And so an early morning adventure started, an easy trek from city to beach, juxtapositioning of concrete & nature, from otters and herons fishing, to buildings of the future. Ending the day by travelling back in time, learning a new craft and a rich hybrid culture.
This blog is in part of my challenge of walking the circumference of Singapore, called with ‘EASe’. If you want to know more about the planning of the route, read here. I never though I would walk the circumference of a country, and yes it is one of the 20 smallest countries in the world, but it was a challenge for me, I am not a sporty person, but I do love to explore. I divided it up into shorter walks across 19 days, and included the islands that are accessible. Plus I researched each area to see what ‘hidden’ gems I did not know off, like the one at the end of this article.
Helix bridge to Joo Chiat
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| Activity: | Peranakan Beading workshop
By : Straits Enclave in Joo Chiat
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Starting not as early as I would have prefered, I yet again realized I am not a morning person. Lucky for me, my hubby is, so at 5.30am, he, his cheery self in the morning, woke me. I could easily have stayed in bed. Motivation is not always easy, the inspiration might be there but the actual motivation might be lacking, especially if your bed is so comfy.
But…
All progress takes part outside of your comfort zone”
Michael John Bobak
- So pep talk, get out of bed, already a step closer in doing it.
- Get dressed, your bag is already packed.
- Eat, get energy, energy is needed.
- Good put on shoes, step out the door.
- There you go, on the MRT, see, not so bad.
- Ok I can do this!
- Yes I have arrived at Promenade MRT, the sun is already a bit high, but nonetheless let’s get started.
- This is not so bad, I actually like this.
Gardens by the Bay
Crossing the Helix bridge with the beautiful cityscape to the right, I carried on walking along the promenade past MBS with the sun shimmering between leaves. Half way down to Marina Barrage I was reminded that I do live in the tropics as the humidity kind of slapped me in the face, sweating will be my foreseeable future. Wow, now I know why you need to start early. As I crossed over the Marina Barrage the familiar cityscape lined up, and a first for me to cross here.
Also see > Walking from the East Coast to Jurassic Mile at Changi
Walking down East Gardens by the Bay it was time for a break, I needed to remind myself to drink water, with the humidity that high, you can easily dehydrate. I am a strange one when it comes to water, I don’t really like it, nor dislike it, I just forget about it, and probably drink way too much coffee.
One thing about the parks here in Singapore, they are so well maintained, and with clear designated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists along the PCN, it makes the start of this challenge easier. From here I headed down to the visitor center under the overpass, the sun started rising higher and higher, but the clouds luckily rolled in easing the UV rays, still no escape from the clammy humidity.
Approaching the visitors centre you can make a slight detour to the massive bridge of the ECP, underneath it you soon realise how small you are compared to some of the structures within Singapore. There is something I really enjoy about the juxtaposition of nature vs concrete. The city is truly a garden city, a vision of the former PM Lee Kuan Yew.
East Coast Park
From here the East Coast is finally in sight, well not the beach, only the park. Down a long slightly winding road, the humidity kept increasing, hat on, sun from the front.
I choose to walk anti clockwise starting with an easier and more familiar route, as well as having the sun from the front rather than burning on my neck.
I haven’t been to this first part of the East Coast for quite some time and noticed a few new structures, the first was Keppel Marina East Desalination plant. But with the sun pounding down, I was not much in the mood to explore this new structure and rooftop viewing area, I was basically scrambling for shade.
Reaching some shade it was short lived and now the hardest part of the day lay before me. Okay, the bridge is only about 200m, but it is a bridge with no covering or shade. Heat pounding down from above and literally bouncing up from below on what seemed like metal. My cheeks started glowing, and not the pretty glow, the hot and fiery glow, walking just that bit faster to end this madness. It felt like an eternity, especially if you are not a fan of the hot sun. Finally reaching the end a shelter was in sight with no one in, and believe you me, I took a well deserved break. Remember that water!
The East Coast beach is insight
From here I know the beach is not too far, my app predicting my final destination on the East Coast to be only 53min away. Water packed away, I started making my way down to the coast. Refreshing breeze from the ocean welcomed me, if only for a few seconds. And there she is, the ocean. With a bit more of a bounce in my step, I was so glad to see this azur sight, it meant I almost made it to my end goal.
But a sudden nag started happening under my foot and one hip. Mmm, why is my hip paining? Is my sock pushing strangely on my foot? What is going on? Knowing from dancing, I rather left it, it’s uncomfortable but not painful. And I am afraid if I remove my shoe it will be too unbearable to put it back on. The strangest thing my husband pointed out, I will push through pain, but not boredom. Eish.
Don’t focus on the pain, focus on the progress”
Dwayne Johnson
Anyway, foot and knee pushed right at the back of my mind, I continued clicking away, remembering when I moved to Singapore how I loved to come walk along the coast, as I literally lived just on the other side of the highway. And just like that my final destination, the Starbucks, although not the same Starbucks from 8 years ago, jogged my memory of walks early in the morning with my book and relaxing along the water’s edge.
Break time, as my energy has dropped, I snacked on some of the fruits and veggies I brought with me. Taking in the beautiful scenery. After a stop for a coffee at Starbucks the last leg of today’s journey was up to Joo Chiat.
Joo Chiat
A must purchase whenever I visited the East Coast, kueh at Rumah Bebe and a visit to the colourful and ornate Peranakan houses. The houses in a way depicted wealth through the decorated facade. Did you know the area is named after a wealthy chinese landowner of the early 1900s, Chew Joo Chiat. The area like many other areas in Singapore used to be plantations and the coast was used as a weekend getaway from the city. In the 20th century the area was developed into a suburb.
Distance
In total I covered 12.2km over 3:32 hours, a bit long but I took too many photos at the beginning, adding to my time, and how long I spent in the sun. Lesson learnt.
Activity
Peranakan beading workshop
A few days later I attended a workshop hosted by Straits Enclave, in a beautiful Peranakan house museum. Angeline Kong starts the workshop with an introduction and history regarding the Peranakans. The Peranakan history spans far back, to when Chinese immigrants settled in Malaya and Indonesia, and married local women. Angeline can date her family heritage back a rather long way.
The word Peranakan means ‘ locally born’ in Malay. The food and needlework is known as Nonya food and needlework. Characteristics of Peranakan culture are the use of bold colours. The fusion of various cultures and influences, Chinese, Malay, Indian, and European, led to a unique style, evident in pieces such as the furniture and beautiful ornate Peranakan houses with beautiful tiles.
Also see > I Learnt Peranakan beading with Straits Enclave
After Angeline’s presentation, we were instructed on how to create our own beading sample. So relaxing, I somehow felt transported back into time. Must have been a combination of the ambience, the Kabaya that I got to wear, the coffee and kueh, and slowly beading and creating. It was such a lovely afternoon.
Conclusion of day 1
Absolutely lovely, scenic walk, the East Coast Park is a beautiful park with designated paths for both walking and cycling. Some paths are shared so make sure to keep to your side. Day 1 can also be done together with day 2, just make sure to stay hydrated. There are many shops along the way and toilets as well, making this a rather comfortable walk. The Peranakan beading workshop I definitely recommend, not only to learn a new skill but to learn more about the Peranakan Heritage.
Happy walking! And see you on the PCNs!
xxx
*Opinions expressed here are my own.
Want to read about one of my top hikes so far on the Great Wall of China, here you go!
Want to see how I planned this challenge around Singapore, read more here!
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