Ok, so I went on a morning date. How about this-We are meeting at 630am!!!
Nami is in Singapore, I wanted to show her the part of untouched Singapore at Pulau Ubin and to visit Chek Jawa. I thought it would be great to spend a morning at the wetland and be surrounded by the wonderful nature. Since the tide for the day is lowest at 8am, we have to get there as early as possible. Because at Chek Jawa, the lower the tide, the more marine life you can spot. They say that seeing is believing. It's not so true in the case of Chek Jawa, you can't see the marine life during high tide, but the marine life are so alive and abundant under the water. Don't believe, check out this website.
My pair up is Jason and Fang. We all manage to reach Changi Village at 7am. I can tell that Fang is excited, this will be the first time she stepping on the ground of Pulau Ubin. It was a beautiful morning with blue sky.
I was surprised to find that only some of the shops are opened. I thought it's the public holiday and Singaporeans will be flooding the island. Our breakfast option are limited to a Malay coffee shop and a Chinese Coffee shop, we chose the former. Between Mee Rebus, Mee Siam, Lontong and Nasi Lemak, what would be your pick? I chose Nasi Lemak. I think Nami is trying Mee Siam for the first time. Sometimes I forgotten that our local food could be too exciting and spicy for foriengers, especially so for breakfast!! The last time I recommended Mee Siam to my Norwegian friend when I sent him off at the Changi Airport at 7am. He was struggling to cope with the spiciness of Mee Siam, I think it woke him up immediate. Works better than caffeine. Luckily, this Mee Siam is not too spicy for Nami.
We rent bicycle, it took us 20mins to get to Chek Jawa Visitor Centre. The ride was very nice. Pulau Ubin remains the same for most parts. Unlike in mainland Singapore, development becomes a norm. Opening of Resort World Singapore, Universal Studio, The Helix, Circle Line stage 2, Marina Bay Sands and so on. This road in Pulau Ubin remains the same when I first came here 18 years ago.
I am not an expert at Chek Jawa. All I know is that is an inter-tidal area encompassing six ecosystems within one square kilometer. A boardwalk is built along the wetland. Guided tour to explore the wetland on the shore is possible thru Nparks website. Places are limited and demands are very high. We manage to spot some crabs, fish and mud skippers. The boardwalk itself is an attraction.
We ended our Chek Jawa visit at the No. 1 House, which is a Tudor-style cottage build by the British in the 1930's. The cottage has been restored and a new jetty has been built. From the jetty, the view of the cottage is very resort-like. Almost doesn't feel like I'm in Singapore. 1 interest feature worth mentioning is the fireplace. I've never seen a house with a fireplace like this cottage. Maybe the British like to have indoor BBQ by the fireplace.
It's 10am and we wanted to explore more. I wanted to bring them to one of my favourite campsite. There isn't a name for the place except that it's near Mamam campsite and the NPCC campsite. The road I use to take is close for access. I think there's an alternate road but I'm not sure.
The other campsite I like is near the Kekek Quarry. You have to past by a Thai temple in order to get there. Now the road leading to the Thai temple is close to car access and the Thai Temple is gone. What stands where a solar panel is used to be the temple. The campsite is now overgrown with grass, it looks deserted for awhile. The old jetty is gone too. The coast is now lined with fences, to deter illegal immigrants from entering I presume. I am a little disappointed that the Kekek quarry is fenced up too. No more swimming in the clear blue water.
The area around the Ketam Quarry is now a new attraction known as the Ketam Mountain Bike Park. It's a 8km trail with varying difficulty. The German Girl Shrine is located here too. I would like to try out the trails. The only problem is I don't have a bike. I saw a lot of bikers here with their good bikes and gears. It's a sign that that biking is gaining popularity in Singapore.
By this time, the sun is scorching hot and almost unbearable. We cycle back to the jetty and stop by the Why You So Like That?? stall for a drink. You should check out the coconut drink on a hot day like this.
I am quite impressed with Nami. I thought that certain section of cycling is pretty demanding physically. The bumpy trails are sometimes slightly technical and tricky. But Nami didn't complain!!! I really think she had a good time, though I think we'll be having muscle ache the next day.
This is my short getaway, a holiday without using my passport.
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