Sweating the little stuff

Internships don't usually involve profuse emission of sweat. However, interning at the RMBR does apparently.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning that I got to know a fraction of Pulau Ubin. I signed up for Pedal Ubin and roped Wen Xian in, knowing her love for exercise. And it was a mighty one she got too.

After getting our bikes, marking attendance and splitting up into four groups, we were all set to go! We were brought to the East side of Ubin after Siva decided our group was up for a challenging morning. And challenging it was! Treacherous slopes; steep ones going up and down as well. The gravel, pits and bumps on the trail were all over, waiting to bump someone off their bikes. Lucky for the prep talk on gears and brakes, or I'd be flying off my bike. Anyway, just like Siva twittered, I don't think I'd cycle up these steep slopes to see these sights. So it's a bonus that we embarked on the East trail!

November, our guide, was really good; telling stories of ubin to us ignorant people from the mainland. We were brought to the Sensory trail which perked us all up with wonderous smells of lemon grass and pandan leaves. Then it was to observe the rivers of ubin, the sluice gates of the prawn ponds, the mangroves and the remnants of a Malay kampong. We got to see special highlights the oher groups missed out on such as vertical malay tombs of the people from the kampong, and a beautiful quarry that's difficult to access. Also, we were prowling under the mangroves to observe viviparies and were treated to a vision of what's left of the kampong.

Beautiful on the surface, gory beneath it (Ghost town of cranes and diggers are all that's underneath).

Ubin has so much to discover. Going along with these wonderful guides makes the whole experience more enriching. So, sign up for the next pedal ubin which happens quaterly every year to discover the little authentic island!

Visit Pulau Ubin Stories to find out more!