Singapore: Day 15

I woke up this morning to bruises, bug-bites, and sun rashes, but our day at Pulau Ubin was worth it. Earlier this week, some friends and I found and purchased a deal online: $8.90 for a Celestial Ubin Beach Resort Full Day Escapade that included a whole day bicycle rental, 2-hour kayaking and/or 2-hour fish spa, and we decided to claim it yesterday. That is the story of why on an early Saturday morning the Balonglongs made a trip to Pulau Ubin, the second largest island offshore of Singapore. We left PGPR around 9 AM and took the MRT to Changi Airport, and from there we took the taxi to Changi Village, where we were to board the ferry to Pulau Ubin. We did not have breakfast before we left PGPR, so we ate at the hawker centre at Changi Village.

Hawker centre

 I ordered the mi soup berbola ikan (fish ball noodle soup); it was nothing fantastic, but it definitely hit the spot. I have not had anything distinctive lately, but it may be because I am getting used to the cuisine here and have been eating at mediocre hawker centres. We are making a journey to Geylang to eat the famous chili crab at No Signboard Seafood Restaurant soon, so I cannot wait until then!

Mi soup berbola ikan (fish ball noodle soup)

After breakfast, we headed to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal and boarded a bum-boat to Pulau Ubin! The trip there only cost $2.50, and it was a very interesting one-- it did not have any of the safety precautions the U.S. so painstakingly does for its citizens. Laney and I were sharing a wooden block, while Emily sat on a white plastic chair. There was no door or object to close off the end of the boat, so we could have slid off in the case of an accident. However, I found this incredible exciting and authentic! 

Bum-boat!

We're on a boat!

The water here is so clear and blue.

Hello Pulau Ubin!

As soon as we landed onto Pulau Ubin, we made our way to the Celestial Resort. We planned to bike first and then kayak afterward; we eliminated the fish spa from our choice of activities because we were unsure about the cleanliness of it. The island was immensely beautiful and lush with nature, and untouched by industrialization and city-life. Our walk to Celestial Resort definitely demonstrated this, because it felt like we were walking in a tropical rain forest. There was an endless view of green: trees, shrubs, swamps, plants, etc., a paradise that is rarely found in today's world. After a few minutes of walking, we reached the Celestial Resort and checked in. From there, we quickly chose our bikes and explored the island. I have to admit that the bikes were less than ideal-- they were old, a bit broken, and not fit for the rocky and hilly terrain, but the beautiful views we enjoyed while biking definitely made up for it. We found ourselves frequently stopping to admire the fantastic scenery and to take pictures.

So much green!

"Engineered" strings into my hat so it wouldn't fly away :)

 The biking experience was indeed breath-taking, I cannot convey how amazing it was to glide through thick growths of nature and feel the wind in my hair. It was a true weekend getaway! At some point, we reached a No Bike area, so we parked our bikes somewhere and started our hike through the forest. We eventually reached the Chek Jawa Wetlands, which was characterized by a small museum featuring historical information about the island and the underwater species. We explored this area for a bit, then made our way onto the pier. We took a break there to admire the view and cool down from our bike ride.

Wandering in the tropical forest

After this stop, we made our way back to the resort. We found ourselves walking our bikes up inclines, because it was too difficult to ride the unsuitable bike uphill. However, the downhill portions were the best (and the most dangerous as well-- our brakes were squeaking in protest)! After we returned our bikes at the resort, we rested a bit at the dining area. We washed our hands, grabbed refreshments, and reapplied our sunscreen, then walked to the shore where we put on our life-vests and grabbed a kayak and a couple of paddles. Kayaking was not as fun as biking, as there was not as much to explore. We could not venture too far, but it was exciting to be amidst the clear, beautiful water!

The shore of the island. We can see others kayaking!

 Our clothes were thoroughly soaked by the time we ventured back onto land, and some of us changed before we began our journey back home. I was tired and quite uncomfortable at this point-- we all wanted and needed a shower as soon as possible. After a long day on Pulau Ubin, we walked back to the ferry terminal and boarded the bum-boat back to Changi Village.

Bum-boats at the terminal

Beautiful view on our way back to Changi Village

 We quickly arrived back onto land, and while we waited for a taxi to take us to Changi Airport, we bought ice cream sandwiches from a cart outside the ferry terminal. I ordered the Blueberry Ripple, which seemed to be blueberry ice cream with "ripples" of blueberry and all sandwiched by two thin wafers. This has definitely been the cheapest ice-cream I've encountered, as ice-cream in Singapore is usually over-priced ($10+ for a pint of ice-cream!), and one of the best foods I've had so far. I'm not sure if it was because I was famished and tired from the day, but the ice-cream was definitely heavenly!

Half-eaten blueberry ripple ice-cream sandwich (sorry, it was too delicious)

When we finished our ice-cream sandwiches, two taxis came at the perfect moment. We went to Changi Airport and from there we took the MRT back to the Kentridge station. The journey back home was a gruesome one, as we were all wet and smelled like sweat and the ocean. After many transfers later, we arrived back in PGPR and desperately rushed to our bathrooms to take much-needed showers. I've never felt so gross in my life before, so the shower was euphoric. About an hour later, we all met up again for dinner at Cheese Prata Shop, which is a restaurant right outside NUS. I ordered the combo cheese prata (mushroom, tomato, onion, cheese) and milo, which is a chocolate and malt powder drink popular in Singapore. I've been meaning to try milo, so this dinner was the perfect opportunity to!

Combo cheese prata + milo

After dinner, we headed back to PGPR and I went back to my room to rest. The others gathered to play card games again, but I took a much needed break from the day and week of work and class. It was definitely an amazing day, despite the many injuries incurred; Pulau Ubin was a refreshing escape from the modern world as well as return to our past, to a time of simple existence and affinity to nature.