10 Months in Equatorial Singapore

[Ottime]

Back on the bike, cruising through the CBD, Chinatown and Duxton Hill area. It actually feels much safer on the road in the CBD area. While traffic is thick, and there is no shoulder, drivers seems to be way more aware of cyclist than anywhere else on the island. South Bridge Road at Maxwell.





Niel Street is one of my favorites. Duxton Road is not bad either. Just blocks of shop houses.





Every weekday I ride through Punggul, the super sonic jets are out in force. I had one local complain to me about taxes, and asked what they were all for but to enrich the leadership. Sound pollution? Seriously though, I rather enjoy watching these planes buzz by juts over the top of the local towers.





This HDB block is opposite the Tampines Eco Green. I've noticed how different so many of the HDB buildings can be. Many different architectural styles and even more finishes. This entire zone was finished in black and white. I especially enjoyed the diamonds on this building, and that each building in the neighborhood had a slightly different accent and paint style. Makes it easy to tell your friends where you live. You can give your zip code (actually, every single building in Singapore has a different zip code, and some have several) or you can just tell them, the one with the black diamonds.






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Marina Barrage. We had to wait while a boat was moved from he ocean to the Marina Reservoir, over the barrage.

[Ottime]

Finally made it to the criminal class section of town. Near Toa Payoh and Serangon, the homes here were immense, gated, landed (in actually having yards) and often with columns.




Single family homes come in all shapes and sizes. Juts a few blocks from here are some HDBs. In fact, I just picked up a cable cutting tool around the corner for $8.





From the wealthy neighborhood, I headed down to Little India to run a few other errands. This cut street abuts the only mall in the neighborhood.




Lunch was at Bersah Food and Market Centre. I've recently been pushed in the direction of visiting every single NEA listed Food Centre. A friend noted that I've already been to about half, and it should not be that hard to hit up the rest in my last 100 days of residency. This dish is an Oyster Cake. Basically a fried puff stuffed with oyster, prawn, pork and some veggies. Topped with peanut and ikon bills - so SG. Loved it, but I'm pretty sure that my gut has a reaction to smoked oysters. Three for three.





My main dish was Curry Chicken Noodle from another well noted stall. I typically research a Food Centre before visiting, and get a short list of 2-10 stalls I want to try. This bowl hit the spot.




Just a typically street biking around Little India. This is a great place to walk or bike around and eat and shop. While SG is pretty damn expensive, I picked up a pair of blue lens UV protective glasses for jungle biking for $3, and grabbed a Teh Tarik (pulled sweet tea) for $1. It is a colorful vibrant neighborhood with some good deals to be had





Enjoyed a Crossroads IPA along the Singapore River after a quick stop ar the Arcade in Raffles Place getting some Yen for my wife.




Only way home, I took a lap around Marina Bay. Always a good ride.

[Ottime]

Headed out for a big ride. My goal was Lamppost One, which is a cycling goal for many a Singaporean. It is the southwest most location on the island, and the only place where it is legal to graffiti with stickers. From my house I headed north toward Woodlands. One of my favorite stretches in a mile or so on Ulu Sembawang PCN as it crosses a section of jungle. This morning the troop was out in force. There must have been 70-100 monkeys out on the pathway this morning.





Marsling Park. I tend to bike through the park here, even though it is not efficient mileage or time wise. Mostly because after you exit the park, my route tends to be a bit industrial for the next few miles. Kranji is not my favorite park of the island. Big trucks, narrow roads, and until you cross the Kranji Barrage, a water treatment plant is basically your best view.





I just rather enjoyed this mural while waiting at the stop light.





I finally found a shoulder in Singapore. Actually, more of a breakdown lanes, as at least once every mega block there would be a rig parked in the shoulder. Still, it was nice to mostly bike with just a bit of space, even if in an insufferable part of the country. Nothing here but rigs and dump trucks and almost no shade. Plenty of later and sharps (broken glass and metal) in the road. Felt like I was back in the Bay Area.






There is really only one industry in south Tuas and that is shipping. Went by more than a few blocks of stacks and tacks and stacks of containers. They are slowly moving the entire shipping center to this area and have been working on landfilling and adding acreage to the southwest corner.




Lamppost One. Not the most picturesque spot, bit it is the southwestern most publicly accessible point of Singapore. It is also a right of passage for cyclist here, so I had to make a go of it. This day was an 80 mid ride, and I wanted to test the route to see if I'd include it in my Round Island Route I'm planning for sometime in the coming weeks. Decided, while I might hit up Raffles Marina on the west coast about 5 miles north of here, I doubt I'll venture this far out into Tuas again.




Looking through the fence at Lamppost One, you can see the piles of sand and gravel being used to expand the country.

[Ottime]

About an hour plus and 15 miles later I get back to the Jurong Park Connector. It was such a relief to be off the roads and know that the next 30 or so miles of my ride would be 97% not on roads and dealing with cars and trucks. I felt like I avoided death and/or injury at least seven times. The quiet of a pathway along rivers sounded so very nice.




More HDBs with unique architecture. The building in the distance is round in shape, so each apartment faces a different direction. Closer to me the HDBs have more of the feeling of shop houses. Most of the current construction is towers, but what was built in the '60-'90s comes in all shapes and sizes. It is pretty cool the someone wanted to have public housing not feel so cookie cutter.




This is way better than being buzzed by tractor trailers. And one fo the few actual riverbanks in Singapore. Ulu Pandan PCN is one of my favorites here. A good few miles of uninterrupted riverside path.




There is a section of Ulu Pandan currently closed due to landslides ad you need to detour into Clementi. The district is initially landed homes, and they are not so very modest, but this one stands out to me. I've passed it a number of times, but finally stopped to take pic. For sure the owner has some money, but I like the feel of this place. Way more my style than columns.




Tap has a hazy on tap from Brewlander. Earned the calories this day for sure.

[Ottime]

After and 80 mile Friday, what to do but get the kid for a 20 mile ride on Sunday. We hit up the Punggul Ravine Loop from our house. We ride PCN the entire way, starting with about 3 miles of roadside PCN through Ang Mo Kio and Hougang before hitting a stretch along the Serangoon Reservoir.




What I like about this ride is once in Punggul, you get about 13 miles of almost completely uninterrupted bike path. A short section is closed, that forces you to take a roadside PCN for a few blocks. Otherwise, you have water on one side and trees on the other. In some sections you can see the city through the trees, and in others, it is just a stretch of dense jungle.









We took a break out by the Sarangoon Barrage. My kid found some Pokemon to battle, while I read. Finding some new Pokemon helps lubricate the travels. 20 miles is by no means huge ride for my kid, but it needs mention that this place is hot and humid. It takes time to acclimate to exercising here for sure. They finally are there. Sprite helps as well.




Sengkang Riverside Park spans both sides of the Punggul Reservoir.






It is connected by this bridge - mentioned in this thread before - the longest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. We had to use it as we were eon our was too Fernvale Market and Food Centre.





I do rather enjoy the many parks in this country.




At Fernvale, Kimchi Pancake.



"Can you eat the whole shrimp?"

"Yup."

Love this kid. Not constrained when it comes to culinary delights and eating like a local. Well, within reason. They did not seem interested in the Pig Tail Soup.





And Thunder Tea.

[Ottime]

Bukit Canberra Food Centre is the newest NEA center to date. Just opened about a month ago. Outdoor garden style, it is a series of hexagons housing the stalls. After selecting my Laksa, I got lost walking back to my table. All the damn hexagons looked the same. The NEA has opened up about 15 new food centre in the past few years, and they all have a very different look from the more traditional markets. Crisp, clean, modern and very western food court feeling.




And just in case you forget you are not in the west, bike around a bit. Chong Yee and Ubin Thai Temple juxtaposed against HDBs - pretty much a theme around here. I rather enjoy it. So many temples. So many HDBs.



Singapore loves its new openings. The northern section of the Railway Corridor just re-opnned and it was packed with hikers. Packed gravel took about six months to pack. And people love it. Unfortunately, the next several miles of the corridor are unimproved, which basically means mud puddles because there is no drainage. Like none. Not a ton of fun on even gravel tires. The other new opening is the paved section from the Hillview Bridge to the Railway Mall. Pictured here is the new Hillview Bridge. While not crowded, the revamped bridge over Bukit Timah Road was packed with not one, but two wedding party shoots.






Tanglin Halt is one of the older HDB districts in Singapore. The Food Centre here is slated to be torn down in 2024. The Chee Chong Fun from one fo the stalls is well regarded. This order is stuffed with char siew and the set meal is served with a side of mixed congee. Glad to get into this centre before it is revamped. It still had that old school feel.




Soya is a popular drink. Basically gula malacca sweetened soy milk. Served cold or hot. Grass jellies are commonly added. Pearls are a more modern offering. Here is a soya with chia seeds. Health food almost.







As mentioned earlier, the HDBs build in the late 20th century have a mix of architectural styles. Tanglin Halt does have a series of towers, but a lot of the apartments are in three story structures built into a green space. They remind me of barracks. It really is too bad that these will all be town down, as they abut to the Railway Corridor, along a section where there is about 10 miles of paved paths that never crosses a road, but tunnels under ever single street. It is a great section to cycle.




The Railway Corridor ends just before downtown. You pop out near the Singapore General Hospital which is a huge medical complex. Across the road is the Silat Road Sikh Temple. More upscale, as its is backed by private towers.







Gardens By The Bay is known mostly for the domes, and then by the botanical gardens and Super Trees directly behind it. Less well known is the eastern portion of the gardens directly across Marina Bay. It is a wetlands portion of the garden, lined with ponds and water plants. It is way more quiet than the area around the domes, and well worth a visit if you are seeking a little solace during a visit.






Back in East Coast Park. I was working on completing a Round Island Route Mini. North through Yishun, Canberra, west through Woodlands and Kranji. South on the Railway Corridor through Bukit Panjang, Hillview, Bukit Timah, Holland, Alexandra, Tanglin Halt, Bukit Merah and Tiong Bahru. East along the Singapore River, around Marina Bay and East Coast Park. North through Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris. West on the north coast through Pasir Ris Park, around Punggol, across Seletar and back to Yishun. South through Springleaf and home. Just a touch over 75 miles. When I venture further out to Lim Chu Kang, Raffles Marina and around Changi, it will add another 45 mile or so to the route. It really is enjoyable riding around Singapore and exploring these different neighborhoods. It is a great way to see a small country.

[Ottime]

I've only found two of these in this country so far. A freeway bike underpass. This one connects the eastern end of East Coast Park with the southeast corner of Bedok. Perfect for completing my RIR Mini. From what I know, there are at least three ore of these being constructed, and perhaps a fourth connecting the two sections of Bishon - Ang Mo Kio Park (conflicting stories o this one). These are way better than overpasses, as you only need to descend and then climb about 12 feet, where the overpasses are way high as it needs to clear the double decker busses.





Perhaps as cool as the fighter jets are the transport planes that fly all week just above top of the towers. These guys are not as loud, but you can here these planes coming at you (instead of going away). What I don't get is - what are they practicing for? You can drive troops across this country in about an hour, and not worry about a landing strip. I really don't see a future where Singapore is involved in a foreign war. But I guess, better to be ready than caught with your pants down.







Another high end neighborhood in the Katong area. While something like 80% of Singaporeans live in HDBs, there sure a ton of landed homes. I guess that an HDB block can house many many times more families than a landed home block. I mostly was enjoying the flowering tree.





Then it was time to head back to Palau Ubin with my buddy Cormac and show hime around a bit. We had pretty good luck getting the requisite 12 people for the ferry over. In fact, we headed out with just 11 of us.




It is actually a pretty cool adventure, even if it requires those without cars to either hire a ride (no cheap) or ride 20 plus miles of tarmac (not fun) on the MTB to get there. But the idea of taking a boat to an island to ride is kind of cool. And the views along the way feel so different than much of the rest of Singapore.





Once on Ubin, the ride out to the MTB track is not terrible. There are several old quarries on the island that are now either freshwater lakes or brackish wetlands. More on the brackish a few shots down.




Arrived at Ketum, we check the map, chat with the dude with the much nicer hard tail and proceed down some fire road. The blue section of single track is still being revamped and opens at the end of March. I'll come back again once that is open, as it adds several more miles to the loop. The terrain looks pretty flat, but its got to be bette than fire road.





The black diamond section of track is basically a blue trail with a few features that are black diamond. And most of those are uphill steep climbs with tight switchbacks or just uneven rock gardens to climb. It is actually pretty fast and flows in most sections. The double diamond parts are for sure a challenge, but are simply rocky mossy features that cut a few of the corners and drop, at most, 20 feet of vert. A few are literally juts relabel rock features that drop maybe 3 feet.










Okay, brackish wetlands.... Cormac was one and done, but we had planned for a second lap (it is only about 3.5 miles of trail) so he snacked at one of the many covered benches (shade is your friend down here) while I spun a second lap. It was fun, as I've had a chance to learn the trail a bit and had a good fast run. I saw him ride by our meet up spot, so I chased him down. He was just heading out to check out the area, and was planning on returning, Right when I met up with him, this dude walks over and asks if we are planning to head back to the docks now, or going to bike some more in the park. We told him we were headed toward the docks, and he motioned for us to go now. He told us he was just about to close the road due to the coming tide. That water in this pic was pouring over front the Singapore Strait into one of the interior ponds. Dude told us the tide was still rising another foot. During the King Tides about a half mile of road is mostly under water and they close it party due to the depth, but mores because the current is strong, and there is a chance of crocs roaming about. Insane. We opted to use the $3 bike wash station to be sure to get the salt water off the bikes.







Back at the docks. I think we waited forty minutes of more this day. We were the 3rd and 4th people in queue, but you must remember to bring snacks and extra water to hold you over. OTOH, once back on the main island, its a good plan to head to Changi Village Food Centre and hit up Charlie's Corner. They serve up pints Archipelago Session IPA or Irish Ale for $11. And friend banana around the corner are 8 for $2.

[Ottime]

On Sunday I headed to Bukit Timah with the kid. They have a much much nicer bike than me here. I'm a little jealous every time I ride it around our carpark when I do a little maintenance. We stop and rest a bunch on our rides. Like I said, it is hot AF here, and taking breaks makes for a better ride with the youth. This is another old quarry turned into wetlands. Loads of folks out here to do a little bird watching.




Monitor Lizards are typically a little skittish. This little guy was anything but that - sunning himself in the middle of the trail. And their tires can for sure slash a side wall. It took ringing our bells, and slowly approaching for him to eventually amber away into the foliage.







Bukit Timah has plenty of challenge. Mostly in climbs, but even a number of the downhills are short versions of black diamond trail. Still, most of the trail here is blue as well and likely would be rated as blue most places (as 90% of the black sections have ride arounds). There are a few spurs of double diamond features, but most of them would be pretty easy for with 140/130 FS. Seeing I've already destroyed one rear axel, I've decided to not push it too far on my ride. It needs to last another three months.




Lots of roots. I think the biggest challenge is roots. Especially wet roots. And mud. Even when the trails are mostly dry, you will still come across a fair amount of mud. But the roots from these trees criss and cross at a thousand different angles, and the are the real challenge on the jungle ride. Still, I feel pretty lucky that I can get out a little bit and ride around here. Way better than just tarmac.

[Ottime]

Nothing says SE Asia previous English colony like a mansard roof. There are a few things here to notice. Likely not HDB, because very few HDBs have any features added to the roof of the buildings. 98.3% (estimate) of the HDBs are flat roofed. Also, this is indicative of private developments in Singapore once out of the central city area. This is in Bedok, near the reservoir, and typically developers build entire blocks of matching towers, instead of 1-3 towers. Fianlly, you see all types of architectural styles, even forms that have nothing to do with the history of the country. Mostly pulled from European forms, but there are other Asian (Japanese for instance) and Latin (stucco and tiles) styles across the island.




Gado Gado from the Geylang Serai Food Centre near Sims Road. This centre is an older market primarily serving a Muslim community. Plenty of typical Halal stalls - Indonesian, Malay and South Indian foods - but also many of the few Chinese style stalls were also Halal. Unfortunately, by 2pm, most of the options were shut down for the day. I was a bit surprised. That is not uncommon in the smaller, out of the way, serving just the local HDBs type of centers, but usually the bigger places can still be hoping at 2pm. Will need to try to get back around noon one day to see the full offerings.




This guy almost ran me off the barrage, as he passed, and then swerved hard left to avoid the meridian and then slammed on the brakes for a speed bump. He was on the same route as me, and he pulled in to the dumping grounds a mile and a half later. Due to the nature of the roads (speed bumps, turns, narrow sections) he really was not able to travel faster than me. I reported the guy. It is not every driver, but you do need to be on your toes when road riding here. So many stupid moves by oblivious and selfish drivers. I have come across super courteous drivers, but they are not the norm. Gas pedal depressed even when there is a red light 20m ahead, then slam the brakes. Driving down narrow, curvy residential roads with no sidewalks at 50kmh. Blowing red lights 3 seconds after they turned. Just nuts driving all around.




Fish Maw Soup at Teban Gardens. Fish maw is dried fish bladder. It is supposed to do something to ya. Make ya strong, or horny, or both, or something else. It was fine. Mild dried fish tastes. The soup was wonderful. Great broth, fish slices and greens.




Nothing like Beef Noodles for breakfast. I've learned that there are many many options for breakfast I would have once thought were just for lunch. Kim Keat Palm For Centre in Toa Payoh. I think this was my 60th Food Centre.




Signs. Don't have fun kids, cause it might disturb the grass.

[Ottime]

If unsure where to eat, look for the longest queue. This prawn mee joint in Pek Koi Food Centre is well reviewed as well. For S$3, you get a large plate of springy noodles lightly fried in a sweet soya with several large prawns and thinly sliced pork. Topped with fried lard bits and cilantro. Per Kio is a a little out of the way, but on the northwestern edge of the Little India district.




Once I set the goal of hitting up all the NEA Hawker Centres, I find my self at a new one almost every day. Kaki Bukit in Bedok was next on my list. Also known as Block 511. Many the centers are built into HDB blocks and have the block number as an alternate name. Some of them tend to primarily serve the people who live in the surrounding HDB blocks. This one was pretty sleepy at 11AM. I was planning to at lunch nearby, so I just orders a snack. Yam Cakes are keuh made with rice flour, yams and dried prawns. Served with soy and chili sauce. Roasted Pork Boa is a steamed dumpling with a chunk of fatty pork inside.




Bedok North Street 1 Block 216 is the complete opposite. Absolutely hopping at 11:20AM. Packed to the gills. You Zha Keuh is often sold out by 10:30AM. When I saw there was still an active queue I went right over. They were out of the charcoal and green tea You Tiao, but they were still frying up the plain (or regular). As you wait in line, the pastry chefs are rolling out the dough, cutting and pressing individual pieces and the cook drops them into the fat vat. They drip dry above the oil for about a minute and then served. Wonderfully fresh You Tiao.



Grab a cup of Kopi-C first, and it is a wonderful treat. Honestly the best You Tiao I've had yet. My kid also enjoys these, and I am trying to find the time to get them to this stall. It is a bit away from our home (about 20 mies on the bike), but seriously, if you are in in Singapore, and enjoy a fried dough, you need to get to Blk 216 and You Zha Keuh. But get there early. These were gone by 11:30AM and shop was closed.



This Chee Choeng Fun is also well renowned. S$4 got me these prawn rolls. The Hong Kong style Chee Cheong Fun has very thin rice crepes made to order and rolled with your choice of Char Siew, prawns or scallops. Cause you can't survive on boa and fried dough alone.




I spent a little time at Blk 216. Partly because Erdrich is a truly amazing writer. If you are looking for something more than worth your time, pick up The Sentence. I read a lot, and even more while here in SG, and have read a ton of great books this year, but this one tops the list. And while at Blk 216, if you are looking for non-kopi coffee, check out Generation Coffee Roasters. This is the Dirty Matcha - a cappacinno with matcha. Interesting, but next time I will choose just coffee, as the two flavors kind of mask each other.




From there I headed south to East Coast Park, and you enter right at the Wake Lagoon. There was a crew out there, with two of them hitting the rails and jumps.




This one dude was going the biggest. It looks like fun enough. At least enjoyable to watch for a short bit. I like this view with the shipping container boats filling the background. It is another spot that captures this place on several levels.

[Ottime]

I finally got out and completed a Round Island Route. I feel this one is pretty legit, even though I was aiming for 200km, and cam up a bit short. I did ride most of the legal public access perimeter of the island. I did get out to Raffles Marina to experience the west coast. I avoided Lamppost 1 (which would have added about 12 miles through industrial park), and I looped north around Jurong Lakes, and at the end of the Railway Corridor, so that my riding experience would be quit a bit more pleasant. I also avoided Jurong Island, which is all industrial. But otherwise, this is close the perimeter of Singapore. Its a decent ride for sure. Left in the dark, and returned int he dark. 10 hours riding time, but I stopped four times along the way for breaks, and snacks and one more time at the Marina to walk around and check it out a bit.






This was my first time at Raffles Marina. It is the western most point in Singapore with pubic access (okay, Lamppost one may be a few more feet west, but it is not coastal and has no real views). There were some big boats at this marina. Yachts even. You can walk out the lighthouse along a concrete "boardwalk." The Strait here is quit a bit wider than on the north coast. Malaysia is mostly woodlands across the way here.








The western entry point, or Tuas Checkpoint, coming in from Malaysia. This entry point is also quite bust, but is a little less utilized than the one directly from Jahor. The nearby roads are surprisingly quite although the main entry/exit would be the expressway, which I was well away from.







Jumping out if the jungle is Forest City in Malaysia. It is purpose built residential and recreation garden city, built on reclaimed land. It is also well known for wetland habitat destruction. It was supposed to be a eco forward paradise, but instead is known for its negative environmental impact and becoming a ghost town due to the pandemic. Appaerantly it is full of empty skyscrapers. It does look like a mirage from the marina.



Flip in the other direction and you can see Singapore expanding its boundaries into the sea. Rubble, sand, gravel and heavy equipment move the east to grow the island.

[Ottime]

My phone was down to 19% power soon after stopping at Raffles, so I git just this one more shot of West Coast Park. As I mentioned before, it is not on the west coast, but the south coast. It is just west of the CBD. And it is only sort of coastal. About 200m of it runs along the edge of a marina. The rest is behind shipping container cranes. This speed cat was docked just offshore. A pretty fancy looking vessel.




Many hours later, I was at Changi Village, where I stopped at Charlie's Corner for a few pints of Archepeliogo Session IPA at mile 94. Why two? They were charging my phone for me behind the counter. If you are ever at Changi Beach, find this stall in the hawkers center, and the beer is quite good (at least way better than a Tiger or Carlsberg). Grabbed a plate of roast pork and rice - which was so damn good and was on my water. Stopped for a brief viewing of the Hampstead Wetlands Park. This park is not coastal, but is low lying freshwater area.




Eventually, my entire route, or something close to it, will all be connected via PCN. As it were, I did about 30-40 miles on road. Much of that was “rural”, but it will be a sweet route when it is all bike/pedestrian paths. Here is a marker for a section recently completed that will be part of the RIR.

[BCR]

Nice work!!!

I finally got out and completed a Round Island Route. I feel this one is pretty legit, even though I was aiming for 200km, and cam up a bit short. I did ride most of the legal public access perimeter of the island. I did get out to Raffles Marina to experience the west coast. I avoided Lamppost 1 (which would have added about 12 miles through industrial park), and I looped north around Jurong Lakes, and at the end of the Railway Corridor, so that my riding experience would be quit a bit more pleasant. I also avoided Jurong Island, which is all industrial. But otherwise, this is close the perimeter of Singapore. Its a decent ride for sure. Left in the dark, and returned int he dark. 10 hours riding time, but I stopped four times along the way for breaks, and snacks and one more time at the Marina to walk around and check it out a bit.






This was my first time at Raffles Marina. It is the western most point in Singapore with pubic access (okay, Lamppost one may be a few more feet west, but it is not coastal and has no real views). There were some big boats at this marina. Yachts even. You can walk out the lighthouse along a concrete "boardwalk." The Strait here is quit a bit wider than on the north coast. Malaysia is mostly woodlands across the way here.








The western entry point, or Tuas Checkpoint, coming in from Malaysia. This entry point is also quite bust, but is a little less utilized than the one directly from Jahor. The nearby roads are surprisingly quite although the main entry/exit would be the expressway, which I was well away from.







Jumping out if the jungle is Forest City in Malaysia. It is purpose built residential and recreation garden city, built on reclaimed land. It is also well known for wetland habitat destruction. It was supposed to be a eco forward paradise, but instead is known for its negative environmental impact and becoming a ghost town due to the pandemic. Appaerantly it is full of empty skyscrapers. It does look like a mirage from the marina.



Flip in the other direction and you can see Singapore expanding its boundaries into the sea. Rubble, sand, gravel and heavy equipment move the east to grow the island.

[Ottime]

My wife has been wanting to check out Level 33, a bar/ restaurant in the CBD with a view and their own beer. Her school hosted a party for new faculty there, so I was pretty stoked to not pay for $25 beers (and not great beer from reviews). She drank Prosecco and reported the views were well worth her employers money.



Most weekends we are in town, I've been getting out with my kid for a little MTB. We get a transport over to Bukit Timah Nature preserve, and ride from there. We hit the first half of Bukit Timah, then South Chestnut, then work our way north through the Chestnut Bike Prk to lunch at Bukit Panjang Food Centre. They get the Fishball Noodle Soup, then we take T15 to Mandai Rod and then 5.5 miles of asphalt to home. They are keeping their skills up and improving their rock garden skills. It is all XC riding, but there are some challenging climbs and a few drops. They hit this rock garden fast and solid. Maybe because the camera was out, but I like to think they are still building confidence while riding the jungle.




One day while riding Bukit Timah, I spotted another quary through the bush. I parked my bike and walked a few meters through the jungle and got onto a nearby hiking path. Hindhede Nature Preserve is inside Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and is the area around the Hindhede Quary. It is a Dutch name and named after the gentlemen who operated the quary until the 1980s





I thought before I found the criminal class neighborhood, until I was heading toward Empress Road from Sixth Avenue. Sixth is a wealthy district for sure. I was buying a cheap chainring over there and noticed the 100K plus Jag in the driveway, and thought I was spending way too much money on this chainring. As I headed toward Empress Road Food Centre for lunch, I looked up and saw the gold columns. Several of the mansions in this area were insane.








Senja Hawker Center just opened up a few weeks ago. It is a few miles from the jungle, but I also wanted to pick up an item from a nearby HDB. So what the heck, let's check it out. Chatted with a lovely Malay couple. They are Permanent Residence, mostly because the dude had worked in the Malay civil services and would not get his retirement if he switched citizenships. They were just back from twenty years in New Zealand. The wife loved it there, but the husband was more pleased to be back. One of the highlights of this life this year is finding the time to meet people who have had such different lives than my own. Oh, and my duck noodle lunch was quite good.








Bukit Panjang Food Centre is our usual spot to stop for lunch while out MTB. It is less than a kilometer from the jungle. Good selection of stalls, and nice and breezy area. Also the You Tiao is still fried up fresh well past noon, and my kid has taken to grabbing one of those and a Blueberry beverage before getting in the long queue for their Fishball Noodle Soup.




Bank Towers. I ride along the Singapore River at least once a week. I keep taking in the views. Like these three tall slender bank towers rising out of the earth.





Yinyang. My new kick recently is Soya Milk with Grass Jellies. Soya Milk is sweetened with Gula Malacca and Grass Jellies are made from Chinese mesona (a type of mint). They are not minty, but jello with a touch of bitterness. When I was ordering one day, the Uncle in the stall told me the locals call it Yinyang. So now that is how I order it, and every single time, the Uncle or Auntie gets a chuckle out of it, they smile, and they say, "You know Yin Yang!" and I get a nod of approval. One old Auntie told me that even the "Singapore kids of today have no idea it is really Yinyang

[Ottime]

Then off to OZ to visit some family that moved here a decade ago and started a family. Meet my cousins once removed for the first time. And bumped into this guy while biking around Canberra. It is a very likable town for sure. Went spent the days biking around while our family were at school and work.




I made it a point to find some good beer. It is not really any cheaper in Australia than in Singapore, but there were plenty of options. Bent Spoke was my first stop, and it was my favorite stop. Very good hoppy beers.




From our family's home we were on residential streets for about mile before picking up bike paths. Most of the ride was along wide paths that meandered around the central lake.




The National Museum if free entry. It is really the perfect sized. We were able to wander through the open galleries over a few hours. Some of our favorite exhibits were the indigenous ar, especially the headstones.



Close ups.




Enjoyed the sparseness of this modern section. My kid for sure enjoyed their time. I actually think they have more museum endurance than I do. I love walking a museum, but tire out after an hour or two. They seem to be able to go all day.




Then we were off to Capital Brewery. Beer was good, but no Bent Spoke. The burger truck at this location was fantastic. In our time in Singapore, we have ordered a pizza once, went out for brick oven pizza once and had Italian food once. Otherwise, we have been on an Asian diet, except for when I cook at home (I've been doing about 50/50 - and have a background as a chef, so pretty damn good). This was our first burger eating out in almost a year. So maybe it was not as good as I thought, but pretty damn tasty. And huge. Austrailians are not shy on portion size.





Next to the brewery is a bouldering gym that my kid wanted to check out. We spent a few hour in here climbing about. Plenty of wall space.




The next day, my cousin took the day off from work and we drove out to Tidbinbilla. 60% of the Australian National Territory is nature preserve. This one did not disappoint. We hiked more than a few miles and saw some really cool wildlife.




Suddenly the one kangaroo blocking our bike route in Canberra proper seemed silly to get excited about. We got to Tidbinbilla just after the rain, and these guys were out in numbers. Perfect thing, as when it is hot and sunny as usual, they tend to hide in the woods and shadows.



The Wallaby were harder to come by. A more shy creature. This guy was perched not far off the trail checking us out, until a group of louder hikers came up the trail. Then he hopped out of there.





Plenty of birds.




There may have been a platypus in this water. We walked around these wetlands, in hopes of spotting one. They are super shy and usually under water. No luck for us this day.

[XXX-er]

I had a trip planned in Feb 2020 but canceled due to covid even got all the money back, I should go

[Ottime]

Do it. Getting to SG is easy, and a greta place to acclimate to the equator and Asia. Lots of A/C, and they speak English. Along with western comforts. Great food. Spend some time here biking, eating and sightseeing - then hop off to Viet Nam, or Indo or Cambodia.

Changi airport is one of the easiest I've ever used. We are headed to Medan Sumatra this weekend to trek the jungle. My in laws come in a few weeks and I'll be taking them to Hoi An for a few days. And when we leave in June, we are swinging through Cambodia and Thailand on our way to Japan and then home. So there are plenty of options around here. Book a RT to Changi, and stay for a few weeks. The cool thing is, those flights to other countries actually save you some money because lodging in Hoi An is as cheap at $15 per night, but here its starts at about $200.

[Ottime]

Then we were back to Sydney for a few days. Saw the biggest cruise ship of my life.



Endeavor Brewey was on the walk.




Beer was good. Top three of our Oz tour. Food was decent as well. While things are for sure expensive in Australia, I bought their lunch special. Chicken Parm (served with fries??) and a pint of Hazy IPA for $28. Seeing the pints were selling on their own for $16, felt like a good deal. It is nice being in a part of the world where tip and tax are already included in the price printed in the menu. Wish we had that in the US. Prices seem high, until yo do the math.




Circular Quay is for sure a tourist district, but it was pretty nice to walk around. Reminded me a bit of parts of Boston.





Did I mention the big boat. And iconic bridges. If you look closely (and at the previous pic of the bridge) you can see people on top of it. You can pay a ton of money to hike over the top of the bridge. We opted to not spend our money that way, but I bet the views are pretty damn cool.





We walked over to the Botanical Gardens and looked back toward the Opera House. The gardens are pretty awesome. In general, the CBD and Circular Quay are super walkable. And the public transport is easy and efficient. Easy, because you only need a chipped credit card to swipe on and off. Efficient, because it goes where we wanted to. We ended up taking a train back to the airport on our departure and we were there as fast, if not faster than booking a Grab.




My wife and I went out to Kid Kyoto for dinner. The kid wanted to rest back at the hotel. Kid Kyoto is kid free, so that was nice. Super fun Japanese fusion-esque place. It was a nice diner out. We walked down to the water front after our meal. It was also nice to be in apart of the world that is not so damn hot all the time. I actually wore long pants in Canberra, and Sydney was very comfortable. The waterfront at night was nice, as waterfronts often are.

[XXX-er]

Yeah I should go see where ma and pa met on kusu island and where grandpa worked at the opium plant

how would the prices be for a solo traveler ??

[Ottime]

In SG food is cheap as long as you stick to hawker centers and counter service type places. Full service joints are pretty expensive. Tho Roti Prata is full service and my wife and I ate dinner there one night for like $15. Prati, Curry, Biriyani Rice and Teh Tarik. Meals at hawker centers run from $3-8 typically. You can find a few that are more. Of course im not including sambal stingray or chili crab. Stuff like that is more. But worth it from time to time. You can easily survive on food for $15-25 a day.

If you drink alcohol, it’s pretty expensive since. Touristy places along the river can be pricey. There are 137 Hawker Centers all over the island, so plenty of options. Loads of things to do for free. Parks, wetland preserves, botanical gardens, etc.

Lodging would be the pricey part but there is a hostel and I dd see a hotel for $65 a night listed. Not sure how low end it is, but very few things here are nasty. I think they have a law against nasty.

As far as other countries nearby, Viet Nam is stupid cheap. We were eating some of the best Pho Bo of my life, for breakfast, for about $1. I lodged in Bali, walking distance to Uluwatu, for $25 a night. Clean sheets, AC. Nothing special.

All prices in Singapore dollars.

And you’re single? The woman here are gorgeous. I think it’s the Tropic Urban combo. Or just good genes.

[Ottime]

Next day we decided to take a ferry out to Manly Beach. We try to mix up the city walking with just good times. My kid has travelled a ton this year, and it can get tiring. Beach days they love, so we decide to check this one out. I was also impressed with how well linked the various public transit are in Sydney. You could easily fly into Sydney and take a train to a boat to your beach vacation.





Manly Beach is in the background. This is one of the many salt water ocean pools, filled and washed by the tides and waves. the weather was quite far, but it is mid autumn. Ocean was about 75F, and the pool seemed (oddly enough) a touch cooler. Air temp was in the low to mid 70s, so the ocean kind of felt warm. Overall, it was warm enough to spend an hour playing in the waves before finding a spot for lunch.





Manly Beach is about as nice an urban beach I've been too. Clean, clear water and nice sandy beach. The main stretch runs along the beach front, as well as a few blocks, across to the bay side. Plenty of options for eating, drinking and shopping. A plenty of pedestrian ways. Overall Sydney seemed to have a lot of pedestrian only streets which is really cool. While the family shopped for books, I tried a beer at this spot. Pirate Life Hazy IPA was my second favorite beer of my trip to Australia. Terrible name for a brewery, but great beer.





Shelly Beach is perhaps a kilometer south of Manly. It faces north instead of easterly, so the water is a waveless cove (on this day). The walk is a paved path atop what some called cliffs, but really is just a rocky shoreline. I saw a ton of fish while floating about. Snorkelers told of seeing some giant cuttlefish and other sea life. Kind of wish we had brought our swim goggles, as it would have made the viewing options way better. It was a fun area, where we did some rock scrambling and light hiking. Saw one of the biggest spiders of my life.





We were pretty stoked on our day at the beach. It was so nice out, did not realize I was getting a mild burn through the day. Our ferry back to town was quite nice. Loving the weather. My kid bought a fleece with their allowance money in Canberra. It was well used on this trip. Now, back in SG, it is in the closet.





Luna Park. My kid is getting a kick out of the Luna Park in Oz, and Coney Island in SG.






Opera House. This place was fun to walk around. It is actually much cooler than I anticipated. Huge. Lots of steps. Just a cool, large, urban space.








We stayed at the Fullerton. Cheapest place we could find in the CBD to Circular Quay. I do think this is a good area to stay if you are visiting just a few days. Super easy to get around. Plenty of breweries and pubs and places to try beer. Very walkable and easy access to the light rail train and ferries to all over. I'm sure there are other places to stay and explore, but we were not disappointed.







The flight home was interesting... powered by the magic of Pokemon.






My favorite part was the dance show put on by the flight attendant. These attendants were pretty awesome and laughing at the nature of their job.

[SB]

Well played sir.

[Ottime]

You know you are back in Singapore when..... Snack That Food Up. Who knew that is what STFU stood for?





Spotted this guy while riding in Chestnut Nature Park. Totally unexpected. Did not know they had these guys. In fact, the Sambar Deer went extinct in the wild here in 1950s, but some escaped from private zoos in the 70s and they are making a comeback. Much larger than the deer I am used to in Santa Cruz. This guy was wild and only a few meters away from me. Honestly, my favorite wildlife sighting yet, other than the Blue Coral Snake. Super rare to see these guys.





Even after thousands of miles on the bike (just toped 2k for '23) I am still finding new places to explore. Sembawang I have skirted by numerous times. This day, I decided to head that way. It was a port city at the turn of the 20th century. Montreal Green is a small park as you enter the township. It is mostly a place to get some shade, be in the trees and walk around but there is this small monument to the history of Sembawang.







A few minutes up the road you come across Sembawang Park. It is a waterfront park, with lots of green space.






And cool play structures. Tied into the historical nature of this township.






Looking across to Malaysia





Just to the west is a huge shipping port still active today. This area was the main shipping port and naval base area 120 years ago. It is on the strait, so even more protected from weather than the south coast. It has along history of local and colonial shipping powers.




Beaulieu House in Sembawang Park. Built in the 1910s by a Jewish Dutch plantation owner. Acquired by the British colonial government in 1924, it was converted to naval use. It first housed engineers in for the construction of the naval base, and later vice Admiral and other senior naval officers. The Singapore government was given the house and naval yards at independence, and the area was mostly transformed into the current Sembawang Park. Beaulieu became the home of a restaurant in 1981 and received conservation status in 2005. The for served here is reported to be fine. The ambiance and views outstanding. It has a unique feel for Singapore for sure.





As does the surrounding neighborhood. It is almost rural a few blocks away.





Back on the PCN, looking into the city ahead. Nothing but river and jungle, and then, bam, high rise buildings packed together. It is really nice to still find these nooks and crannies to explore after so many rides around to so many parts of the island. I'm not done yet.

[Ottime]

On my quest to eat at every NEA Hawker Centre on the island, I visited Marine Terrace while doing an eastern side 60 mile loop. Just across the road from East Coast Park, this Food Centre is certainly a hidden gem. I noticed this stall, because watching the chef cook, I saw made to order food and clearly a well seasoned wok. Turns out, it is the sort of place that when I show up (a westerner) someone will want to chat.





Ipoh Hor Fun was delicious here. Plenty of wok hei. Like impressive amounts. The co-owners opened this place one year ago. I spoke with the woman who worked the front of house. She new this chef and was impressed with his skills, so they found an available stall and opened up. She invited I try his fried pork ribs and shrimp paste chicken wings. With a little calamansi (lime) squeezed on top, they were insanely good. BTW, calamansi will be missed. These small limes are packed with flavor. Anyway, if you ever find yourself in East Coast Park, take a quick detour and try this stall out. One of my top ten inSingapore to date.






Oh, and just Ince you did not know, they don't want you to take your dump on the floor.







You take an over pass to Marine Terrace. Just a few blocks west is Marine Parade, and the third underpass I have found in Singapore. Super easy to get under East Coast Parkway to try out another Food Centre. H highly suggest checking this one out for a few dim sum options, a sugarcane juice or some tea Tarik after your Hot Fun.






More HDB architecture. Loving the older buildings, each neighborhood with a different look.

[Ottime]

The stretch of Old Thomason Road north of Yio Chu Kang is called the Monkey Mile. It is rare to ride this road and not see at least a few monkeys. Today they were a road block. Chilling in the road. Some nursing. A few pairs having some hooky time. And two pleasuring themselves. Cheeky monkeys.






Again finding new places for me to visit. I was out for another mid range ride and wanted to hit some PCN I've yet to ride and it brought me right by Bukit Batok Town Park, otherwise known as Little Guilin (I guess it looks like a place in Chine named Guilin).





Certainly a nice place to walk around. The trails through the park are not for bikes, so I parked mine and took a short stroll. There are a ton of these quarries all through SG ad they make great places to walk and look for birds.






The Ulu Pandan PCN has had a section closed for quite some time and it has finally opened back up. I wanted to hit it up, because it allows several miles of biking along the river with no interruption of roads. It makes for a nice cruise. And with crossing just three other roads, you can go for about seven miles along the river from Jurong to Buena Vista. While the north side is now open, the south side will be closed until next year due to a landslide. I finally got a look at the landslide zone and it was pretty intense. You can see where several buildings were undermined and slid last year.