Frisky Room: Pulau Ubin, Singapore

Once upon a time a Frog, a Pig and an Elephant challenged each other to race from Singapore to Johor (Malaysia) across the straits. And anyone that failed would be turned into rock. The Frog gave up and turned into Pulau Sekudu or the Frog Island, which has a large frog-shaped boulder. When the Pig and the Elephant gave up, they turned into Pulau Ubin. Interesting.. Isn't it..

This is the traditional story of the formation of the Island Pulau Ubin.

Pulau Ubin, is said to be the last village in Singapore. And true, it is a village. For everyone who want to be away from the metro life of Singapore, this is the place. Nearest, Cheapest and the Liveliest.

After 2 weeks of my arrival to Singapore, i went to go this place.

At the Ferry terminal

It's just a 10 mins bum boat ride (S$2.50 per ride) from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
The Bum boat carries only 12 passengers per trip. As i was a lone traveler and as there were all large groups, I had to wait for about 30 mins for my turn. And i reached Ubin by 10 AM.

Bum-boat

Entrance, Pulau Ubin

Got my vehicle (rented bicycle) ready and started riding towards Chek Jawa.

My cycle.. My friend for the day!!

There were sign boards and directions almost in all important corners of Ubin.

There were many huts through out the village for the tourists sit for a while or to protect from rain.

As I heard that Check Jawa is the must go place, I decided to go to Chek Jawa first.

One of the village houses on the way

As i cycled, some where in the middle I lost my way and ended up the Noordin camping site, which is a scenic beauty. It was the end point in that direction. There were small rooms in the place which are supposed to be the rooms of Ubin Museum but were locked. There was kayaking nearby, i could only see a part of kayaks. Had my breakfast there and turned back.

Noordin Campsite

On the way

After so many uphill and downhill slopes and a mountain biking alike track, finally reached Check Jawa.

It has abandoned but beautiful quarries,

The first house,

Viewing Jetty,

A coastal Boardwalk,

Abandoned Pier

A mangrove Boardwalk,

Mangroves

The Nipah fruit

A viewing tower,

From the viewing tower

Damn hungry by then. and decided to go to the village entrance to have my lunch. While cycling back, rain started. Before i get wet, I was able to get into a hut and waited.

Rain!!

Finally after one and half hour of heavy rain, it was just drizzling. (it was like that till the evening :( ). After having my lunch, I started exploring the 3rd direction. (The first being the entrance) The Mamam camping site,

Mamam campsite

few houses (don know why they are used),

Empty houses

and the German girl Shrine temple.

Here is one more story.

GERMAN GIRL STORY.

According to local oral history, there was a German coffee plantation manager who lived in Eastern Pulau Ubin. The planter had a wife and a beautiful daughter. In August 1914 when Britain entered World War I, British soldiers came to inter the German family. Frightened, the German girl ran away and tried to escape into the night but fell down a cliff and died. Boyanese plantation workers found her body the next day covered in ants, and buried it in the sand, laid flowers, said prayers and burned for her. Some Chinese who saw her ghost then reburied her at the top of the hill.

After the war the German family was released but due to language difficulties, was unable to find out where their daughter was and returned to Germany. The German girl became a local Chinese deity and they worshiped at her grave. When the land was taken over by a quarry and the quarrying extended towards her grave in 1974, they exhumed her remains - a bit of hair and bone and a crucifix, and put them in an urn and built a shrine for her. They called her Na du Gu niang, nadu being the Chinese transliteration of the Malay datuk, and gu niang meaning maiden.

Some time later the urn with her remains was stolen. So, an empty replacement urn now stands there in its stead. Worshipers bring her offerings of cosmetics.

German girl Shrine

This temple is located at the first level of mountain biking track. and there is no direction given to reach the shrine. May be that's why i think there were no around there.

Did not go for the mountain biking as i was not prepared for that.

While returning, went for a small trek.