Ubin Here Before?

Singapore is a pretty special place.   It is one of the most, if not the most, modern countries in the world.  This is evidenced by an outstanding public transit system that is clean, quiet, and frequent (everything that BART is not), its public housing (HDBs) that everyone can have a place to call their own, and its world-class education system.

But not that long ago Singapore was part of the third world.  Today’s HDB estates were just jungle.  The roads and expressways that crisscross the island were nothing but dirt tracks and roads.  Neighborhoods were kampongs (villages) and wild animals were encountered frequently ( the last wild tiger in Singapore was killed in 1930).  Luckily a little bit of old Singapore still exists at Palau Ubin.

We had talked about visiting Palau Ubin since we first moved here.  The cool(er) January weather seemed like the right time of the year to go so we headed out on Sunday morning to Changi Village Ferry Terminal.  

Immediately you felt like you were stepping back in time as you were directed aboard a “bum boat” for the 15-minute journey to the island.  There is no schedule for the boats, as they fill up to their maximum of 12, they head out.  Fares are $3 SGD each way and collected in cash.  Nothing fancy about these boats.  Great views from the boat, including a sea eagle circling over the water.

After arriving at Palau Ubin you walk down a pier from the landing to the island proper.  A village is on your left, but we headed to the right and on to the Sensory Trail .  A smooth and level dirt road leads you past trees and orchards.  A wrong turn at one point brought us to a small beach with a view of Singapore proper across the strait.  As we were walking along a pond later we startled a large monitor lizard that scampered into the water and dove out of view. 

At the end of the Sensory Trail we were on a paved road and headed towards the east end of the island.  Before long we were at House #1 and its pier that headed out over the water.  The building was so typically English and so out of place in equatorial Singapore.  A walk out the pier provided a good glimpse of Palau Sekudu and read the mythology about it.  It also afforded us a view of Palau Ubin from the water.

 

We headed up the Jejawi viewing tower and its 120 steps to the top with views of Malaysia and Singapore.  As we started heading back we ran into monkeys on the ground and in the trees.  A little father down the road we spotted some wild boar crossing the road.  The disappeared into the jungle and as we got closer we could barely make them out and would have never shown in a photograph.  We passed some others that had spotted a 2-foot long bright green snake that looked like a vine if you didn’t know it was there. 

Periodically we would come upon old houses that had been there for decades, examples of life as it was in Singapore decades ago.  We ended up at the village near the pier where we arrived and decided a couple of beers and some lunch was in order.  Good food, cold beer, and wonderful views as we reflected on our morning walk—who could ask for more.

Next time we will rent bikes on the island and explore the western half—who knows what that will bring?