Singapore – Home & Abroad

Geylang – Singapore, differently

Caroline — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 14:05:09 +0000

Geylang is a district that is in many ways different from other Singapore neighbourhoods. Geographically, the area is characterized by the straight, pretty long Geylang Road which served as one of the main arteries and from which smaller lanes (called ‘lorong’) go off perpendicularly to the north and south. The district still mostly consists of shophouses from between 1840 and 1940. Fortunately, these shophouses are protected from redevelopment and now make the perfect backdrop for plenty of restaurants, karaoke lounges, bars and brothels.

Geylang seems to be the one place in Singapore where the overall very strict enhancement of rules is less stringent and where the police – although very much present (to prevent any serious offences, I guess) – often turns a blind eye. It is not uncommon to find people smoking in restaurants or other public spaces, to see street vendors set up their makeshift stalls and sell pills or to be able to choose between different services offered by prostitutes aplenty.

It is THE place to go if you wish to escape the orderly (sometimes sterile) life and enjoy a fun time, strolling the street, enjoying good food and a comparatively cheap beer. During the season in August it is also the number one place to find the best durian.

Muddy Waters

Caroline — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 11:12:30 +0000

Today, we visited the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve , a place I wanted to see for a while already. I don’t know why we did not made it there earlier … maybe because I considered it too far?! (I mean not really far, but as far as it gets within this tiny place called Singapore ;).)

We coordinated our timing to reach at low tide which allowed us to walk the numerous trails and boardwalks, to discover the mangrove forests and get close to the life in the muddy waters.

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park and has been labelled as a nature park since 1993. It is an ecological jewel and home (or temporary home) to many animals.

Migratory birds come from as far north as Russia and make it their home from September to March. Native animals such as mudskippers, crabs, mud worms, monitor lizards, birds or dragonflies can be seen year round. We heard that it is also the habitat of some estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles but were not lucky enough to spot one. Maybe next time!

Happy Birthday, Singapore!

Caroline — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:04:53 +0000

This weekend Singapore celebrates SG50 – 50 years of independence – with a spectacular program of festivities and attractions matching the incredible development of Singapore over the past half-century.
One of the most impressive and photogenic happenings was the military showcasing their strength and parading their boats, tanks and planes. The below photos are from the rehearsal a week earlier when we were blessed with beautiful blue sky. On the actual National Day we preferred to stay at home and watch the broadcast on TV – and from time to time getting a glimpse of the real air show and fireworks from the balcony.

Island-hopping in the Singapore Straits

Caroline — Sat, 09 May 2015 02:12:15 +0000

Last week’s Labour Day (1st May Holiday) blessed us not only with a day off from work but also with beautiful weather. We profited to discover a new corner of Singapore and made our way by ferry to the Southern Islands. After a short boat ride we arrived on St. John’s Island, an excellent picnic place for those who do not wish to walk too far from the jetty. Part of the island is still fenced off and a look at the island’s history reveals some interesting facts. It was formerly used as a quarantine station for immigrants, a drug rehabilitation centre and as prison island. Not surprisingly, Singaporean believe that the island is haunted.
Although we did not care much, we left St. John’s quickly and made our way by foot to the more tranquil Lazarus Island. I was impressed by the beauty and serenity of this small island. The lagoon, large sandy beach and pristine waters are definitely not something I expected to find in Singapore. If it were not for the city’s skyline in the distance, you would believe to be stranded on a far-off island paradise.
On the way back the ferry stopped at Kusu Island. Although we were tired, it was the right decision to get off the boat. We would not have wanted to miss out on the (n)ice cold drink that we bought from the super-friendly Uncle at the prominent Chinese temple, the temple itself and the yellow coloured Malay shrine hidden in the thick bushes on top of a small hill.

Rain or Shine

Caroline — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:30:06 +0000

After a rainy and lazy Saturday I left home on Sunday with the plan to cycle along the Northern Coast of Singapore. First, we stopped for a fresh seafood lunch at Pasir Ris Town Park … and had to stay put as we were trapped by heavy rain showers… (again)!
Once they cleared we made our way to Pasir Ris Park and switched from our initial idea of riding a bike to a leisurely walk through the mangrove forest and along the coast. This allowed us to enjoy the greenery and have a lookout for birds, snakes, crabs and clams hidden high in the trees or in the mud.
It was no big escape, but Pasir Ris made a nice afternoon outing – before, during and especially after the rain.

Along the Green Rail Corridor

Caroline — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 10:35:38 +0000

Last Sunday I took part in the Green Corridor Run, a unique and beautiful 10.5km run that starts at the historic Tanjong Pagar Rail Station and winds its way along the green corridor to finish at the old Bukit Timah Rail Station.

The Green Corridor is a stretch of greenery along the former rail tracks which have been removed shortly after the train service across Singapore has stopped in 2011. By now, four years later, it has developed into a habitat for wildlife and a picturesque recreational area for runners and bikers.

During the run I got a first impression of the beautiful nature and discovered some interesting sights, well worth further exploring. That’s why I headed back this weekend for a second encounter. This time I followed the trail in the opposite direction, at a much slower pace and with my camera.

The Bukit Timah Rail Station is accessible and is the only part which still showcases a short stretch of railway tracks. The Tanjong Pagar Rail Station and the surrounding railway yard, which comprises staff quarters and a signal station, is however fenced off. Maybe this is on purpose to encourage me to participate again in next year’s race …

Eerily beautiful and abandoned

Caroline — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 15:48:12 +0000

The setting of a book I have recently read (“Crazy Rich Asians”) is a huge and extravagant palace in the middle of Singapore. After some searches on Internet I found that the author must have got his inspiration from an indeed existing place! It is Istana Woodneuk, a mansion that was built by the Sultan of Johor more than 120 years ago. In the history of the “palace” lots of royalties and important people must have visited and walked the impressive staircase.

For unknown reasons, the place has been left abandoned sometimes in the 1950s. In the 60 years since, Mother Nature has taken over and the mansion now lies hidden in the jungle.

As I love such discoveries, I got friends and camera ready and we went on the search of this hidden and abandoned place. What we found is eerily beautiful and lets one imagine its former glory!

Exploring the Rivers

Caroline — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:45:44 +0000

Visits from family or friends are always special and obviously also include a fair bit of sightseeing. Whereas we visit the major sights each time, we also try to keep it interesting for ourselves and come up with some new discoveries. That’s why, for the recent visit of my partner’s parents, we headed to the River Safari .

Choosing a Monday was a smart move and left us with few people and plenty of time…. Time to marvel at the sometimes cute, sometimes strange and mostly exotic animals, to learn about the ecosystems of the world’s largest rivers, including the Amazon, Nile, Ganges, Mekong, Congo, Mississippi and Yangtze, and for me to take lots of pictures.

In comparison to the wild, the protected environment of an animal park offers higher chances of close encounters with animals and for hobby photographers higher chances of actually capturing them on a photo and ending up with some interesting pictures.

Christmas in the City

Caroline — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:54:13 +0000

With lots of rain and rather cool temperatures Christmas 2014 in Singapore was as “christmassy” as it gets in the Tropics. While Orchard Road as usual showcased thousand of lamps, stars and other decoration inciting shoppers to get in x-mas mood, Gardens by the Bay featured a Winter Wonderland… conveying a festive and cheerful atmosphere and (if subtracting some 20 degrees Celsius) coming very close to real Christmas ;-).

At home, we helped the feelings by putting up and decorating the Christmas tree a few weeks earlier, endless listening to the usual “Last Christmas”, “Let it Snow”, “All I want for Christmas is You” and seriously over-indulging on home-baked cookies prepared according to Mum’s recipes.

All in all, as good as it gets for a Christmas in the City (and without family)!

Off the beaten track

Caroline — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 07:52:13 +0000

The following is a story of great adventure, new discoveries and strange encounters … at least as much as you can expect in nowadays Singapore ;-).

On this Saturday afternoon we set off to discover the far west of Singapore, a region until now completely unknown to me.
We started at Bukit Batok Town Park, also known as Little Guilin because of its resemblance to Guilin in China, and took in the beautiful natural scenery and tranquillity. For many years, this place has been a quarry and the granite rocks still remain impressive and a bit out of place in otherwise mostly flat Singapore.

Following a small trail along the waters of Lake Guilin we reached a hidden path – with a sign indicating that is has been permanently closed. It was leading up and into the dense forest and, of course, we ignored the sign and followed the track. And we were not alone; we met a woman, a Romanian living in Indonesia and on a short trip to Singapore, and continued our adventures together. The track led us through thick foliage, first up to an overgrown viewpoint and then down to a small stream. After a bit more than one hour and some back and forth, we finally found our way out of the forest and back to civilization, which in this case (and typical for Singapore) was a construction site.