Off the beaten track

Much is still unexplored by many in the remote Northwestern region of Singapore. An area far from civilisation, one would not be expected to go there for any other purpose than work in one of the industrial plants, warehouses, farms, or even secret installations amongst the shroud of undisturbed forests. Having gone by foot into the Kranji area a few years back; but turned around after i figured the road ahead to be a little too uncertain, im glad i did not continue on - for the road ahead was way too long for walking, and being stuck in such a place far from civilisation is no fun even for the curious explorer.

but this time i returned again on my trusty bike, for dual purpose of 'exotic' exploration and a good workout. I had to make sure i knew the route, carefully tracking the roads out on google maps and trying to remember any possible landmarks in the unambiguous landscape. sure, its not too easy to get lost in singapore, but its sure easy to make a wrong turn in a place like that.

First, i'd be taking it northwards on the long stretch of upper bukit timah road. due to a lack of proper pedestrian footpaths or cycling tracks; plus numerous construction works, the only way for a smooth ride was cycling on the main road, with cars, buses and lorries whizzing by beside.

i find, the drivers are more afraid of me than i am of them...

the first turn is into the Kranji industrial area, just past the last trace of residences at Yew Tee. this area has only warehouses, manufacturing plants and lowrise offices. makes for a rather un-singaporean landscape already.

A cement factory, i believe.

Out from the dusty industrial place, suddenly it leads to a serene mostly-natural environment at the Kranji reservoir. A land bridge separates the reservoir from the sea, with Johor in the backdrop, and connects the industrial area to the agricultural region on the other side. Theres even benches along the waters, like a regular park. as if honeymooning couples would come to this inaccessible place.

looks pretty good for fishing from a distance. even 'no fishing' signs are put up. but at a closer look, the water turns out to be green with algae, and you'd doubt if any edible sea creatures would survive here anyways.

This is a really intriguing facility, like some sort of a space station. no labels, no signboards, and surrounded by high security fences as seen around army camps. in the vast open field around the facility stands several 'alien antennas' like the one shown below. getting extraterrestrial signals?

Yes, this is in singapore, though it looks more like an european countryside. The northwest region holds many farms... vegetables, fruits, goats too. the smell of a farmville is not something we come across every other day - and especially for a goat farm, its a blessed relief we dont smell it everyday.

The roads in this area is also especially perilous - there are only single carriageway roads which are even narrower than regular ones at residential areas. they are barely wide enough for a truck to fit in, and needless to say, no footpaths. lorries and heavy vehicles would be constantly passing by. i tried to keep left as much as possible without falling into a ditch or having overgrown roadside shrubs slapping my face. the heavy trucks would have no way to keep right when another vehicle is oncoming, thus passing beside me by a few feet, feeling the strong wind resistance in its wake. sure freaks me out sometimes, but i guess the driver was a more nervous wreck.

I chanced upon the D'kranji farm resort, a unique of its kind in singapore. it has its own vegetable and fish farm! the rooms are like proper chalets. guests aint sleeping in a straw hut.
a friend who had his birthday party here said many of his friends and their taxi drivers got lost in the area, going round in clueless circles and raking up an enormous fare. such speaks of the inaccessiblity of this  natural retreat.

This is the straight, long freeway that spans from where my camp is until ama keng road. its time to simply go cruisin down! the stripes in the middle makes an excellent path to cycle on. however, in a large open space like this, one would better hope the wind is in his favor; or the wind resistance might prove much of an inconvenience.

Halfway through the freeway, dark clouds loomed over the sky. soon, tiny raindrops drizzled upon me, and steadily growing bigger. thunder cracked in the distance, echoing through the open air. a bolt of lightning struck just behind that chicken farm. in a large open space like this, i should be worried about lightning!
legend has it, though, that i made it through without being struck by lightning.

no more pictures were taken after this, of course. i only concentrated on turbo-ing my way back in the pouring rain. i was soon back in familiar territory anyways, and that concluded a good exploration trip.