Pulau Ubin - The surviving past of Singapore
Bicycling across the Granite Stone Island
Shveta Grover
Issue date: 3/10/03 Section: Worldview
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Of stark contrast to the spanking newness of Singapore, and just off its northeastern coast, is the country's second biggest island. Pulau Batu Ubin or Granite Stone Island, is beset with a rustic charm of a kampong (village). The island, all of a thousand square feet in area, has somehow escaped the almost maniacal orderliness of the main island. A large granite core makes up the island, and lends it its name. Granite was once a source of sustenance for the island's population, and quarries still dot the landscape today, albeit abandoned from lack of interest. They now house several forms of wildlife.
A group of friends and I decided to spend a day at Pulau. A bumboat ferry carried us from the Changi terminal to the island in little more than ten minutes. From the Changi terminal, we caught a glimpse of the Changi prison. Spread across acres and acres of manicured land, and beautifully fenced, the prison shocked us in its serene imagery. This was, however, only the first jolt on moving towards the periphery of the country.
As our ferry banked at Ubin, we took in the surroundings slowly, not quite sure that the island was for real. So primitive, yet abuzz with life as it would have been in the 60's. A single glance scanned across a narrow path lined with trees, a row of small coffee shops with rickety tables, several signs urging us to rent a bike, and among them a sign pointing towards the visitor centre, the only one that reminded us that this was Singapore after all. Avoiding the visitor centre on the right, we walked in the opposite direction, till we could see scores of shops flanked by bikes of all colors, sizes and ages! Some were neatly lined in a row, while others lay haphazardly.
We decided to go on to the more beaten looking shops, hoping to get a good bargain. Each of us test rode our choice of bikes. I had a shining red mountain bike, with a basket in front for my camera and water bottle. It was a typical, hot tropical day, and just walking about had us perspiring. In Singapore, it does not matter what time of the year it is. Maximum temperatures alternate between thirty degrees and thirty five degrees Celsius (85-95 F) every other month with astounding predictability.
A group of friends and I decided to spend a day at Pulau. A bumboat ferry carried us from the Changi terminal to the island in little more than ten minutes. From the Changi terminal, we caught a glimpse of the Changi prison. Spread across acres and acres of manicured land, and beautifully fenced, the prison shocked us in its serene imagery. This was, however, only the first jolt on moving towards the periphery of the country.
As our ferry banked at Ubin, we took in the surroundings slowly, not quite sure that the island was for real. So primitive, yet abuzz with life as it would have been in the 60's. A single glance scanned across a narrow path lined with trees, a row of small coffee shops with rickety tables, several signs urging us to rent a bike, and among them a sign pointing towards the visitor centre, the only one that reminded us that this was Singapore after all. Avoiding the visitor centre on the right, we walked in the opposite direction, till we could see scores of shops flanked by bikes of all colors, sizes and ages! Some were neatly lined in a row, while others lay haphazardly.
We decided to go on to the more beaten looking shops, hoping to get a good bargain. Each of us test rode our choice of bikes. I had a shining red mountain bike, with a basket in front for my camera and water bottle. It was a typical, hot tropical day, and just walking about had us perspiring. In Singapore, it does not matter what time of the year it is. Maximum temperatures alternate between thirty degrees and thirty five degrees Celsius (85-95 F) every other month with astounding predictability.