to try out the other paths.

Woot.

Labrador Park Nature Walk...

Some time last week, I got a message from nature hike buddy Melvin reminding me that it was time to do another nature walk. He suggested we checkout the Labrador Nature Reserve, since surprisingly(!!!) he hasn't been there himself.

We had an informal agreement early this year that we would try to go on a monthly nature walk. So far, we've been successful with Jan and Feb. Let's see if we can keep this up til the end of the year. Haha!

Sunday morning, after having breakkie, we headed to our nature walk destination where we met up with Chris, who agreed to join the nature walk.

Labrador Nature Reserve, which is more commonly known as Labrador Park, is found at the southern part of the island. Since 2002, about 10 hectares of the area have been identified as a nature reserve.

In addition to the flora and fauna, what also makes this nature reserve quite interesting is the presence of a number of war relics left behind by the British. Walking around, you'll find a number of signs that tell you of the events that took place in the area during WWII. Remnants of Fort Pasir Panjang, an old British fort situated on a hill overlooking the sea. You'll also find an old Machine Gun Post, a 6 inch Quick Firing Cannon, and the Old Fort Entrance. You would also find some of the bunkers and the entrance to tunnels, which according to Melvin leads to Sentosa.

There's a much more interesting story about this beach which Melvin shared with me and Chris. Ask him what it is.

If you're not much of a history buff and would just like a relaxing day, the park offers a nice view of the sea. Before you reach the sea, you have to walk along the Berlayer Creek mangrove trail, which is home to a variety of plants and animals. Keep your eyes peeled for the Black-naped Oriole or a Blue Kingfisher. You may also spot some monitor lizards, if they're not feeling shy that day. Hehe!

Uhm, personally, I think the Labrador Park serves as a good place to go to for nature walk newbies, or if you just want a quick but still neart to the city getaway.

However, if you've been to the other nature reserves in the island or if you're the adventurous kind who's game for hours of walking and finds a certain "high" from being surrounded by towering trees with no concrete edifice in sight, then the Labrador Park is not for you.

That said, I think I won't be going back to Labrador Park anytime soon. Hehe! Don't get me wrong. It is a nice, relaxing place, but I still prefer the other nature reserves like Bukit Timah or Sungei Buloh where it's green, green, green all around you.

Hiking on a public holiday...

January 2. Public holiday in Singapore.

6AM.

Whereas most of the Singapore population were probably still in bed fast asleep and enjoying the last day before the madness of another work/schoolyear, I have already left the house at that ungodly hour to meet up with good friend Melvin.

I haven't seen the guy in ages. I haven't gone hiking in awhile. It was time for another hike with this guy. He asked Bryan to come along. But when he found out what time the hike was, he chose the bed. I asked Alex and Chris to come along. Same response as Bryan.

Not everyone is as crazy as me and Melvin I suppose. Hehe!

Days before the hiking get-together, Melvin and I were talking about where to go. He suggested having no plans and just getting lost. I though, "Uhm, no." Hehe. I told him I miss the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. So we agreed that's where we're going.

But come hiking day, there was a change of plans just when we reached the nature reserve. Melvin suggested doing the kampong trail. He also asked whether I was up for some fish feeding.

He said, "It is therapeutic, you know." I was psyched for a hike that morning. So even though he said we will be walking for two plus hours, I was okay with it. (Uhm, I was sort of okay that Alex and Chris didn't go. Otherwise, they would have killed me for sure. Haha!)

After parking the car at the Beauty World Plaza (I'm serious! That's the name of the building!), Melvin led the way towards the kampong trail. We quickly passed by a convenience store to buy a loaf of bread for the fishies. And then, we were off.

We were along a main street, car after car zooming past us, and I had to ask if we were supposed to be walking along that road. We reached a part of the road where Melvin just jumped over a road barrier. I just followed.

The next I know, we were already surrounded by trees. There was not a concrete building in sight. It was all greens, the morning sun, and the chirping of birds. Nice, nice.

We kept on walking for about an hour. There were other hikers and trail bikers. I'm not sure what area that was, but I followed Melvin as he made his way through a path lined with trees. This led to a hidden pond.

After finding a spot to sit down, Melvin brought out the loaf of bread. He took out one slice, tore a piece and threw it into the water. Ripples started forming as several fishes suddenly zoomed towards the bread. I took my own slice, and started throwing small pieces into the water, amused by the fishes that raced towards the bread. Several minutes later, a terrapin surfaced and started swimming to the bread pieces as well. Several minutes more, we spotted a number of snakeheads and their young. There was also one huge black fish, which Melvin thinks is a pacu, that joined the other fishies.

Around 11 plus, Melvin and I started to head back to "civilization." We took a different path going back, but it still brought us to the area where we started.

We also reached an area where the KTM railroad tracks used to be. I'm glad I was able to see those tracks a couple of months ago, before they were taken out. It was a part of Singapore history.

It was a good hike, I have to say. Came across some kingfishers, a sunbathing gecko (read: ordinary lizard - LOL!), snakeheads, a terrapin, several monkeys, an oriole, an unidentified bright red-chested bird, and an Oriental whip snake!!!

So, you see, Singapore is not all about skyscrapers and luxury malls, it has a "green" side which I am just really happy to discover because it brings back memories of the Philippine countryside (which I love!)

Believe it or not, this is in SG...

Believe it or not, this is in Singapore.

Yeah, who would have thought, huh? In this land of skyscrapers and luxury stores, this piece of beautiful greenery exists.

And there quite a number, I have to tell you.

You just have to know where they are. And it would be great if you have friends who are into nature-tripping. Hehe!

Will share where this is in one of the next posts.