[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: “It’s really no big deal,” my editor insisted when we made what we thought was a completely reasonable request to pedal rather than walk 110km on a trip to explore Singapore.
His justification for making us walk? Cycling the route would not give me and my journalist colleague Gaya Chandramohan the time to savor the sights of Singapore, which is the goal of this somewhat unusual endeavor.
And so fast-forward to a week later, and we will leave the Taman Jurong Hawker Center on Monday morning (October 12), nervously contemplating what the next five days will bring us.
Why go through this? A fair question, and one that will undoubtedly cross our minds on numerous occasions over the next five days.
For one thing, travel abroad seems to be banned for a while, and a lot has been done to get out there and explore the country.
Instead of going to an ordinary ranch or a tourist attraction, my editor thought it would be interesting to enhance it with a long walk to explore what the country has to offer.
The task is to take in some unfamiliar sights and look at some more familiar ones with a fresh pair of eyes to see what Singapore has to offer when other countries are more or less off-limits due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
READ: Weekend Warriors, here are the best walking trails to explore in Singapore
Our discussions initially focused on doing a full circuit of Singapore, keeping us as close to shore as possible. However, logistically this would prove to be a challenge, so we decided to reduce sections of the route.
We’ve included some of Singapore’s best sights along the coast, so the East and West Coast Parks, Coney Island, and Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve should feature prominently throughout our trip.
At the same time, we’ll also make sure to do our best to savor the ride, so there should be stops at some of Singapore’s most beloved foodie spots – East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Market Hong Lim and the food center, among others. other places.
Our plan is placed in hotels as close to the route as possible, before continuing with our journey the next day.
A WALK TO REMEMBER
My colleague Gaya and I are not in good physical shape.
Full disclosure, the cycle covers more ground than I have run this year. In fact, the last time I covered a distance of more than 20km was a decade ago when I dressed in green, carried a backpack, and vowed never to do it again.
READ: Comment: Get out and enjoy Singapore’s natural sights
But here we are, and since passing out on camera isn’t an option, I’ve been going on several hikes in preparation. These walks took me from my home in Simei to the east coast and Changi village, covering a distance of 15 km each time.
To be sure, there is a sense of accomplishment that comes from completing each of these hikes, and there is an element of enjoyment, even for someone who is not an avid hiker.
But we are well aware of the challenges that could come along the way. For one thing, the sweltering heat could be a problem – our goal is to start each leg of the trip at 6 a.m. every morning and try to beat the afternoon heat by completing the day’s distance in eight hours.
There are practical concerns too – charting a course online and actually navigating the route are actually two completely different things.
Also, what if there are no bathrooms?
But this is part of the adventure, on which we will update you regularly for the next 5 days.
And we will move on, and accept each and every suggestion about what we can do along the way. Hopefully our hike can spark your interest to get out there and explore.
To quote the poet TS Eliot: “We will not stop exploring, and the end of all our exploration will be to get to where we started and see the place for the first time.”
In our case, that place would be Taman Jurong Hawker Center.
Follow the journey here:
Do you have any suggestions on what they should see or do? Send them on Twitter to @matthewmohanCNA Y @gayaCNA.
[ad_2]
