We started our 2016 off with a wonderful trip to Singapore. The boys and I hadn't ever been there, and Greg's only experience was a daylong stopover on his way to India 12 years ago, so we were all excited to have some wonderful new experiences.
Our first day we spent at Universal Studios which was fun, but not very different from all of the other amusement parks we have been to. For our second day we were excited to do something unique to Singapore. Some friends from AES who lived in Singapore for years before moving to Delhi had a few ideas for us to get off of the beaten track and really take advantage of the natural beauty Singapore has to offer.
We took a small "bumboat" out to the small island of Pulau Ubin. This entire island is pretty much a national park and protected from development. The small town has a few restaurants serving freshly caught seafood, but aside from that the main economy here revolves around renting out bikes for people to explore the island.
This house was a strange sight, seeming very out of context on the island. Called simply House #1, it was built in 1930 by the Chief Surveyor as a holiday retreat. It was designated by the Singaporean Government as a historically significant structure and currently it is being renovated for use as a visitors center. When we were there it was open to walk through and it had a few random signs about the house and its history. One such sign pointed out that this house held the "only working fireplace in Singapore!" Can't imagine why anyone would ever think that they might need a fireplace in Singapore though, did I mention how hot and humid it was? Really, really hot! And its not like we were there in the hot season. Singapore has some of the most consistent weather in the world, with the hottest and coldest months of the year averaging only about 4 degrees apart. And we were there during the coldest month!
After quite a bit of cycling, with some minor hills and a few rough-ish roads, Ryan was exhausted. He was starting to fade, and at just the right time we came across a vending machine and were able to get him a 7-up. It was amazing what a cold burst of sugar water did to his energy level and attitude! Well that and a climb up 135 steps to the really cool lookout point where we could spot birds and other wildlife on the island. The plants were huge here, reminding us of houseplants, but about 100 times bigger!
This lookout point was a part of the Chek Jawa nature preserve, which is on the eastern part of the island. This area was saved from development back in 2001when concerned citizens got together and appealed to the government to declare it a national park. At least part of this effort was led by the high school age son of a friend of ours at AES. (The same friends who recommended we head out to explore Pulau Ubin on our trip!) A group of high school students from the Singapore American School worked to raise awareness of the unique and historical nature of the Island in order to protect it from the development plans that would have destroyed it. Once they had public interest on their side, they worked with major banks to gain support for funding the preservation project and interpretive work. It was great to be able to share this story and this place with Conor, who found it very inspiring to hear a story of high school students really making a difference in the world.
One of the key features that makes this island special is that it has six major habitats all in close proximity. There are over a kilometer of boardwalks with different trails and loops which allow visitors to explore mangrove swamps, sandbars, a sea grass lagoon, rocky shore and coastal forest as well as tidal pools. The boardwalks are an example of how the Singaporean Government has embraced the unique nature of the island and turned it into a place where people are encouraged to learn and explore, while at the same time protecting the environment from those visitors.
The sensory trail was developed by the group of students form the Singapore American School as one of their projects to bring awareness about the biodiversity and beauty of the island. Our friends were very happy to see that the signage has been kept up so well over the years!
We had such a great time on this outing, and followed it up with some cold showers and then a well deserved meal! It was a wonderful, clean, beautiful and safe Eden... and not once did we have to worry about air quality.
Our first day we spent at Universal Studios which was fun, but not very different from all of the other amusement parks we have been to. For our second day we were excited to do something unique to Singapore. Some friends from AES who lived in Singapore for years before moving to Delhi had a few ideas for us to get off of the beaten track and really take advantage of the natural beauty Singapore has to offer.
We took a small "bumboat" out to the small island of Pulau Ubin. This entire island is pretty much a national park and protected from development. The small town has a few restaurants serving freshly caught seafood, but aside from that the main economy here revolves around renting out bikes for people to explore the island.
Riding over on the bumboat cost about $3 for the whole family. The boats sit at the dock and wait until they have up to 12 passengers and then take you across, no schedules etc, no tickets, just cash to the captain of the boat and other captains there watching carefully and waiting to make sure no more than 12 people get on any one boat.
Ryan on his ride. He was such a trooper, even though it was incredibly hot and humid. This was the day that Ryan was looking forward to the most after we made lists of things we could do in Singapore, and he had a great time.
This lookout point was a part of the Chek Jawa nature preserve, which is on the eastern part of the island. This area was saved from development back in 2001when concerned citizens got together and appealed to the government to declare it a national park. At least part of this effort was led by the high school age son of a friend of ours at AES. (The same friends who recommended we head out to explore Pulau Ubin on our trip!) A group of high school students from the Singapore American School worked to raise awareness of the unique and historical nature of the Island in order to protect it from the development plans that would have destroyed it. Once they had public interest on their side, they worked with major banks to gain support for funding the preservation project and interpretive work. It was great to be able to share this story and this place with Conor, who found it very inspiring to hear a story of high school students really making a difference in the world.
One of the key features that makes this island special is that it has six major habitats all in close proximity. There are over a kilometer of boardwalks with different trails and loops which allow visitors to explore mangrove swamps, sandbars, a sea grass lagoon, rocky shore and coastal forest as well as tidal pools. The boardwalks are an example of how the Singaporean Government has embraced the unique nature of the island and turned it into a place where people are encouraged to learn and explore, while at the same time protecting the environment from those visitors.
We had such a great time on this outing, and followed it up with some cold showers and then a well deserved meal! It was a wonderful, clean, beautiful and safe Eden... and not once did we have to worry about air quality.
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