Really Jialat

After dinner on a Friday prior to a long weekend, I started walking a little over 6.00pm. Started from my home, down the underpass onto Macs and then a left turn towards the east, on the PCN. No destination, no limits...just a lost mind trying to regain its footing. So I walk. I was quite surprised that there were many cyclists around. This is the road just out of PCN onto the Coastal road junction. PCN starts .... Home clothes and slippers. Luckily I dispensed a drink at the last vending machine in ECP before existing. Cycled here many times with the kids. To the left is the legendary TMCR, to cyclists anyway. Changi Bay park ... quite new and just opened in January 2022. Reached Changi Village and the famed bridge, connecting the park to CV. Slightly over 11pm with 11.56min/km pace. 25.5km walked. Reward in the form of Heineken. Took the bus home.

Time to go for the south route. We set out a bit late at around 9am. Took a lift to Rail Mall, a good 35 mins away by car from where we stayed. The entrance is pretty clear from Rail Mall, for our case we just followed the crowd and man, there were lots of people going in. The entire way was pretty much 'paved' except for some rate gravel sections and where the old rail line was still in exhibition. Well kept rail line and paved park roads where the rail used to run. Plenty of people walking on public holidays. Goodbye COVID ? Unfortunately, the old Bukit Timah station area was boarded up for some restorations works. The track at the old station. Post the station, we were greeted with lush greenery from both sides. Soon, we passed the entrance paths to Clementi Forest as well as to the Old Jurong Rail line. Leading up closer to Alexandra area. We went under a bridge / highway with some cool graffiti. It looked 'sanctioned'. We decided to leave the trail around this area

Woke up a bit late and arrived at Rail Mall carpark around 715am. The plan was to walk / jog from here until Kranji side via the rail corridor…ending at the Rainbow bridge. From there we planned to take a bus back to rail mall (about 25mm ride) and end our excursion with breakfast. I tried this route 2 days ago but that was disrupted by heavy downpour almost midway. Sunny clear day today! The entrance to the rail path at this time could only be accessed north of Hillview mrt. The path looks like is undergoing some sort of upgrade with new topsoil and grass. Likely once this settled in coming months it will be a proper “path”. This continued until junction 10 mall; instead of going into cck park connector, we accessed the rail path via the heavy vehicle carpark right after the mall. Theres a little opening and bridge to get over to the left side, which is the rail path. On the right is the car park for heavy vehicles. This joins to a path beside a huge monsoon drain with new HDBs on the

Arranged for a mid morning trek up Keppel Hill. Started at 9.30am from Seah Imm carpark, as we were planning to do the 'clockwise' loop, I parked at the eastern side carpark from the food center. This place is pretty accessible as its along West Coast highway and one of the lines directly stop here (Harbourfront). We walked to the West side carpark and entered into the 'wilderness' from a huge old tree. The path leads to the bunker / bomb shelter from WW2. It's pretty dark in there. A steepish ascent. No problems with ropes provided to assist. We come to the 'reservoir'. Looks more like a large pool. Great sights from the top, as we reached the build up area (restaurants?) at Mt. Faber. On the way down back to the car park (east of the food center / interchange). Massive trees! A quick change of clothes are we were off one of my favourite makan places, "Formosa Delights" @ Clementi Road. Really good Taiwan / Szechuan inspired food and great Chinese

 Woke up 5.30am to roaring thunder and rain; no cycling today. I sat down on the kitchen floor, procrastinating on things I could do. 6.45am - lets go the Wetland Reserve! Tried to get my son to go as well but he looked sleepy so solo it shall be! Since 2010 when I started cycling, I used to passed the road that points to "Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves" and alway a passing thought that faded as fast as I passed it while cycling across the Kranji area towards Neo Tiew / Lim Chu Kang. This area is really very special place akin to days of past, pre-developed Singapore. As I reached, I could see that will be untrue soon with massive so-called consolidated factory, business buildings sprouting in the area like fungi on a wet morning. There are 2 entrances. I opted to park at the Neo Tiew Crescent entrance (turn of the main road) one which I think is the newer section of the park. The place is well equipped with park amenities and even has a room with cold drinks / hot food vendin