This is one of the few nature wildlife reserves and the last kampung left in Singapore. and i mean WILDLIFE. over here you can get to see lots of creatures. big or small, you name it. the biggest creature we saw was wild boars. and the smallest creature which almost infested the whole of the island is of course none other than the creature that everyone is afraid of when dengue fever cases are on the rise. our MR MOSQUITO. luckily, there isn't any crocodiles on the island (i hope so) if not our mr bone will only come back with a few bones.
Took a long bus ride from tenah merah mrt station to the changi jetty. next, we took the boats to palau ubin. and the very first thing we did was to rent our bikes.
we were given a map of ubin and decided it was time for our expedition. and now let's allow the pictures to do the talking...
Picture above is named House No 1: Near Chek Jawa is a unique pre-war structure. Variously called the English Bungalow/Cottage and House No. 1, it is a delightful home under pine trees, facing mainland Singapore. The two-storey building has a lovely airy verandah and comes complete with fireplace. It was built in the 1930's in the English Lytyenseque or Tudor style.
By some accounts it was said be originally be the vacation home for the resident British medical officer. By other accounts, it was constructed for the then Chief Surveyor, Langdon Williams, as a retreat. It is said the home was later taken over by a rubber company and the local rubber estate manager stayed in it.
Taking the picture alone with some statues in front and behind of me.. haha.
House No 1 is surrounded by trees and the sea. It is indeed a nice house for vacation.
All of us on the broadwalk tower at Chek Jawa. Did not manage to see anything because it was high tide.
Us behind a quarry.
One of the workers at the granite quarry.
Gotcha. its not the quarry of course. Just at a place with a mountain of soil.
The quarries have been abandoned at Ubin are now filling up with rainwater and the natural vegetation is recovering around their edges. Fish have somehow appeared in some of them, attracting birds such as herons. Although the quarries are now quite scenic, they remain dangerous places. Swimming and other activities near them should be avoided.
The quarry had its glorious days too.
Granite quarrying was once a major industry on Ubin. The first quarry was started in the 1800's. Ubin's granite was used to build the Horsburgh Lighthouse and Raffles Lighthouse, the two extreme points of Singapore. And, by some accounts, the Causeway linking Singapore to Malaysia as well.
In the 1990s, Aik Hwa Granite Quarry supplied about 30-40% of Singapore's requirements. Granite from Ubin was used to make concrete and for reclamation.
The granite industry supported a large population on Ubin (at one time, Aik Hwa Granite Quarry employed about 100 workers, most of whom stayed on Ubin) and a wide range of supporting cottage industries on Ubin.
Quarrying, however, ceased once the granite was mined to below sea level. The Resource Development Corporation (RDC) Quarry closed down, shortly followed by Aik Hwa Quarry, which was the last quarry to close in 1999.
Doing some kungfu on the rocks. they think they are pro..... -_-'''
Tried to fly. but i forget i am a dino.
trying to balance on this thing.
and they did it!!
now let's try with 5 people.
wooow. moving to the left and later to the right.
We managed to balance it!! sort of...
zp trying it all by himself. he even tried to ride his bike onto it and of course failed.
this place is located at some biking trail place or near the german girl shrine. and it is also not suitable for first time bikers. better to get some helmet or arm and knee guards just in case you really fall off your bike. we didn't had any of this equipment but just went into a small part of it.
About the german girl shrine
German Girl's Shrine holds the remains of a German girl who died in 1914 when she accidentally fell off a steep cliff whilst running away from the British who had come to take over the plantation. It is said that her body was discovered the next day, covered in ants and buried at the beach where she was found. The villagers kept seeing her ghost so her remains were moved to a nearby Chinese shrine and kept in an urn. The remains were eventually looted, but the urn remains. It is not known how her shrine became popular with gamblers, among others.
me... looking tired. while waiting for the boat to depart, we took these photos.
and the couples..
where is shi yun?? haha.
at the back of the boat..
and that marks the end of our trip to pulau ubin. exercised alot but enjoyed it. went to places where you will not be able to find in singapore. what a tiring day. brought back fond memories and not forgetting all the mud prints on the back of everyone's shirt.
caution: going express speed on the bike will cause you to have even more mud prints on your bag or shirt or body... something like what happened to zp. haha.
perhaps we should try some camping on the island instead. free huh??
most information about the island is taken from: HERE
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