Local scenic spots...rediscovered

View from Kent Ridge Park elevated boardwalk

Bright multicoloured plantation, interrupted by a meandering paved road devoid of people... this is not a place one will associate with Singapore. 

There are nature parks and avenues, which still retain their "wild" spirits. To enjoy the scenery, it is best to visit these places in early morning, before the hot and humid weather set in!

Another view from Kent Ridge elevated boardwalk

With travel restrictions being imposed by many countries during COVID pandemic, local scenic spots have been "rediscovered" by various adventurous people...

Wishing bells on "mountain peak"...@ Farber Hills Park

Icons of Singapore - Merlion and Reflection @ Keppel

Farber Hill Park

Farber Hill Park

Even National Stadium is worth exploring as well.

Overhead bridge leading to National Stadium

Level 3, National Stadium, with tracks for skateboading, jogging

View from National Stadium level 3 plaza

"Tented" Indoor stadium in the distant

 

Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve... 2nd Visit

After visiting Ulu Sembawang Park Connector, and doing a short 2km walk there, we drove to explore Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve.

There were many avid photographers in the Wetland Reserve, carrying gigantic camera lenses for bird photography.

When I was there during Chinese New Year (around Feb), there was not many birds around. This time, it was slightly different.. there were more birds around. I was unable to take close up photos of those birds because I only carried with me wide lens with me that day.

I was particularly impressed with the boardwalk/bridge covering the perimeter of the wetland reserve.

walking along the trail

hide for bird watching

Mangrove trees

A pond in the park

The Mangrove Boardwalk - just before exiting the visiting centre. Don't miss the boardwalk... the scenary is equally interesting here!

Ulu Sembawang Park Connector... the scenic spot

Ulu Sembawang Park Connector was renowned for its scenic morning misty look (during sunrise). People will gather around the scenic grass field in the early morning, taking snapshots of place and posting them on social media to woo their followers.

The place is accessible from Woodland MRT station, which was apparently about 20 min walking distance away. Many people cycle to the place. There was no official parking lot nearby - people with cars will park their car along the road side, at the terminal end of Lor Lada Hitam (which form a small circus for cars to U-turn back).

We finally visited the spot in the early morning, reaching there around 7.30am (probably around 5-10 min after sunrise). However, there was not much of mist in the field on that day. Nevertheless, we still managed to take some photos of the place.

The faint mist in the distant background

Pedestrian trail /cycling track

Will definitely try to visit the place again ... hopefully to capture the mystic/mistic look of the grass field.

Some are more equal than others

 

It's a fact of life that some people are more equal than others.

While many toiled around the clock to complete manual tasks assigned, the lucky one still could find time browsing leisurely at mobile phone!

Upper Peirce Reservoir

Having visited Lower Peirce Reservoir last week, it's time to "explore" Upper Peirce Reservoir next.

As usual, we left home earlier in the morning, and reached the parking lot at Upper Peirce Reservoir before 7.30am. Ample parking lots around.

The main road leading to the park is now converted to one-way traffic - with pedestrian path on the left, and road for cyclist/motorist on the right.  One can walk all the way from Lower Peirce Reservoir, all the way to Upper Peirce Reservoir. One may also detour to Thomson Nature Park along the way (before reaching Upper Peirce Reservoir) if interested.

The reservoir and its surrounding area...

The dam on the left

One corner of the park encircling the reservoir

Getting ready for morning walk

The wide expanse of green field right below a fairly steep slope from the dam

For some unknown reason, Singaporeans seem to be more health-conscious the past year. All nature parks are now teeming with health conscious individuals (both young and old), either walking or jogging or cycling along the various trails.

Upper Peirce Reservoir used to be rather quiet, with group of monkeys playing by the road side. We did not see any monkeys this time round.

Upper Peirce Reservoir has mostly paved track for cycling/walking/jogging. 

Spacious road...

This is the main road leading all the way to the entrance of the park.  No sight of monkeys strolling / resting along the roadside.

A trail branching off from the paved track...

It was kind of deserted when we were there. No other visitors were there.

On a nostalgic note, my wife and I went to explore a drain that led to a barrier with cascading water. CJ was so fascinated with the block formation of the barrier many years back (when he was still in Kindergarten), that he created the same block formation with Lego set at home.

We also caught a giant toad for CY's primary school project near the spot.

The drain leading all the way further up, to a cascading end

The block formation blocking the rushing water

There used to be a signboard "Beware of crocodile" here many years ago.

about complementary treatment for "incurable" disease

Singapore Medical Council (SMC) has just given a directive prohibiting a certain medical physician from prescribing non-standard antibiotic/antifungal medicines as a treatment of Autism. The same doctor was apparently censured in 2010 for using another type of non-standard treatment ("bioessence therapy") for children with Autism.

Use of complementary treatment @ alternative therapy for various ailments (particularly those "incurable" illnesses) is a known secret. I am not against such trial, as long as it does not cause any harm to the patient/family - either physically or financially. At least, this will give some comfort to the parents that they have exhausted all options in treating their children's medical condition.

However, inevitably, the parents may be misguided into believing that such treatment will cure a child's medical condition; and this usually come with a hefty cost.

I myself has recommended "off label" use of some medicines, in the hope that they may improve /optimize the patients' overall functional status. But I will never tout them as a cure. And I will hesitate to even discuss those "off label" medicines, if the medicines or treatment come with hefty cost.

In my years of practice, I have learnt that it is much better to tell the parents the truth - that some medical illnesses are truly incurable. But at the same time, it is equally important to guide them on the way forward, and support them emotionally.

Inevitably, all parents will be devastated on knowing the hard true. Some may slam us as being incompetent. But most care givers/parents will appreciate such candor. 

Lower Peirce Reservoir

Tried several times to visit Lower Peirce Reservoir over the past few weeks. However, the parking lots (which are rather limited, probably can accomodate not more than 20 cars) are perpetually full when we reached there.

Woke up early today.. The sky was still dark when we left our house.

Reached the parking lots around 7.10am today - alas, it was full again. Too bad, parked our car at the Windsor Nature Park instead. Walked just slightly over 1km from Windsor Nature Park to Lower Peirce Reservoir.

The last time my wife and I visited Lower Peirce Reservoir was over 10 years ago, when our children were still in Primary School. 

Nothing much has changed, apart from extension of new boardwalk from the pavillion to nature trails.

A picture of peace and tranquility - people engaged in meditation, fishing, reading.

Glimpse of the boardwalk, and the nearby scenery.

Another segment of the cycling / walking path encircling the reservoir.

The green field further down the slope from the cycling path. It has been partially savaged by wild boars.

Trees nearby... the branches look interesting.

There is an "unoffical" path leading from the reservoir to the main road - had to walk pass the grassland, and narrow pavement along a drain (which probably serves to drain off water from reservoir, I think).

The narrow pavement on the right

Lower Peirce Reservoir further up. There is a narrow pavement next to the railing on the right.

Walking back to Windsor Nature Park...

We went for a short walk at Venus Loop in Windsor Nature Park, before calling it a day.