Never Stop Exploring

I have made the decision to move my blog for a number of reasons. Mainly because we will be leaving Singapore at the end of 2015 and I'd like to change my blog title and url to something more generic that can move with me. So if you are following my posts please bookmark the new blog now, link below.

Never Stop Exploring

You will find all these posts already there and I'm getting ready to add some new ones from my recent adventures, hope to see you there!

Bukit Brown Cemetery

This old Chinese Cemetery has been on my todo list for quite some time and I'm pleased I finally made some time to go there and explore. Pleased for a number of reasons, firstly because it was an absolutely beautiful setting. The aspect that surprised me the most were the big old trees. I'm sure many of these trees pre-date the opening of the cemetery in 1922. Now they have grown into large and beautiful sentries towering high over this green oasis, what a pleasant place to lay your ancestors to rest.

The second reason I am pleased to have gone is the realisation that I have never been to  Chinese cemetery before. The graves were surrounded by little retaining walls, some so overgrown you could hardly see them. The majority were flanked by Chinese guardian lions, others by Taoist figures and I think I even saw Confucius represented. These elements would provide protection and perhaps in the case of Confucius guidance in the afterlife. Some inscriptions were in English, but the many were not, and the lettering always distinctive bright red. Whole families are buried together, often three generations in the same site, so that they are together in the afterlife.

Singapore has made a big deal this year about 50 years of independence, rightly so, but this cemetery casts a light onto the rich and varied history of a much longer period. Many philanthropists and influential Chinese are laid to rest here. I recently read a book based in Singapore before and during the Japanese occupation and I was shocked by what it revealed about life in Singapore for Chinese women during this time. Many of those women are buried here including those who fought for women's rights. This may be a sleepy graveyard, now enjoyed by joggers and dog walkers, but it is also a window into the past of this intriguing and rising nation. I hope the National Heritage Board see the significance in retaining as much of this site as they can, how wonderful it would be if it was still here in another 100 years time.

Could this be Confucius?

The  third and final reason I am pleased to have made this visit is that they are currently building a highway through the middle of this cemetery. The cemetery covers a large area in land scarce Singapore, 211 hectares, and part of this area has now been sacrificed to alleviate traffic congestion. So, the once peaceful corner is now surrounded by the noise of construction. I read around 5% of the graves are affected although I'm not sure how accurate this figure is.

It is too late to hope that this construction will not proceed but I can still hope that nothing further changes this beautiful spot and that they blend the road and the cemetery so that it remains a pleasant place to visit. The latter may happen, Singapore has an excellent record for combining busy roads with green space. The former however, may be a little too hopefully, as it surely won't be long before there is a need for the remaining land is this small and fast developing nation.

PS - if you visit wear mosquito repellent!

Kusu Island

Following on from my previous post, after leaving St John's island the ferry service takes you to Kusu where it docks for one hour before returning to the mainland. Kusu means Tortoise in Chinese, the names comes from a legend about a turtle which turned itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors. Originally the island was merely two reef outcrops which were developed into a day holiday resort by the Sentosa group in 1975. They increased the size of the island from 1.2 to 8.5 hectares. 

Today Kusu is an important religious sight. A number of Malay shrines and a Chinese temple are visited by devotees. The Malay shrines are positioned at the top of a small hill where 152 steps have be built to reach them. Devotees pray and burn Joss sticks for wealth, good marriage, fertility, good health and harmony.

The Chinese temple is brightly decorated with many small deity figurines represented. The main two deities are Da Bo Gong and Guan Yin. Da Bo Gong is the God of prosperity and he is thought to cure disease, calm the seas and advert danger, Guan Yin the Goddess of Mercy and the bestower of children. 

The deity below looks like the God of Fortune, often seen with money bags, or with a money pot at Chinese New Year. 

Inside the temple there are some turtles and just outside is a wishing well. During the 9th month of the Lunar calendar this island is visited by  thousands of devotees on a Pilgrimage in the hope for good health, peace, happiness, good luck and prosperity

A second area houses turtles, no doubt connected to the name of the island but turtles are also venerated by the Chinese as a sign of longevity, power and tenacity. This second area made me laugh due to the 'Turtle Shelter' signs. It's very common in Singapore for every little detail to be marked with a sign, even though the area is designated for the turtles' use. No doubt this approach ensures visitors have any possible questions answered.

One surreal thing about this island is the view from it's quiet sandy beach back towards the Singapore Central Business District. Again that unfamiliar sight, not seen when arriving by air. 

St Johns Island

I recently discovered that you can visit two of Singapores islands via a local ferry service that runs out of Marina South Pier. It's a fairly limited service on weekdays with just two ferries a day so you need to be prepared to spend the day there. We caught the 10am ferry over giving us loads of time to explore before catching the next (and last) ferry back at 14:45. The boat then takes you on to Kusu Island (which I will do a separate post on) for an hours stop on route back to Singapore mainland.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this island but thankfully I came prepared with food and water for the day as there was nowhere to buy any. I think I was expecting something a little more rough and ready (I even wore trainers) but what we found was some concrete paths and lots of picnic benches and rain shelters. I should have known really, this is still Singapore after all! There is a nice little beach and the water was surprisingly clear considering how churned up and dirty it looks down off East Coast Park on the mainland.

In the 1870s this island was used as a quarantine camp for Chinese migrants with cholera. They were housed in a building here which in the 1930s became the worlds biggest quarantine camp. As well as screening Asian immigrants they also screened Malay pilgrims returning from mecca before allowing them into Singapore. Later in the 1950s Singapore closed its doors to large scale immigration and instead the colonial government used it as a holding place for political detainees and secret society ring leaders awaiting deportation. At one time it was even used as a treatment center for opium addicts. 

Finally in 1975 it was developed into what it is today, a little leisure haven off Singapore's coast. It is also home to the Tropical Marine Science Institute and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore's Marine Aquaculture Centre. The old camp buildings are still there, surrounded by barbed wire and can be booked by groups as accommodation. There was even a tennis court surrounded by barbed wire. Part of me wondered why they didn't take it down but perhaps they are preserving it how is was and respecting the colourful past of this little island.

After a little exploring we soon found the island was small and it made sense to take a seat on one of the many picnic benches and have an early lunch. After some lunch and chatting I started to look at google maps only to realise that St. John is connected to two other islands, Lazarus and Seringat, via a man made walkway. So off we went for more exploring only to be stopped in our tracks but a monsoon thunderstorm which had us running for shelter. Unfortunately, the storm wouldn't shift and the rain battered down for 2 hours only stopping just before our 14:45 ferry arrived. A shame, but from what I could see these two connected island weren't so different from the one we were already on.

Below is the view of Singapore from the water, another different perspective. I'm so used to arriving by plane this was a weird concept.

Changi Museum, The City Gallery and The Istana

Recently I have been exploring some of Singapore sights and enjoying the diversity of this lovely city state. It's amazing to realise that even after more than a year living here there are still so many things to do and see.

The Changi Museum tells you about the horrors of the Japanese occupation during WWII. We took the self guided audio tour which was really interesting and the little chapel outside was a nice place to stop and contemplate.

I could feel there was a sense of disappointment that the British did not do more to stand up for Singapore. Many Singaporeans felt the British did very little fight against the Japanese. This is perhaps one of the reasons that the anti-colonial movement started. Certainly Mr Lee Kuan Yew, after experiencing the harsh rule of the Japanese, felt that only Singaporeans could truly defend and protect their own country. He went on to ensure that the local people also had a vested interest in protecting Singapore.  

The Singapore City Gallery is also a fascinating place. Managed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), it showcases how Singapore has developed as well as its ability to plan. You can see how things have changed over the years and even take a look at models of the island and the central business district (CBD). These models include the existing buildings, parks and public transport but also future buildings and developments.  

Architectural ideas are showcased as cardboard models and the URA even shares it's long term concept plan, looking forward around 50 years. This is not a definite plan but more a dicussion of possibilities. This gallery makes you understand that nothing in Singapore happens by accident, instead it is planned many, many years in advance by a forward thinking government.

Last weekend we were lucky enough to visit The Istana and its generous grounds and gardens on one of its open days, which happen only five times a year. This British colonial building was constructed between 1867 and 1869 primarily by Indian convicts. It wasn't until 1959, when Singapore obtained self government, that the building was handed to the Singapore government and renamed to Istana, meaning Palace in Malay. It is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Singapore although the majority of Singapore presidents choose not to live there.

We went on a guided tour of the building which we really enjoyed even though only the ground floor was open to the public. It's hard to believe this large piece of land, in a prime location on Orchard road, is still undeveloped and even has a 9 hole golf course. It must be a fantastic place for Singapore officials to show their international guests just how beautiful a place Singapore it. From the top of the hill near the palace the view down to the CBD is almost surreal through the trees.  

All three of these well worth the visit and there are still many other spots to explore!

Singin' In The Rain

This hugely successful West End musical kicked up a storm here in Singapore last night, quite literally! For what is Singin’ In the Rain without the rain? Clearly this thought was shared by the production team, who put a lot of work into the creation of a special set that would allow 12,000 liters of water to flood the stage and create an authentic performance, rain and all.

This travelling set collects the water after each downpour and passes it through three filtering systems to make it suitable to be used again. The water falling as rain from the 18 nozzles above the stage is heated to prevent it shocking the cast as they get soaked to the skin. The special composite stage, designed not to rot, is also flooded from below creating a huge puddle for the cast to splash around in. The first three rows of the theater were considered the splash zone and ponchos were distributed. This created an audience comedy moment when the thunder and lightning special effects gave those in the splash zone the cue to don their ponchos. Sat in row four, all I could do was laugh as they frantically rustled their way in before the onset of splashing began. 

This production is full of dancing, music and laughter. It follows the story of Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont as they make their transition from silent movies to the next generation of talking films. Lina’s is the character that makes us laugh, with her crazy high pitched voice that nobody wants to hear and her terrible acting skills, which come to light when all of a sudden she has a microphone to deal with. We might almost feel sorry for her, with a movie career which is failing in the face of this new technology. Don Lockwood and Cosmo Brown even go behind her back to dub in voice over from up and coming actress Kathy Selden. However, Lina proves herself to be a bit of a villain when she tricks Kathy into remaining as her voice over and not letting her take the credit. The trio of Don, Cosmo and Kathy works really well on stage, as they work together to save one of the first talking movies. Cosmo adds a lot of comedy to the show and I felt he was a really likable character.

This show promises to leave a smile of your face and it certainly delivers. There is also a good chance you will be humming along to one of its catchy songs under that smile. A true classical musical, performed in style and with a lot of humour. 

Sun Yat Sen in Singapore

I first heard about the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial hall when I joined the Friends of the Museums. At first I simply became aware it was somewhere I could visit for free as part of my membership but I had no idea who Sun Yat Sen was. The same could be said for this afternoon when I turned up at the Memorial Hall for their 2pm guided tour. It was about 20 minutes into the tour before I realised that this was the man responsible for bringing down the last Chinese dynasty and founding the Republic of China. He also became the first Provisional President of China.

The villa which holds this Sun Yat Sen collection is absolutely stunning. It was purchased by a supporter of the Chinese Nationalist Movement in 1905 and gifted to Sun Yat Sen in 1906 to use as a base for the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance. It became an essential headquarters for the Southeast Asian operations of this Alliance and many uprisings were planned during Sun Yat Sen's visits. After the 1911 Revolution it became the headquarter of the Chinese National Party.

Once again Singapore surprises me, I had no idea such an important event in China's history was being supported and facilitated from a little place like Singapore. Of course there was support from the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance elsewhere in the world, but clearly Singapore was an important Southeast Asian base. It's also thought that Sun Yat Sen saw how life was under the British rule, less corruption and more freedom than in China at that time, both in Singapore and also in Hong Kong where he studied as a Doctor.

One thing that really struck me during this tour was when the guide explained that a large part of the finance behind the Revolution movement came from rubber plantations and the sudden need for rubber to manufacture tyres for vehicles. This reminded me of the small town in Scotland where I attended secondary school; on entering the town a sign proudly announces it is the birthplace of the inventor of the pneumatic tyre. How strange to think that an inventor from a small Scottish town could have had an impact on funding the Chinese Revolution. Perhaps it's a rather indirect link but it made me think all the same.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is part of the Balestier Road Heritage Trail. Right next door is a beautiful Burmese Buddhist Temple which uses LED lights to literally make the Buddha radiant. 

Also nearby is a free water kiosk on the corner of Boon Teck Road. This goes back to the days when clean drinking water was a luxury and it was offered as an act of charity for poor laborers. This last remaining kiosk still offers both water and tea for free and is maintained by a local charity. 

Gunung Agung, Bali

Our hike up Gunung Agung started from Pura Besakih just before 11pm. Once our guide had prayed at the temple we donned our head torches and started up the track, it was up, up, up from the word go. We had two vertical kilometers to climb in total and we stopped for a brief rest after 300m and had a chat with our guide.

He had been doing this hike on average twice a week for the last 24 years, so we had every faith we weren’t going to get lost in the dark! After this first rest the gradient got a little more taxing and the soil was loose under foot. We had to use tree roots and vines to pull ourselves up slippery or steep sections. We had been told the last section near the top was the steepest so I was silently concerned that what we were on was already steep. In some areas there was nothing to hold onto so we struggled up with our walking pole for support whilst trying not to slip backwards.

We continued to stop every time we ascended 300m and we soon got into the routine of only thinking about getting to the next rest stop, silently trudging in the dark. We found out our guide had learnt English through guiding English speaking tourists rather than at school, this was impressive since his English was pretty good. It seemed he had learnt the names of the highest mountains all over the world, what a great idea for a mountain guide. He talked to us about Ben Nevis, Snowdon, Mt Cook and even the volcano in Iceland that caused all the plane disruption when it decided to erupt, Eyjafjallajökull. He ever knew how to pronounce that one, mind you how would we know if he got it wrong! He was a fountain of knowledge about all the Indonesian mountains and reeled off facts and statistics.  

Around 500m from the top we had a longer rest and he lit a fire to keep us warm, this was a first for us, a fire halfway up a mountain. He then produced a flask and made us tea and coffee, what a treat! At some of our stops he would light incense in improvised holders made from leaves and decorated with flowers. These were offerings to the mountain which the locals believe is the home of their Gods. 

There was even a small temple around 400m from the top. He would say a prayer at these shrines and offerings. The tea and coffee break was a precursor to the steep section and he explained the gradient would increase further to around 75 degrees for approximately 300 vertical meters. Well we had come this far, onwards and upwards we trudged in the dark. As it turns out this section was steep but it was also rocky. So unlike the terrain we have scrambled up so far which was loose and slippery we felt quite at home on the rocky steep section. Nonetheless it was tough, by this time we had exceeded 2600m in height and the effects of altitude were making themselves known. My heart was working hard and my breathing became more labored. We were all ready for our last and final stop after this section, in need of a few minutes of sitting down. 

Although less steep the final 100m or so to the summit was still slow going as altitude set the pace. I’m not sure how much we noticed though as we were being enticed by the glow of sunrise behind our mighty peak. 

The clouds were below us it was simply breath taking. We couldn’t see the full vista until we reached the true summit, timed perfectly by our guide just 5 minutes before the sun broke over the horizon. 

He straight away lit his incense offering to the mountain then retreated to let us enjoy the natural spectacle. We had the summit to ourselves and it was stunning, there was not a breath of wind and as the sun appeared over the horizon it warmed the air. Agung has a second, more accessible lower peak, and we could make out two figures in the outline of the sunrise, like little ants in the distance.

 Behind this immediate peak is the looming shape of Gunung Rinjani, over the water in Lombok.

We then decided it was time for breakfast and our guide came to join us, explaining that back at 2100m he didn’t think we were going to make it in time to see the sunrise but he had kept quiet until then. We enjoyed breakfast from our perch on top of the world.

Then the inevitable could no longer be avoided, the long, long, long walk back down the mountain. This was definitely the hardest part of the day, we soon reached the point of having been awake for more than 24 hours and the steep gradient played havoc with our tired legs. I think we all slipped at one stage or another and there were certainly areas where sliding down crab like on all fours was the best possible solution. 

Daylight now illuminated the island of Bali and we could also see some distant peaks of Java like the Ijen crater that I climbed with Reshma in May. 

We could also see the temple from where we had started our trek and it was a long way down. 

This trek took us 14 hours in total and when we reached the car for the drive back to the hotel all 3 of us feel asleep utterly exhausted by our expedition, and being awake for around 32 hours. 

WA - Margaret River

Thursday morning started with a drive down Caves Road to Hamlin Bay where we saw some large stingrays in the shallow water there.

 From here we headed through some beautiful Karri forest to Lake Cave. 

An hour long tour took us down into Lake Cave, all 300 steps down 62m. We saw a suspected table, one of only two in the world and heard from our guide about the creation of caves like this. The suspended table is a formation weighing several tonnes suspended entirely from the ceiling. It would have once been resting on a bed of sand which has since been washed away by the gentle trickle of the lake. You can see from the picture below it seems to float above the water.

Caves Road is so named because there are many, many caves lining this area of coastline. Many are ancient sand dunes and the rain water dissolves and carries deposits down through the sand where it hardens into limestone creating the cave roof. Then underground rivers wash away the sand over millennia to create a cave. Microscopic shrimp live in the water of Lake Cave. 

After Lake Cave we enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Voyager vineyard and then headed back to Margaret River for a look around the town.

On Friday we took a full day tour with Margaret River with Neil McLeod. This tour took in many of the main attractions in one day. Our day started with a coffee at Yahava, a coffee tasting no less, a first for both of us. We tasted three coffees, each black first and then with milk. We were told that the making of the coffee was important to the taste. Water should not be boiling, it can be stirred in the cafetiere to release the flavours and everyone should get some of the frothy oils from the top in their cup to enhance the flavour. We went on to 4 wineries, a brewery for lunch and some free tastings of locally produced cheese and chocolate. We had made quite a few purchases by the end of the day and Neil's, son who was giving us the guided tour, even took us back to their home farm to see the horses and wild kangaroo's.

This was a fitting end to a wonderful 10 days in Western Australia, we came back with wonderful wines, chocolates and cheese to help the holiday live on for a little while and a little bit of local art to brighten up our white apartment.