It’s the season!

The weather is hot hot hot. I’m not kidding when I say it’s hot. It’s hot even when it rained buckets this afternoon, displacing all the hot air onto me (after all, this is a blog about me), engulfing me in a stream of sauna hotness. My English teacher (who taught me a lot) would have shuddered with the repeated use of the word ‘hot’. And the whining.

But the heat and sudden rain has prompted a wonderful blooming season. These are days for cyclinng outdoors, to get sun-burned, be invigorated by fresh air, be surprised by nature, be enticed by its beasts and floras…

Love these yellow saraca! I saw some budding ones a week ago near my home. Today we cycled along Ulu Pandan park connector and all these beauties were blooming! Yay! Plenty of egrets and kingfishers along the waterways too. Alas, birds don’t pose for phone cameras.

        

Later in the afternoon, in an art class, the lady next to me was painting these yellow saraca! Talk about coincidence. We both marvelled at our find.

       

Sundays are made of these meandering explorations. Yes it’s swelteringly – there comes the word a again – hot. But since you are already out and about, almost sun-burnt, you might as well just continue and keep on exploring.

Till next weekend!

Reflections

I cycled past Sungai Pandan some time last year. Maybe I will go look for it again tomorrow.

Mass ride

Crawled out of bed at 5am, ate and set off to the F1 pit stop for the annual mass bike ride in Singapore sponsored by a local bank.  I have wanted to do this since the event started some years ago but had always been taken away by travels. So finally I decided to sign up last year which is waaaaaay in advance so that way I’m committed to do it (which means my holiday plans have been postponed till tomorrow).

It’s a massive planning exercise for the organisers since the route takes us from the F1 Pit Stop, Marina Bay Sands, Sheare Bridge, Tanjung Rhu Flyover to ECP and back. This year more than 10,000 cyclists took part. The truth is one can cycle 40km or more at any time. But at no other time can you cycle on closed roads leading up to the magnificent Sheares bridge with a 360 degree view of the Singapore city skyline and rolling down at great speed onto the expressway.

 

 

 

Bike Sunday

Gone are the cool months of rain. Since the lunar new year, it’s been sweltering hot. But the upside is unadulterated sunshine and plenty of reasons to go for a ride!

Because blue skies, fluffy white clouds and the love for the wind on two wheels open up the heart just a bit more.

Near Sungai Serangoon

25km into the ride I had a flat with no spare tube on hand. Though this isn’t a bad place to end the ride. Don’t these coconut trees look like lanky ladies with crazy winds sweeping through their hair?

Pasir Ris Park. The sea separates Singapore and Malaysia.

Sunday, lily pond, happiness

Sunday morning broke with beautiful blue skies, even though forecast says  it is cloudy. Despite improvements in technology, weather forecast notifications are often no more accurate than poking your head out of the window for a look at the sky. Take a deep breath, see if there is a whiff of that unique smell before the rain. Listen out for chirping birds – the noisier our feathered friends are, the more you know it’s going to be a fine weather day.

Went for a ride a little later than usual in the morning. On my way home, I decided to drop by the water lily pond I discovered some time back. As it was rather late in the morning I was not expecting to see any blooming flowers. But here they are, proud and pink. It is little unexpected moments like this that happiness springs from within.

I am glad to have spare time, to cycle to places, and some scenic ones, to put things into perspective. 

Later in the day someone asked me about the “4Cs of Singapore” – it’s a rather old joke referring to the items that symbolise the attainment of material wealth and social status (if you want you can read about it here). There is probably an equivalent of a “4Cs” or “5Cs” in every society. In a fairly wealthy society like Singapore, materialism is all the more prevalent. Even those who condemn it can’t escape not talking nor thinking about it. That is why It is so important to have some quiet time alone to sort out the wheat from the chaff in one’s head. 

A rhu by any other name

The bright sun filtered through the clouds that drifted in from the horizon. A splendid hue of turquoise; the sea framed by tall rhu trees. I can look at this for a while. But not for too long, as droplets of rain blew with the wind towards the seashore. Suddenly the drizzle became a downpour. Again not for too long, for the weather is moodily mercurial. The rain stopped. Cycled back towards Tanjong Rhu which literally means “Casuarina Cape”. What’s that saying again? “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” It’s not the name that matters, but what the thing is.

Roll’em wheels

Went for a ride last Saturday. The sun was out. Glorious weekend mornings like these are precious.

Two loonies, the resident water komodo, and a fish fighting for its life at Upper Seletar Reservoir

Fresh from my Hokkaido trip, I recounted to sw about cycling with the blue sapphire coasts on one side, the cone-shaped mountain on the other, and windswept flower fields in between (that was on Rishiri island). Sw, who has been to Japan numerous times separately, also talked (more like, shrieked in delight) about the joys of cycling by the sea. It’s one of those tremendous yet indescribable moments (although “damn happy” were sw’s words).

One doesn’t even have to travel abroad to enjoy this. Look around your neighbourhood and see if there isn’t a path that you haven’t explored – and there are quite a number of bike paths in Singapore. Or any paths which you have looked at longingly, from the window of your flat, or from the bus while on your way to work.

I am proof that you don’t need to be the sporty or technical type to enjoy what is a very egalitarian way of

1. casual exploring,
2. exercising,
3. taking a break, &
4. letting the wind rush through your hair (or helmet – I’m still of two minds about the helmet).

The humble bike is likely to be the first vehicle most people learn to use in their life. Could it be that cycling somehow subconsciously triggers the simple joys experienced in childhood?

Not to paint too rosy a picture though, because accidents can and do happen. Just a month ago, it happened to a friend right in front of my very eyes – no it did not involve another vehicle.

Nobody wants to crash and get hurt. There are lessons to be learned.

But would that deter us from ever cycling again?

No.

On two wheels in Rishiri Island

5 August 2013

I have been waking up rather early on this trip, i.e. 4-5am, simply because the sun rises earlier here. It feels great to have a leisurely long day stretched out ahead of me, with little rush and hurry. Caught the ferry again. This time, I was treated to a Russian performing troupe that was promoting Sakhalin Island in neighbouring Russia.

Reached Rishiri island around 8-ish. Immediately on arrival, the sound of what felt like a million cicadas chirping inundates – mother nature is shouting out a loud warm welcome. Found a nice campsite 1km from the coast to set up my tent against the backdrop of dandelion patches and Mount Rishiri. There was only one other person in the campsite at that time. In the name of testing my sleeping ground, I lazed around a bit. It was still early.

The only shady patch at that time. Although still early in the day, the sun was already out in full force.

I walked down the hill to look for a bike to rent. It is a little disturbing to see seniors walking in the MIDDLE of the road.

After picking up a bike – there weren’t really many choices – off I was on two wheels around the northern coast of the island. It took me a while to find the dedicated bike path, although riding on the roads was fine since traffic is sparse. Along the way, a siren went off. I half-wondered whether a tsunami was happening. Not sure. Kept on pedalling.

What a great dedicated bike path! I love it!!! It runs for about 20km along the northern coast of the island. The bike path meanders through windswept meadows and flower fields, rolling up and down the coastline, with Rebun island (where I was the day before) in the distance. And then the path turns inland in the direction of Mount Rishiri which has a visible patch of snow; it looks a bit like Mount Fuji. Most of the time, I was the only cyclist, passing by the odd one or two other who yelled out “Konichiwa!“. Konichiwa to you too sir!

Had these wide dedicated bike paths mostly to myself.

Mount Rishiri in the background.

As I approached Kutsugata, the area seemed more industrialised. I missed the rolling hills and decided to turn back in the direction of Oshidomari. Had a simple picnic lunch by the coast.

The cycling path on the northern coast of Rishiri Island.

Near Oshidomari, the bike path turns into the forest area, running behind the campsite where I had pitched. I decided to pop by the campsite to get some water. And also to check if my tent might have been blown away – I don’t have tent pegs. Plus the tent was a little bit crooked as I had broken a tent pole.

It turns out more people have come by to pitch their tents. Some even had large dining tents with tables and chairs! Suddenly my tent feels very small – well actually it is, I have to lie diagonally to fit in it. A conspiracy of noisy ravens were gathered around my little tent. My heart sank! Will I have to put up with these squawking birds the whole night?

Decided to worry about this later and continued cycling up to the lookout point. The skies are a little bit overcast now and I really wanted to complete the route before night fall. Going up the hill was tough, especially on the 25kg bike in an upright position. I miss my bike at home!

Nonetheless, this stretch uphill is beautiful, in a very different way from the route earlier today. Surrounded by alpine trees, spruce and firs, the smell of the forest, fluttering butterflies and chirping cicadas.

Finally I reached the bridge, overlooking the port and a plunging gorge, surrounded by the lush forest. Interestingly, this bridge is only accessible by bike and on foot. I find it very unique that within tens of minutes of riding from the coast, one can be surrounded by an alpine environment.

By now Mount Rishiri is hidden behind clouds.

The port at Oshidomari.

Turned back to town to return the bike. Bought some beer from the Joyful Shop with Liquor (that is its actual name, I am not kidding) and then headed off to the onsen that is conveniently located opposite the camp site. Although the temperatures in Rishiri were actually very good in the low 20s, I had wondered why would anyone take a hot bath in the middle of summer. But after a whole day of rolling up and down the coast in the sun, a good scrub and a hot bath was a real treat. This particular one had an outdoor onsen, surrounded by pine trees. All for only 500 yen. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. More about onsens in another post.

Went back to my little tent. The ravens were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they went to bed. Only the sounds of the forest floated through the cool night’s air. I laid down, closed my eyes and reflected on the magnificent day I had.

Yellow Saraca

Cycled past some yellow saraca trees on Sunday. The yellow flowers grow like fans encircling the old tree trunk.

Apparently the scientific name of this tree is saraca thaipingensis and is native to Peninsula Malaysia: see footnote. Native? That little piece of information piqued my interest. Many “naturalised” plants are so commonplace and vastly reproduced in this part of the world that one wouldn’t have thought they were originally foreign and non-native: the frangipani and bougainvillea that are so ubiquitous in Singapore and Malaysia today came from the Americas; other “foreign” plants like rubber and palm oil have taken such a strong hold in this region out of sheer might of industrialist will, but they originally came from Brazil and West Africa. Globalisation existed long before the term was coined. Coincidentally I recently had a chat with a landscape architect. It is not surprising to learn that Singapore tries to bring in interesting exotic variants but that doesn’t mean the same results can be achieved here, in a different environment. The distinct vibrant colours of the frangipanis of Bali island can’t be replicated here, probably because of the lack of fertile volcanic soil. Maybe making the most of what works well best in one’s own native environment is the way to go.

Apart from being native to this part of the world, here are other fun facts about the yellow saraca:

1. The saraca is unusual in that the flowers grow out of the tree trunks and branches rather than the leaf axil.

2. It belongs to the legume family (scientifically known as fabaceae/leguminosae), i.e. it grows pods.

3. The tree, thaipingensis, is named after Taiping town in Perak.

4. It’s been said that its roots can be used to make the handle of parang(machete). I am not too sure if this is true. The roots seem wasteful to extract from a tree this size.

5. The chinese name for it (无忧树) which some have translated as “sorrow-less” tree; “free from worries” is likely to be a more proximate translation. The name is probably a distant derivation from the mystical associations with its Indian cousin, the saraca asoca species.

Footnote: from Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research

Saraca thaipingensis

Description

This medium sized, evergreen tree with a wide-spreading crown grows to a height of 7 m or more. Leaves are simple pinnate, large, with up to 8 pairs of opposite, 20-40 x 6-12 cm leaflets but without a terminal one. Young leaves are cream-coloured, hanging limply in tassels for a few days before they stiffen and turn green. Flowers 1-2 cm across, faintly fragrant, in dense bunches that arise from the trunk and main branches. They are light pinkish yellow turning deep yellow with a dark crimson eye spot which darkens to blood-red. Most of the flowers in a cluster are functionally male, the others bisexual. Pods are large, 30-45 x 6-10 cm, thin, flat and leathery. They turn purple with maturity, splitting into two coiled halves to expose the flat, black seeds.

Distribution

Native to Peninsular Malaysia, cultivated in a number of tropical countries.

Sunday bike ride

As clichéd as bright blue skies and cotton ball clouds are, I couldn’t help but snapped some photos this morning. There hasn’t been clear blue skies for several weekends!

Had a very enjoyable ride this morning.

Near Sungai Serangoon Kechil

Punggol Serangoon Reservoir

At Kampung Buangkok