Saturday, January 31, 2015

Pulau Ubin

Dear Diary,

So my clique decided to have another bicycle outing this year. But instead of heading to East Coast Park, we decided to explore Ubin.

It wasn't of full attendance since some of them were busy with work and some of my them went out of the country. Thus, we make do with just the small bunch of us which consisted of Hana, Manda, iShah, Pag, Alvis, OZK & myself of course. Smiley

We planned to meet up at Changi Village as early as 0830 hours, so that we could cycle more and spend more time together. But it was so funny that everyone started complaining that it was way too early for a meet-up. Lol! Smiley And the funny thing, they all stayed nearby like in Tampines, nearer to Changi Village and I wasn't even complaining when I stayed the furthest. So my friends gave me a buy time to reach at around 0900-0930 hours while the rest have no excuses to reach later than that.

I woke up at 0530 hours to perform my Fajr prayers before leaving the house at 0730 hours. Surprisingly, I reached Tampines by 0915 hours. And iShah was the sweetest! She fetched me at the bus stop because I wasn't sure which bus stop to alight since the bus doesn't end at the interchange. I told her to keep a look out for the double deck bus and even gave her the bus' plate number that I was in. Hehe.

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I wasn't the latest to reach but OZK & Manda was. Lol! Manda even had to cab down from Bishan to Changi Village since she was wayyy too late. So, while waiting for her, we all had Nasi Lemak for breakfast but each from different stall.

The food was okay-okay only. I wouldn't recommend. Lol! But at least, it was good enough to fill me up for the whole day event.

After breakfast and when Manda have reached Changi Village, we all got ready to board the boat to Pulau Ubin. The boat uncle who rode us there, was slightly fierce, especially when he asked us for our $2.50. He was giving this kind of vibes like, "You guys better pay up! Or else, I won't let all of you to alight from this boat." Lol!

Sidetrack: I have never been to Pulau Ubin since my ATC (Adventure Training Camp) days which was like 10 years ago? And so, I was feeling rather excited yet reminiscing on those NPCC days back then with my squadmates when boarding the ferry.


Pulau Ubin


Such freshness of the 'Kampung' atmosphere, such serenity. It was just beautiful! But somehow, I did feel rather alienated and out of place, probably because I am just used to being in the city. Thus, being in this kind of atmosphere scares me a bit. I don't mind the cleanliness issue, like the 'dust & dirt' but just the idea of not seeing fast food like McDonalds around, no shops that sells beautiful dresses, no cinema theatre to watch movies, scares me, suffocate me. Lol.

 
 

So while Manda was having her breakfast, some went to recce for bicycles. And some, like me, sat near her to apply the sunblock and the insect repellent. Few minutes later, few wild dogs started crowding around Manda for food. :roll: Not that I'm scared of those dogs since they were all rather tame but the dogs started sniffing me and when I tried to look at it, it just gave me this killer stare. I almost pee-pee in my pants but I stayed put in my chair and just went "Omigod! I am surrounded by dogs!! I am surrounded by dogs!! Omigod! I am so scared. It is staring at me!! Shoo it away!!! The saliva!! I'm scared of the saliva!! It must not touch me!!" :-SS

 

HAHA! image

So when Manda threw her chicken bones away to feed the dogs, those wild dogs went over to the bone, which gave me enough time to escape from my sit. ^:)^

Bicycle,

The price of the bicycle was affordable. It range from $5-$20 and more, depending on the type of bicycle and how old it is. Basically, the better the quality, the newer the bicycle, the expensive it is.

The uncle handed me a $8 low-seat bike but the moment I sat on it, my butt hurts big time and I didn't feel comfortable. I tried test-cycling the bicycle but I don't think I could last an hour sitting on it. Furthermore, I haven't cycle for a pretty long time. At least 2 years? So, my balance was quite crappy and I almost fell plus my bag was super heavy with clothes, food, water bottle.. God knows! Tskk! Not helping at all.


Manda then suggested to get the same bike as hers, which was only 5 bucks. The seat was higher and I had to tiptoe while on it. Hehe! But it was comfortable, just that getting off the bike was a little difficult for me and if I were to do an emergency break in any case, I might just fall off the bike. Haha!

Anyhoos, so off we go....

1) Puaka Hill

Puaka in Malay means either 'Haunted' or 'Cursed'. Ironically, the place was beautiful and didn't feel Puaka at all. Hehe!
 
Yes, no bicycle allowed. So we had to hike up.
 
We spent almost an hour plus here just to take picture! Hahaha!



 

And I have never experienced how it feels like to stand on the cliff. The moment I saw the cliff it reminded me of Bella Twilight who jumped off the cliff, for cliff-diving in New Moon when Edward left her. (Edward was then distraught over the idea, thinking Bella killed herself by jumping off a cliff into the ocean and so, he wanted to end his life too.) But probably in my case, D wouldn't even care at all if I were to jump off the cliff and die. He'll probably rejoice over that idea. But the thought of jumping of it....almost there....but....I still remember his last word "Don't do anything stupid!"  Haiz. Smiley It's the voice you hear inside your head when you do anything reckless.

I was trying to get in position for a nice cliff shot.
 
 
 
Sidetrack: I didn't even realized I'm becoming 2nd Bella with all the thrill-like activity. Taking bike license lah, cliff lah....


Amanda: Wah, who lock their love heart in that tree branch?
Azie: Wah! Yah lah! I didn't even see this. Now we got to find the key to that heart.
Amanda: If we cut the branch and if that lock fall off, they confirm will break up. Hahaha!
Azie: Aiyah! For all you know, they have already broke up!
Amanda: Wah Azieeee maciam don't believe in this kind of love anymore.
Azie: Yah lah, no more!
Amanda: Hahahaha!

As the sun got hotter, more people started to crowd around the place. And so we decided to move on to our next spot.

2) Ketam Quarry


This place was just okayyyyy. Nothing much about it. Just a fence and a small lake. So all of us decided to take a picture together standing next to the bike and sitting on the fence. The girls had problem climbing up, sitting on the fence. Besides of course, the Army girl, Manda and the forever tomboyish girl, me. Hehe! So Manda let the girls stand on her knees to climb up the fence before all of us get to take a group picture together.

After which, we continued on our quest before coming to a pit stop because all of them saw COCONUT drinks.

 
 

Manda & I didn't buy since we both don't really fancy coconut. We just tried from OZK's. But guess what? This coconut tasted sweet and niceeeeee. From today onwards, I might... I MIGHT... start to like Coconut a bitttttt. MIGHT is the word. Hehe!

So, while we sat down to rest and sip on the coconut juice as well as scrapping its "flesh" off, they made Hana learn how to ride a bicycle. Yerps, since Hana doesn't know how to ride... So she was on tandem bike with iShah. A few more practice and I'm sure she'll be fine to ride. Hehe.

And before it gets darker, we continued on our Pulau Ubin quest.

Alvis checking out the map.

4) Kampung Chek Jawa


Honestly, I didn't even know I was on cemetery ground when I hear my clique started uttering "Maaf Datuk Nenek, Cucu tumpang lalu." continuously. So I started questioning them what was wrong before they pointed out to me, tombstones all around. And there I started uttering the same thing too. "Maaf Datuk Nenek, Cucu tumpang lalu."

 
This tree is reallyyyyyyy tall.

We continued our journey further and this time we saw...

 
Wild boar.

5) Chek Jawa Wetlands


Made a pit stop to the toilet, to release you-know-whatever and to clean ourselves. Hehe!

Pretty "ulu" toilet.
 
6) Check Jawa Visitor Centre
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

We exit this visitor centre and headed to another place.

7) The tower - No idea what it's called. Hehe!

 
 
It was about 5 storey high to climb up those stairs and by then our legs were already so wobbly. I barely made it to the top but.......I still did it. Hehe!

 
 
 
 

After half an hour, we left this place to head to another destination.


8) Noordin Beach

 
 
 
The moment when we reach here, it was on low tide. So we were lucky because we get to see the Mangrove trees as well as the sea creatures.
 
 
 
 
OZK was lucky that he get to see all these. But I didn't get a chance to. The moment I came after he called me, all these sea creatures hid itself away from me. Hmpf. [-)
 
 
And that was Manda, who wanted a far away shot. Lol!
 
 

By then, OZK kept rushing us to walk quickly before all of us get locked in the middle of nowhere, since the gate will be closed at 1800 hours and it was already 1810 hours on our watch.

It was a long journey to the end of the route but we made it! The moment we reached the end route, there was this pakcik at the information counter asked if he can lock the gate already. Ermm..Okay, as I'm writing this, my hair stands.... This is what happened.

While Alvis headed to the washroom, iShah and some of us stayed behind. So this pakcik made a conversation with iShah.

Pakcik: You guys planning to stay here or go back Singapore?
iShah: Go back Singapore.
Pakcik: Melayu ah?
iShah: Yes uncle.
Pakcik: Sini pukul 10 malam, ada pakcik ini sudah mati. Tapi malam-malam dia datang masak. Mau tengok tak?
iShah: Huh? Err.. Nevermind lah uncle.
Azie: Huh? Ye ke uncle? Uncle pernah nampak ke?
Pakcik: You duduk sini lah. Sebelah uncle, uncle tunjuk sama lu.
iShah: Err..Nevermind lah uncle. We heading back.
Pakcik: Mau tak? Duduk sini.
Azie: Hehehehe. Takpe lah uncle. Smiley

When Alvis came, we quickly cycle back to the jetty as well as to return back our bicycle. Heheheheheheheheheh! Omigod, I just cannot imagine that feeling......staying there till 2200 hours. It is already as good as seeing everything quite dark at about 1830 hours, the moment when we left.

By then, my butt started to hurt and sore so so so so much, that I couldn't even sit on the bicycle anymore. So 98% of the time, I cycle while standing up. And thank God, there were many steep slopes, so our cycling life was made easy with less cycling but just free-wheel down. Sadly, Hana & iShah's tandem bicycle almost gave way when it's back tyre became freaking lose and shaking plus making so much noise!!!! So they had to cycle slower and Alvis was so sweet, he waited for them. I wish I could wait too but my butt was hurting so bad, that I just wanted to return the bicycle ASAP and get off it already. ^:)^

And thank you Allah SWT for listening to my prayers and kept all of us in safe hands to return back to Singapore in one piece. Alhamdulilah. Because I do hear quite a number of accidents and even death that happened in Pulau Ubin.

 
 
 


I just couldn't sit anymore......... the boat seat was even hard & rough to sit on.........

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Had dinner at Pastamania Tampines Mall and a good chat for about 2 hours plus about what our next activity/outing will be. They suggested kayaking, canoeing and even traveling together to Taiwan etc before I had to nudge everyone that I had to head home since it was already 2200 hours +++ and I stayed the furthest plus I have to work the next day.

So we all left but we bought Koi first before heading home. Hehe! And again this time iShah send me off to the bus stop. She accompanied me till my bus came and we chatted about those RP days. How she used to board the same bus that I was going to board, heading to Woodlands. And how the bus stop will be super crowded with RP students who stayed in Tampines, Bedok, the East side. So she always have to rush and push to get on the bus since it's always full. Lol!

Reached home safely and everyone started complaining about their pain, their sore and their whole body aching. Surprisingly, I was the only one with no body aching. Probably because I'm used to exercising often. But if there is one thing you have to ask me what's hurting...

That will be my -> BUTTHurmph

Sleeping head down !
And I am not going for another cycling anytime soon. Period.

XOXO,
Princess Azie Anni.