Eddy Blog

HortPark is the latest gardening hub established by the National Parks, Singapore. It is located along Alexandra Road opposite the Alexandra Arch of the Southern Ridges at 33 Hyderabad Road. It features several themed mini gardens and several climatized green houses to house new plants and trees which would be introduced into the soon-to-be-opened Gardens By the Bay.

The HortPark signboard under the Alexandra Arch

Lining the walkway into the HortPark are plants and trees of all shapes and sizes

The Brazilian Red Cloak

Gum Nuts from the Flowering Gum Tree

The Vineyard Restaurant located at the HortPark’s Visitors’ Centre

View of the Alexandra Technopark from the HortPark’s Visitors’ Centre

The Silver Afgekia flowers from Thailand

Elephant Climber flowers

Yellow-vented Bulbul bird pitched up high in the tree. It was a good thing that I was able to spot it as it was quite well-camouflagued.

Silver Bismarck Palms

Now we come to the themed gardens in the park. There is some 20 of them and they are ever evolving as some were under reconstruction

Each of the themed garden is designed by a local landscape design company to showcase their talents

There is a Butterfly Garden but it wasn’t opened on the day I was there.

Some of the designs are avant-garde while others are based on asian or european theme but there seems to be this distinct design which revolves around topless sculptures in either cultures

Now back to the flora part of the HortPark

A beautiful hibiscus flower

I almost didn’t see this lizard, it was actually quite well camouflaged into the color and texture of the tree

At the far end of the HortPark are two rows of Climatized Greenhouses which is the temporary home of the flora which would be part of the upcoming Gardens By the Bay at Marina.

The glass is quite reflective and the weather was quite erratic that day so I couldn’t really take much of the pictures from within the greenhouses

Lavender Star Flower

Blue Pea flower

This almost looks like a rambutan

The Horizontal Garden which is suitable for a land scare island nation like Singapore

There is a pond with kois and arrowanas at the front of the park near the visitors’ centre

Saying goodbye to the wooden monkey and the bended ginger flower, I made my way out of the park.

Entrance to the HortPark is free and it is opened between 6am to 10pm. It is a great place to enjoy the flora and fauna and pick up some gardening or landscaping tips there. They do contact regular seminars on gardening so if you are into such things, it is worth checking them out.

I was in City Square Mall Singapore at the junction of Serangoon and Kitchener Roads and thought I try the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken since I heard so much about it. They serve the famous Taiwanese Shilin Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet with a twist. Other places I tried, they use the chicken thighs and after frying, they would cut up the fried chicken cutlets into small pieces and serve you in a paper bag with a bamboo “satay” stick.

Isn’t it big ? I did not propped out the chicken cutlet to take this picture

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken is different. Their chicken cutlets are huge at probably 20 to 25cm long. There were some chicken ribs bones at the bottom of the cutlet so I suspected that they use the chicken breast sliced and nicely flatten before coating it with batter and frying.

When I ordered, they offered a choice of original or spicy which I naturally ordered the spicy. After payment, I was given a queue number. Apparently the chicken is only fried when you place the order so be prepared to wait about 10 minutes for it to be done. After which, they dusted it with white pepper powder and chilli powder before stuffing it into the paper bag and  handed it to me in the plastic carrier.

As it just came out from the hot boiling oil, it was certainly very hot. The chilli and pepper was kind of mild for me but I guess you cannot have both spicy and pipping hot and still survive after that without breaking out with a burnt tongue and perspiring profusely which would not look good. Good thing they do offer a choice of cold drinks of green tea, red tea or milk tea to accompany the chicken.  I had the green tea which was a tad bit sweet but nevertheless cold and refreshing, perfect with the chicken.

I cannot quite make out what the batter was but it is quite light. The chicken was surprisingly juicy and flavorful, I suspected they might have injected it with seasoning so that it does not taste bland. It took a while to finish it as it was really quite filling. Just remember to watch out for the rib cage bones so they are small and flat so not really cannot be missed. Overall, itt is very good. Too bad there is only one branch in Singapore because if you offer me a choice of the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken or the other fast food fried chicken, I would pick Hot Star any day.

The shop is located #B1-K7 of City Square Mall. The Original/Spicy Large Fried Chicken which I ordered cost S$4, they do have a lemon chicken which cost S$4.50. The Tea is S$1.70. They do offer a choice of a Combo Set for S$6.70 which includes 1 Large Fried Chicken, 1 drink and 1 Sweet Potato Fries with Plum Flavour.

Alexandra Hospital is a public hospital located in Alexandra Road. Prior to 1971, the hospital belong to the British Army and was called the British Military Hospital. It was built in the 1938 and serves as the British Army in the Far East.

In February 14 1942, the Japanese soldiers launched an attack on the patients and staffs of the hospital in retaliation of the retreating Allied Soldiers who they claimed fired on them. On that fateful day, a British Army officer who acted as an envoy approached the Japanese forces with a white flag and was bayonetted to death. When the Japanese soldiers approached the hospital, they massacred staffs, nurses and patients mercilessly. By the next morning, there were about 200 who died in the hospital. Even when the patients surrendered, the Japanese did not feel that the sick were worthy of life and bayonetted them to death. All in all, there were some 320 men and 1 woman who died during this period. There were 5 known survivors of the massacre, they were made to walk the long road to Changi where they were kept as Prisoners-of-war. Those who were unable to walk were wheel carted to their destination.

Alexandra Hospital is now a much better place. It is still a place of healing. There is a garden at the park in Alexandra Hospital which is spectacular. There are butterflies around but none of them want to stay stationary for me to take a picture of them. I guess they are too happy in the sun. The garden was created for the patients to get some sun, enjoy the natural therapy in their road to recovery. It is also opened to visitors to enjoy to take the stigma out of hospitals.

A playground for the young to enjoy

The Koi Pond in the middle of the Garden

The pictures of the different types of birds which were spotted in the garden

There is a butterfly trail in the garden where happy butterflies roam

The Stairs connecting the Bus Stop to the Alexandra Hospital

The Hospital amongst the greenery viewed from Alexandra Road

This used to be the KTM Railroad Crossing between the slip road next to Alexandra Hospital and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE)

The currently constructed condominium project called “Interlace” from afar it does looks like different slabs of the building placed diagonally on top of each other. This was the former site of the Gillman Heights Condominium

Walking to my next location, Hort Park, I saw this two rather interesting road names, Bury Road and Royal Road. There are old black and white houses located in there which I believe was from the British Colonial Era

A little while ago, I added a post on Lower Seletar Reservoir but featured the reservoir from the other end facing the Singapore Straits near Seletar Road where it goes it’s name from. Today post takes me to the other end of the Lower Seletar Reservoir Park located at the junction of Lentor Avenue and Yishun Avenue 1. This is a more accessible part of the reservoir which is located near the Yishun housing estate.

I alighted at Khatib MRT Station on the North South line and took a walk passing the Bottle Tree Park in Yishun. This park is owned by the same owners as the Bottle Tree Village in Sembawang

Across the fishing pond is a bottle tree

I did not enter the Bottle Tree Park this time around as it was drizzling and my main destination is the Lower Seletar Reservoir Park

Finally I reached my destination

The Lower Seletar Reservoir Park is a small 3 hectares park which features a 1.3km jogging track and a fishing jetty. There are two kayaking clubs which uses the reservoir. The Lower Seletar Reservoir was created in 1986 by damming the Seletar River.

The Fishing Platform is a popular fishing spot at this side of the reservoir. I was told that there are Peacock Bass, Toman and Soon Hock fishes in the waters. Fishing is free but there are certain ground rules such as no live baits, no nets and fishing is only permitted using the hook and line with artificial  baits.

You would not fail to see the several satellite dishes from the Singtel’s Seletar Teleport on the other side of the reservoir

The MRT Trains run parallel beside the mouth of the reservoir along Lentor Avenue. In the reservoir there is a isle which used to be packed with birds before the damming of the reservoir. It used to be an estuary leading to the open sea but now it is converted to a fresh water reservoir to cater to the water needs of Singapore

Although it was drizzling when I got there, there were two persons fishing in the early afternoon at the fishing jetty.

The kayaks alongside the banks of the reservoir with the Singapore Orchid Country Club Golf Course in the background

These looks like the Sea Coconut fruit

Approaching the Water Playground and Rain Garden

The Second Jetty

The Golf Course of the Singapore Orchid Country Club

Yishun Street 81 Housing Estate as viewed from the 2nd Jetty

Maps

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The Battle of Singapore during the second world war against the Japanese invading forces lasted 7 days from February 8th 1942 and ended with the surrender of the British forces in Singapore on February 15th 1942 at 5pm. There will be a Remembrance Ceremony on February 15th 2012 at 5pm to be held at the Kranj War Memorial. Veterans of the war and other dignities would be attending. The event is also opened to the public and free transport from the Kranji MRT Station would be provided. I wanted to attend but I am not sure if I would be free on that day and I thought since I was free today, I thought I pop in before that date.

It will take about a 5 minute walk up the narrow road to the Kranji War Memorial located along Woodlands Road

The entrance of the Kranji War Memorial is unmarked

On the right lawn is the State Cemetery which holds the tomb of Singapore’s First and Second Presidents

President Yosof bin Ishak is Singapore’s First Head of State between 1959 to 1965 when Singapore was part of Malaysia and continues to serve as its First President after the separation from Malaysia on August 9th 1965 till November 23 1970 when he passed away. You would find his image all the current series of Singapore’s Currency Notes.

President Benjamin Henry Sheares serves as Singapore’s Second President from January 2nd 1971 to May 12th 1981. I remember seeing President Benjamin Sheares during one of my Red Cross Parade during my primary school. The Benjamin Sheares Bridge and a student residence hall in the National University of Singapore is named after him.

The steps up the Kranji War Memorial

The War Memorial is the final resting place for 4,458 allied servicemen who died during the Second World War in Singapore

During the 2nd World War, the soldiers of the allied forces making up of citizens from all over the British Commonwealth were united irregardless of race and religion in their concentrated effort in repelling the invading Japanese Forces. They lost their lives in fighting for our freedom.

On the both sides of the main memorial and the back are a common grave for a number of fallen allied servicemen during the 2nd World War

In the main memorial are inscribed the names of 24,000 allied soldiers who died during the war and whose body were never found

The Memorial Cross

On the far right side of the memorial lies the bodies of the Armed Forces and Polices who died during the Malayan Communist Insurgency (1948-1960) and the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (1962-1966)

A plague which outline the day by day account of the 7 days of fighting during the second world war in Singapore leading up to its surrender

This is a plague in Memory of Members of Operation Rimau where in September 1944 during the Japanese Occupations, 23 British and Australian Allied Forces travelled by submarine to the outskirt of Singapore Harbour with the mission to destroy Japanese ships. Their vessel was incepted by the Japanese forces resulting in 13 members killed and the rest subsequently executed on July 7 1945

With sadness for the fallen soldiers who defended Singapore and a deeper appreciation for their dedication to fight for our freedom, I made my leave

If you are taking a bus, you can board any of these buses from the Kranji MRT Station on the station side and alight 2 stops after. The Kranji War Memorial opens from 7am to 6pm.

The view of the Kranji War Memorial from the bus stop

I hope that we will never see war again. Too much unnecessary lost of lives where hopes and dreams are cut short. It only leads to misery. Let’s remember what they have done and cherish our freedom. However in difficulties, we saw how much people of all races and religion united against the common enemy.

Maps

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The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the oldest and probably the largest garden park spread over 183 hectares in Singapore. It was established in 1859 by the Agri-Horticultural Society as a leisure park but was subsequently handed over to the government. Henry Nicholas Ridley was the first scientific director from 1888 to 1911. He was responsible for the setting up of the rubber industry in Malaysia and during his time founded a way to tap rubber without hurting the trees.

Professor Eric Holttum who was the director of the gardens between 1925 to 1949 pioneered the science of orchid hybridization and the Singapore Botanic Gardens have been instrumental in developing new hybrids of orchid ever since making Singapore as one of the top commercial centre for orchid production. Impressed with the work at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Hidezo Tanakadate who took over control of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, ensured that nothing in the garden is looted and interned Professor Eric Holttum and Edred John Henry Corner who was the Assistant Director to continue their work.

Subsequently under the new direction of the newly independent Singapore Government, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was task with transforming Singapore as a “Garden City”.

Access to the Singapore Botanic Gardens is free and it opens from 5am to midnight. However, there is a S$5 entrance fee for adult and S$1 for children and those above 60 years old to the National Orchid Garden in the park which opens from 8:30am to 7pm.

There are three entrances to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, one at the Napier Road entrance which can be accessed by bus or taxi from Orchard Road. The second is at Tyersall Avenue which is only accessible if you drive and this is the closest entrance to the National Orchid Garden. The third is from Bukit Timah Road via bus or the newly opened Botanic Garden Station of the Circle Line.

It is a good idea to visit the Botany Centre from the Napier Road entrance

There are several wood cravings at the Botany Centre including this one of an octupus

A craving of a monitor lizard

A craving of a fish

There is an exhibition on Rubber and the work of Henry Ridley in the Botany Centre

The Sun Garden showcases plants from the arid regions including several varieties of cactuses

The Sun Dial Garden

The Sun Dial tells time by casting shadow on a sunny day but if it is cloudy, rains and get dark, it is pretty much useless

That’s Kermit the frog when he is not acting

At the Swan Lake, a swan is looking back at a set of swan sculptures taking off

Even a fish is waiting at the banks of the Swan Lake for a hand out

The Swan Lake is a popular spot for families to enjoy

Walk inside the Waterfall at the Ginger Garden

The waterfall located at the Ginger Garden

Different species of Gingers at the Ginger Garden

Picnic at the Palm Valley under the Palm trees

The Symphony Lake which is where free public concerts are being held several times a year

I am always excited when I see Mandarin Ducks, they actually look rather pretty

At the Eco Park near the Bukit Timah Entrance

Jambu Ayer Fruits

Mangoes on the tree

The very elusive waterhen

There is a lot more to the Singapore Botanic Gardens and I would definitely visit it again. It is definitely worth the effort if you love nature.

I was fortunate to be in the Singapore Zoo in 2004 where there were 2 corpse flower plants there. They are related to the large and stinky flower, Rafflesia which can be found on Borneo Island. The Corpse flower or Amorphophallus paeoniifolius can be India, New Guinea and Northern Australia. The ones I’ve seen are still small and still have not blossom as yet. I am not sure what became of the flowers. Like the Rafflesia, when it blooms, it would stink to high heaven but the flower would only last a few days before it dies.

At this stage, the flower does look like something from a SciFi movie from some unknown planet where little green men are or maybe from the jurassic era.

A closeup of the pollen inside the plant

The whole thing just doesn’t look real until you really get close to it. So far at this stage, there is no odor as the plant is not fully grown yet. When it is fully grown, it can be as high as 6 to 7 feet which is very unusual for a plant. There is another species called amorphophallus titanum which is also called the Corpse Flower can grow up to 3 meters high.

I did not get a chance to visit the zoo after that time so I am not sure what became of the plants.

Update : I asked the Singapore Zoo and they told me that they still have the plant but it has not blossom yet.

As I had something to pick up near Bedok Reservoir, I decided to pop in after my last visit in early 2010. Nothing really much have change apart from a new Bistro and the four pieces of the Berlin Wall which makes Bedok Reservoir home. There is about 4 new condominium projects near the Bedok Reservoir which list the view of the reservoir as the main selling point. The last time I visited it, it was late afternoon and by the time I complete the walk round, it was dark so I could not really take many pictures. This time, I brave the hot afternoon sun and it was a different experience.

Bedok Reservoir is probably one of the largest former quarry turned reservoir park in Singapore and during my visit, I’ve seen people jogging around the park while others were cycling around and enjoying the breeze and the tranquil reservoir. There were water sports like canoeing and water skiing going on in the reservoir and although fishing was allowed, I did not see anyone fish as yet, guess afternoon may not be a good time to do that. There was a family trying their hands climbing the obstacle course and some others just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. If not for those scary news about the place, it is like a little piece of paradise.

I entered Bedok Reservoir through the Western Entrance near Block 744 Bedok Reservoir Road. The estate on this side of the road is a small one which overlooks the Bedok Reservoir.

There is slight uphill jogging track which goes around the park which is about 4.7km in diameter

The path which leads to the reservoir and the floating viewing platform

The floating viewing platform provides a scenic view of the reservoir

Crossing this bridge, I hop on the floating platform. Actually as I was crossing the bridge, I heard a splash in the water, I took a look and it was a monitor lizard that surface for a while before returning back under the water. I waited  a while but did not see it again. I guess it got better things to do then to greet me.

There are even seats on the viewing platform so you do not need to stand to enjoy the view.

The reservoir is really very huge. It was a hot day but there was a nice breeze which makes the walk quite pleasant

The beautiful shoreline

Recently there was an outbreak of midges in the reservoir and they put up nets like these and flog the park twice a day to get rid of the insects

I am not sure how midges look like but there was this insect which flew to my arm

There is even part of the park which has these poles for bird lovers to hoist up their singing birds up. No wonder there was at least 2 shops selling pet birds near the park

Back on the walking path as I circle the park

This should give you an impression on how big the reservoir is

The park is very near the housing estate and 3 schools, Damai Primary School, Damai Secondary School and Bedok West Primary School. This is the bus stop near Damai Secondary School.

This is one of the 4 condominium projects which I saw being built near the park

Just reached the 4.0km mark

The stockpile of sand across the Bedok Reservoir

There is even a Valentine’s Day Run around the reservoir

A pair of love-struck turtles basking in the sun

The Fogging Notice

There is a fishing platform on the reservoir. I guess there are fishes in there but the time I was there, I did not see anyone fishing, guess it was just too hot in the afternoon

There are at least 2 canoeing or water sports clubs along the reservoir

A batch of school students canoeing in Bedok Reservoir

The park maintenance crew on a speed boat

I even saw someone water skiing in the reservoir

The People’s Association Water Venture Club (Bedok Reservoir branch)

A panoramic view from the East Bank of the Bedok Reservoir

The Forest Adventure at the Bedok Reservoir offers an exciting outdoor adventure which takes you through the obstacle course above the trees and over the water

There was some students doing their jog around the reservoir

Temesak Polytechnic is located next to the Bedok Reservoir across the river from where the Forest Adventure is

Apparently the hot weather means there is no rain and no rain means no rapid water flow

Who say that Singapore doesn’t have dinosaurs ? There is three here at the Bedok Reservoir

There is a Bistro at the East Bank of Bedok Reservoir

And this was the main reason for my visit to the Bedok Reservoir. There are 4 slabs of the actual Berlin Wall (slabs 251-254) was donated by Robert A. Herfner III and his Singaporean Wife, Meili. The Berlin Wall separates East Berlin from the rest of Germany and then fall of the wall in 1990 signifies the end of communism in East Germany and the final reunification of a united Germany.

And now the wall

The Berlin Wall was filled with Graffiti Artwork on the West Berlin side

The Wall is encased in a glass and metal casing to preserve them. Although it is just slabs of cement but what it signifies is monumental.

I came and saw what I wanted to see. I am humbled by the wall

With a Kickapoo Joy Juice in hand, I make my way out of the park. Who say money cannot buy joy, it only cost me just S$1.20

Flanged between Hougang Avenue 8 and Hougang Avenue 10 is Punggol Park. At the far end of the park is the Sungei Pinang which currently flows into the Serangoon Reservoir. It has 16 hectares in size and has a 4 hectares lake in the middle of the park.

When you enter Punggol Park, you will be greeted by these tall palm trees

A shelter leading to the lake

The lake overlooks the Houang housing estate

The Church of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (Catholic) with its steeple  in the distance

There are some snail eggs lying the parameters of the lake

A nice spot to enjoy the lake

There is a playground for the young and the young at heart

The drain along Hougang Avenue 10 which runs into Sungei Pinang

The next leg of my journey took me along Buangkok Drive and round the other side of the Punggol Park

Hopping over to the other side of the river

Reaching the new highway over Sungei Pinang

There are people fishing along the Sungei Pinang river

The edge of the Punggol Park

Went down the steps and found the walkway to the Serangoon Park Connector

The Sungei Pinang river does have this very rusty feel to it

There is a secluded pathway through the jungle track to the banks of the river

The Sungei Pinang is teeming with wildlife. In fact, I’ve seen Herons, Egrets, Sandpipers and even a turtle at the river. Since there are people fishing along the river, I would believe there are fishes and crabs in there.

And then I saw this … It is probably someone’s else definitely of “wild” life.

Someone fishing in the river

Serangoon Secondary School seen from the Park Connector

I ended my journey at the junction of Hougang and Tampines where a several blocks of flats were being cornered off before being demolished

In my previous blog, I spelt “Punggol” as “Ponggol” as that was the old name which I remembered. I believe some time during the estate renewal from a farming village to a new housing estate, they have renamed the road. There is still two roads, Ponggol Seventeen Avenue and Ponggol Twenty-Fourth Avenue still retains the old spelling. These are still the rural roads which have not been touched by mass development.

I do hope that even with the pace of rural development and modernization that we see in Singapore, that we will still retain some of the rural and wildlife green zones so that the future generations can enjoy.

The Labrador Nature Reserve or Labrador Park is a lush coastal park which has a rich biodiversity and was part of the British Coastal Defense during the Second World War. There is a fort and several machine gun posts still existing in the park.

I visited Labrador Park in 2009 before the completion of the Labrador Park Station of the Circle Line and the Berlayer Creek Walk. So I took the long walk through Labrador Villa Road

I’ve arrived at the beach front

There is a beach side restaurant at Labrador Park

House No 30 at Bukit Chermin Road which was built in the early 1900s and was occupied by the high ranking officer of the port, most probably the port master.

A replica of the Dragon’s Teeth Gate or known as Batu Berlayer to the Malays and Long Ya Men to the Chinese which once guided ships into Keppel Harbour. The British called the rock formation as Lot’s Wife as it reference to Abraham’s nephew’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt. The original rocks were blown up in 1848 by the British to widen the channel for bigger ships to enter. A replica was built at the spot of the rock formation in 2005 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He voyage.

A Red Berlayer Beacon was constructed as a replacement for the Dragon’s Teeth Gate

Caribbean by Keppel Bay and the Marina at Keppel Bay in the distance

Harbour Front to the far left and PSA’s Keppel Terminal in the distance

A Machine Gun Port built by the British. There were several of these along Labrador Beach

The Labrador Jetty in the distance

The fruit and flower of the Fish Poison Tree. All parts of the tree are poisonous. The seeds when grounded up can be used as fish poison which would suffocate the fish but does not harm the flesh of the fish and thus can be eaten

The Labrador Jetty (formerly the BP Jetty) was a popular fishing jetty but have seen been closed due to safety issues

The rocky shores of Labrador Park

View of the Labrador Jetty from on top of the hill

Boardwalk up the hill

The Olive Restorante at Labrador Park

Fort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery was one of the 11 coastal artillery fort built by the British in the 19th century to defend Keppel Harbour against piracy and foreign powers. The guns were used during the Second World War in the battle of Pasir Panjang against the Japanese invading force advances towards the Malay Regiment in Bukit Chandu. As the fort were equipped with  armor-peircing rounds and not high explosive rounds, it did little to stop the advance of the Japanese troops.

I end my journey here and I do plan to return to Labrador Nature Reserve soon especially through the Berlayer Creek trail which is now opened.

This also concludes my journey through all the coastal parks of Singapore which are publicly accessible.