Pulau Ubin: Singapore

Singapore has a few little sister islands that dot the ocean around it's coast. One such island is Pulau Ubin. A great little island you can bike through and explore. We have had it recommended to us a few times, so we figured it was about time we checked it out! Here is the little main street in town. 

 To get there you have to take a water taxi boat. It's a ten minute ride and quite pleasant. Plus a great way to see a different view of Singapore. We rented bikes right away and took to the hills. Unfortunately we didn't rent mountain bikes! We worked hard to get up and down the hills with our fixed gear bikes until we finally got to the look-out that shows the wetlands.

 Once baby Levi got out of the bike, all he wanted to do was run. In fact that's all any of the boys wanted to do. I was not keen on running. I was sweating enough for my taste and wanted to conserve my energy for all those hills we had to ride on the way back to the dock.

 Luckily there were a few big hills we could coast. One such was gravely and bumpy and if you weren't careful you would skid right out and kill everyone on the bike! It was definitely an adventure. We had a close call with one car and saw some lazy dogs, but no other wild adventures to contend with.

 Once we returned our bikes, we stopped at a cafe to get drinks and ice cream. I had no money with me and Patrick used up all the money in his wallet, not thinking about having to pay for the water taxi ride back to the main land. And since it's a small island there isn't one ATM or NETTS machine around. Luckily he had some Yuan (Chinese currency) from his last trip tucked in his wallet, and luckily they were willing to take it after some sweet talk from Patrick. Honestly, I would have never thought of doing something like that! I was glad to have him to navigate the whole thing. 

 This is the shack that greets you just off of the jetty. It made me feel like we were back in Tioman Malaysia! Love the colors, the textures and feel of the islands.

 We actually brought Kai's little strider bike for him to get around on but quickly realized it would not be safe for him. You have to share the roads with other bikers and cars to boot. So it wasn't an option for him. Patrick rented a bike that had three seats. Cache sat in front and Kai was in back. You should have seen him pumping hard up those hills. He's one strong man! Ronin rode his own bike and I got the baby. I love riding bikes with that baby on back. Until he's really tired and ready to get off, and then its kind of stressful.

 Isn't this a charming bike shop? Well, it wasn't the one we rented from. ha!

 This was the boat ride over. Not everyone was excited at the prospects of the day. Ronin started out in a bit of a bad mood but his spirits quickly turned when we finally got the wind whipping through his hair. Baby Levi started out great (although he seems a bit leery in this pic) but by the end of it, all he could do was cry! He did NOT want to go back into that bike seat after his first taste of walking freedom. He cried most of the way back and on all the bumpy hills he would just moan. I'm sure he was really uncomfortable. Kai was worn out too, and sunburned. I think Cache was the only one that kept an even temperment the entire time. 

 Both Patrick and I were so sweaty and worn out when we got home. We couldn't wait to get to bed! In fact I think that was one of the nights we were asleep before the kids were. But, it was a fun chance to get out of Singapore without having to go too far. We will definitely do it again! We realized (again) that we need to take more advantage of what we have offered to us here. Too often we sit by the pool or what's worse, hang out in our tiny apartment. What nonsense!  (although, don't get me wrong, I do NOT think a pool is nonsense. I really do love it and would be pretty content to stay there all day. But biking is fun too ; )

Lastly, I wanted to show this tree. We rode up on to it as it stretched out to the sky. It was shining in the sun. Literally, shining like it was gilded with gold. You couldn't have rode by without stopping. It was the most amazing thing to see. Like a painting or a dream. Just not real, but then real and so inviting and glorious. This was my favorite part of the day. Just staring up into the branches was so peaceful. I could have stayed there forever, but the kids were calling. So glad Patrick got a good shot of it. Wish I could see it again in person. Glorious.