30 August 2009 ride report - Sunrise surprise

There is something about riding a motorcycle that liberates me. I can't really put my finger on it thought. Maybe its the freedom of being able to go where many cars are not able to go. Or maybe its the feel of the wind blowing through the hair...can't be...cos helmets are compulsory in Singapore. Well...whatever it is, it sure is addictive!

I had just completed a late night 70km ride three nights ago. I wanted to capture some images of industrial lights and was at the south-western part of Singapore. I went on another ride just last night covering the southern part of the island. And this morning, I went on an early morning ride with two biker friends.

My alarm went off faithfully at 4:30am, jolting me from a wonderful dream that I can no longer remember. I have had my share of mornings when I "snoozed" my alarm clock several times over because I need a little more rest...but today I sprang out of bed enthusiastically. You see, I had an ambitious route planned and am very eager to get on with the riding!

The plan was to meet at the stretch of petrol stations along Upper Thomson Road at 5am. The route promised a lot of fun involving many old roads with minimal expressway runs, incorporating a stint of hiking up Bukit Timah for the sunrise, topped off with a hearty breakfast and a nice cuppa. Meeting at a petrol station would give everyone a chance to fill up before this 70km adventure. Have a look at the route in Google Maps for a better idea.

We started on our journey with a nice ride long Old Upper Thomson Road. It was nice to start with this as the road has a good series of bends that were easy to negotiate. While I have enjoyed this stretch of road many times in the pass, riding together with others made the journey more meaningful. Somehow, seeing everyone negotiate a bend successfully made me feel happy. Go figure! Seriously though...I felt really happy seeing everyone complete a bend on my rear-view mirror. Hahaha!

It was going well. In fact, it went well all the way until we hit the Kranji Dam. You see, I had requested for one of my biker friends to let me know when we approached 5:30am. You see, in my route planning, I had forgotten to include the half hour required for the hike up Bukit Timah into my timing calculations...and when did I realize this? Yup...at the Kranji Dam. Why? Because 5:30am crept up on me while we were there.

Thanks to this miscalculation, I rationalized that we had to hightail it to Bukit Timah if we wanted any chance to catch the sunrise, and that we will get back to Kranji Dam after that riding our original planned route in reverse. We took the most direct route possible to Bukit Timah to make up for the time we didn't have, eventually arriving there twenty minutes later.

After parking our bikes and removing our helmets and gloves, we started our hike up the hill. I knew it would be dark as the sun wasn't out yet, but I was completely blinded by how dark it was. While there were quite a number of people walking up and down the path with flash lights, it was still too dark for me to see my own fingers without turning on one of our own flash lights! It dawned on my then that this was, indeed, a nature reserve! The fact that the Parks Authority took this stand made me smile...though I'm sure nobody could see even my teeth!

In a way, the blindness turned out to be a blessing. You see, the hike up Bukit Timah starts off by taking your breath away...literally...with a slope so steep it could make an ant sweat! This would have been a challenge for any hiker, irrespective of fitness level...and here I am...hiking up with my full riding gear (jacket, pants and boots) on and my helmet in my hands! Hahahaha! What in the world was I thinking? The blessing though was that the darkness stopped me from looking ahead and worrying about how long the slope was going to be. I ended up focusing on what was tangible to me at that time - the next step. And so, one step at a time, I conquered that slope...and promptly encountered another! So it was uphill all the way. After lots of heavy breathing...the three of us eventually made it to the summit, and immediately, I could see that we will not be captivated by any sunrise this morning!

If you have been up Bukit Timah, you would know (and probably remember - unlike me) that the summit is completely surrounded by tall trees. It was a wonderful spot in the afternoon to cool off after a sweaty hike. But it was an impossible spot to see a sunrise! I was just glad my two biker friends did not get annoyed with me (at least not visibly since there wasn't much light still) for lugging them all the way up here, to see what they can probably see in the comfort of their bed at home!

As they say: "no point crying over spilt milk". So with the spirit of making the best of what we had, we went about taking pictures. As the sky was taking much longer to brighten up than a snail would take to travel from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, we took our time to scout around the area for interesting photograph opportunities. I walked around and eventually found an angle for this shot.

I wanted to take a picture that makes it clear that I was at the "Summit of Bukit Timah". I did think of that radio tower that is so synonymous with Bukit Timah. But since some people have absolutely no clue what the summit looked like, I decided that this picture would say it better. I had to crawl on the ground to get this angle. I think its nice to see the carving on the rock together with those trees lit by the brightening sky (now you understand why there's just no way we could see the sunrise!)

The clouds happened to be low and thick this morning...this means the colours of the sky is subdued and desaturated. In fact, there isn't any real colour at all! So I decided to focus on things that are less dependent on the colour of the available light.

I've always enjoyed macro-photography. Actually the term is a misnomer since "macro-photography" is the act of photographing small (micro) things. So strange is the English language! But I digress. I walked around and soon found this dried leaf lying on the grass and I thought it looked really pretty. I could not resist capturing this. I have always loved the way a leaf looks. They're so beautifully formed...even to the very end!

I was all over the place, walking around, looking up, looking down, on my knees, on my elbows, on my back...taking pictures...just minding my own photography business. Suddenly, this set of steps grabbed me and refused to let go!

Captivated, I spent some time examining the steps, admiring the stone work. It was really pretty. Surprisingly, it was colourful too! But I thought it would be nice to stick to black and white for today. So you will have to hike up Bukit Timah if you want to see the brilliant colours! Remember to do it in the early morning or the colours will be different...hehehe!

Not wanting to be outdone, everything else started grabbing my attention. I tell you, there's nothing like taking photographs. After awhile, everything wanted my attention. So I gave my attention to everything that called out to me. Unfortunately, all the pictures I took had that faded "old year book" look. So this is the only other picture I felt you should see.

I try to do my best and give justice to everything that I photograph. This was my best effort for this particular subject. I love it though...its so...its so...its so...ahhh!

Well, soon the whole place is bright and starting to fill up with other folks. I decided its time to head off and get some real riding in before the morning is over. The foot of the hill could not have been more different from earlier. It was now bright, of course, and more interestingly, it was PACKED with cars! Who would have thought this place would be packed on a Sunday morning? People obviously love nature! Wow!

I led the way and off we went according to plan...the alternate plan, that is. We went on many interesting roads...beautiful scenery (sorry no pictures)...great curves...no cars...cool weather...and super dark clouds. Silly me checked the weather forecast up till 7am and was so happy it would be a dry and partly cloudy morning, forgetting that the ride will only end around 9am, and that rain was forecasted for that time. Still, I had to take a stop when we got to the end of Lim Chu Kang Road...for this.

This scene was right in front of us and it would be a crime not to let it slip by without sharing it with you. It was like a scene out of an old Bruce Lee movie (I did mention him sometime ago in another article, didn't I? Hmmm....).  I love the way that jetty is so ragged and how the storm clouds look so threathening, and yet the entire scene is just so serene!

We headed off again soon after trying to avoid the inevitable rain that would come. Our target was a breakfast place at the Kranji Industrial Park nearby. So after making a wrong turn and the first signs of a long shower, we ended back at Kranji Dam.

Yeah, there is more light now and I could not resist taking a picture to show you how big that dark cloud cover was! It wasn't long before the rain would start pouring down!

And rain it did soon after. We got pelted with huge, cold raindrops! Good thing the breakfast place was just a few minutes away. Some prata, dosai and noodles quickly filled us up, while our kopi and teh gave us the perfect excuse to stay dry and chat as the rain continued to pour! It was the perfect end to a wonderful morning ride!

Come join me next time!

23 August 2009 ride report

A couple days ago, I thought that going out for a late night ride with a few other bikers was a good idea. After all, the weather has been pretty good. Even though it did rain in the afternoons, by night fall, the roads were usually dry, the air was cool and the traffic was almost non-existent. I polled around and eventually got two others to join me for this ride. I even planned a route on Google Maps!

It was to be a nice ride with nice curves, uphill and downhill, separated by relaxing, straighter stretches, filled with great spots for night photography with scenes of the harbour, the city, the industrial areas, followed by a little spot of supper if we should get hungry by the end of the ride. Perfect!


Before setting off, I checked the 3-hour nowcast that the National Environment Agency publishes. It signaled a cloudy night with no rain. So I packed my camera bag, got into my gear (without the rain liners), and headed out to meet the other rider.


We should all be familiar with Murphy to know that he's a real busy body and loves to meddle around with everybody's business. So quite characteristically, he decided to show up tonight...yup...it rained! Since we already set out, I decided to just stick with my non-rain gear. My riding mate (only one because the other one was put on standby and could not join us) decided to put on his rain jacket quickly and we continued on our way. We did change our route...but hey...it was a night out riding and nothing was gonna stop the fun!


It was a relatively uneventful ride. We hit the curves at Portsdown Road and it was real fun. We then continued on to South Buona Vista Road and rode downhill, following a few cars and a truck. If you are not familiar with this road, let me tell you that it is the road with the most number of bends in Singapore. So its a real fun ride. But it was wet tonight...and no...we did not skid...but the truck in front of me did while negotiating one of the bends. Good thing we were maintaining a healthy following distance!


So eventually we got to where I really wanted to be - the industrial area of Tuas. I wanted to get there to see the lights. There were still some light showers when we got there but the lights made it worth the while. We rode around the area scouting for good angles and stopped at several places to catch the light.


The first place we stopped was a nice cul-de-sac that was deserted. It did smell rather funny, kinda like a sewer. And then I found out that we stopped right next to some big tanks of process water...still...the view was relatively nice and I managed to get close enough for this shot.

I've always loved flames. I love the way they dance in the breeze. I love the quality of the light that radiates from them. I love their shapes, always changing, always morphing, constantly giving light and warmth to the surrounding darkness. So I simply had to photograph this up close. Don't you think the flame looks so animated?


We made another stop around a long, sweeping bend. There we had a good view of the refinery. Unfortunately, there was a fence that made every picture ugly. So I hopped across the drain and went right up to the fence to take this picture.

There is something special about industrial scenes. I love the multi-coloured lights. I love the big drum tanks, the high chimneys. And I especially love the way the sky looks because of all that stuff that is pumped out. Yeah, not good for the environment, but great for this picture, I think!


We did stop in a few other places and it was really fun. But since it was raining, we decided to call it a night and start heading for home. Along the way, I chanced upon this scene and could not resist stopping for another spot of photography.

It took me awhile to setup this shot...what's more, the road was so deserted, it took us awhile before there were enough cars passing by to experiment with the shot. Eventually, we managed to catch a cab passing by.


It was getting late and we started to see lightning in the sky. So we packed up and decided to get back on our way. As we were riding down a particularly dark and lonely road, we saw this scene on our right and simply had to stop again.

I think this picture is really beautiful! It reminds me of a painting rather than a photograph. Much like some of the paintings I saw when I was at the Musee De Louvre. Immediately after I took this picture, the sky was completely lit up by lightning...and we knew we had to hurry. So off we went again!

This is the route that we took tonight. It is very different from the one I originally planned. It is hard to tell from the picture, but this route is almost 70km long and is almost double the distance of the original one. You can click on the and see the route in Google Maps and follow along our journey.


I'm glad I went on this ride tonight. It was relaxing and made for a perfect end to the day. I can't wait to ride again.


Come join us next time!

23 August 2009 ride report

So early this morning shunoski suggest that we should catch the sunrise at Punggol Jetty. Since it was raining heavily when I saw his post slightly past midnight, I thought it made for a good opportunity for photographs...IF it stopped raining by then. So we agreed to meet up at the jetty at 6:45am. Unfortunately, I got hooked watching some documentary about warships (don't ask why) and stayed up till 2:30am. Anyway, I set my alarm (3 alarms actually) for 5:45am and went to bed.

It was still drizzling when I eventually got up at 6am. I could hear the pitter patter of the rain drops outside my bathroom window. The sound was very pleasant and the air was light. I wasn't sure if it was such a great idea to ride early in the morning in such wet conditions...but an agreement is an agreement and I quickly prepared myself. It takes me awhile to get into my gear...especially early in the morning when I'm trying to be quiet and not wake the house :-)

Eventually I set off. I got to the jetty around 6:40am and the light was already out...as usual...my bed was a little too comfortable for me to want to leave it in the early morning. So I quickly made my way to the jetty and started shooting.

I was shooting for a little while and then I noticed this little motorboat coming into shore. I realized it was picking up some passengers, probably for an early spot of fishing. I waited for it to move off and snapped this picture as I wanted something in the foreground.

I walked around to the west-facing side of the jetty and found that the other side of the beach was strewn with rocks and that someone was walking towards the rocks. I thought it looked very idyllic and serene. So I waited till he got into the frame and snapped this picture.

This picture really reminded me of the many times I went diving and went out early to catch the sunrise on the jetty of the islands that we were at. It also reminded me of the times I was at Bali when I spent the entire morning walking around the beach when the tide was still out. It was fantastic!

I decided to get onto the beach for a different perspective. I had forgotten how slippery the steps were on jetties and was reminded in a very painful way when I slipped and fell down five or six steps. I landed heavily on my back and slid down to the sand. Luckily for me, I was wearing my riding jacket/pants combo which had armour on my back and hips! Still, the fall did take the wind out of me.

Around this time, I noticed a series of waves coming in. You see, it was nice and quiet earlier and I think the tide was just making a move to come in. So I went close to the water edge and snapped some shots with the stones.

I don't know about you but I love stones. They just give me a feeling of strength and beauty. These stones were much larger before. They got to be this small due to the erosion that happens after many years of being washed by the waves. I am sure they will turn into beautiful, smooth pebbles one day, much like the one I saw in the movie Departures.

As I was going to move off, I saw a boat coming in again, this time to disembark a passenger. I thought it was fitting (since I started the series with a boat departing) that I end this series with a boat arriving. I quickly got into position and snapped this.

This reminded me of some old pictures, especially an obscure Bruce Lee one where he came from some part of China and landed in Nanyang (Singapore, I suppose). Of course in the movie the jetty was a much smaller one made of wood. Still, you get the idea.

We headed off after this. On our way out, I noticed the sun was peeking through the clouds and was SO BEAUTIFUL! Unfortunately, I have already packed my camera away. So you will have to wait for another day to see that sight.

Until next time, have a great day!

Visit my smugmug gallery for more pictures.

I've got much to learn!

You know how they say that you can learn something everyday? Well, what they didn't tell you was the "how".

I've been driving many years now and have owned several cars along the way, each with its own peculiar characteristics. There was the little Suzuki which liked to get her battery drained when I forgot to switch off the headlamps, or to get hot and thirsty in the middle of the road and let off loads of steam. Then there was the VW that decided that it was winter in Singapore and refused to cool down the cabin. The fantastic Alfa Romeo whose electric windows decides that my index finger needs a little more exercise by refusing to close with a single touch, requiring me to pull that lever once for each inch of travel...you get the idea. I'd like to think that I've experienced enough on-road mechanical, electrical and electronic failures to be able to deal with this easily...with a single phone call to the emergency response service...until today.

You see, today I was out on the roads, happy as a lark, on my way to meet a nice fella who was willing to show me his new bike. It is a Derbi Terra 125. A class 2B bike that had killer looks, off-road credibility AND could handle the highway easily. It sounds like the ultimate class 2B bike to my ears. No, he isn't selling it. I just wanted to see and feel it for myself if it really existed. But I digress...

So anyway, I was on my way to meet this chap...and suddenly my bike decides that he wanted to stop working. The throttle would not respond and the motor simply stopped. Very similar to how the engine would stop when I ran out of petrol. So I looked at the odometer and saw that I travelled less than 80 miles from the last fill up...that was strange...my bike normally gave me 90-100 miles before hitting reserve! So I put him onto the reserve tank and tried to re-start with the electric start. No deal. I tried to kick start. No deal. I shook the bike left and right (so the petrol can move over to the left side of the tank cos that's where the valve is. Tried again. No deal. And then I realized...I have no emergency response service to call!

The good news is that there was a petrol station with a bike repair service about 1.5km away. The bad news is that I needed to push my bike there...and it is uphill for the first kilometer along Yio Chu Kang Road! Another piece of good news...weather was cool (thanks to the rain)...another piece of bad news...I was in my rain gear...which means, t-shirt, shorts, rain liner top, rain liner pants, jacket, riding pants, riding boots. It was HOT and HEAVY!

Anyway, eventually I got the bike to the shop and the nice chap looked it over. Tried the electric start. No deal. Then he tried to kick start...and the bike came to life! Turned out it was a simple battery problem. He told me that I could have called and they would come change the battery for me...too bad I did not have their number! Also, too bad I didn't know how to do a kickstart properly...I thought I did because I did it before...several times too...but obviously...I have much more to learn.

So yeah...its true what they say about how we learn something everyday. I learnt today that no matter how experienced I am, something new can always happen to make things more interesting. What I really learnt was...that there is no escape. someone up there knew I needed to exercise after last night's dinner...and made sure I did it!