Brewing in Singapore

One man's adventure of brewing beer in Asia.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Two Wheels Good

People that say there is noting to do in Singapore don't ride their bike enough (or maybe they don't even own one). Singapore is fairly small so you can ride around the island in a day if you wanted to (bring lots of sun screen) or ride across and back. But even though it is small there area a lot places to go and fascinating things to see - and a bicycle is the best way to see most of it.

I like to ride (although I am not what most bike riders would call fast). I ride to or from work most days of the week (about 20 km) and I try to get out at least once a weekend (when I am in town).

The great thing about riding your bike is - well, there are so many great things about riding a bike - it's great exercise, you are outdoors, it is faster than walking, yet slow enough to see things and stop to explore if you want, there free always parking everywhere, it's cheap, you don't burn any petrol, you can go places you never could in a car, and it fun. I have ridden to most of the western and southern parts of the island , I still need to explore the northern and farthest eastern parts - there a lot to see.

Many people who live here have never been to Lim Chu Kang or to Raffle's Marina. You might know that there a great goat farm in Lim Chi Kang but have you ever visited it ? Or been out to Marina south where the old shuttle boats ferry people to and from the thousands of freighters that make call here each year. Or visited Bukit Brown Cemetery and looked for Pontianak ? Okay, so maybe you wouldn't really want to find a Pontianak - but my point is there is a lot to do and see in Singapore.

I got out for a ride twice this weekend . On Saturday I went out by myself and rode to Marina South, and on Sunday I met up with my friend James and we rode around some of the parks out west. Both rides were great - over one weekend I went to Kent Ridge Park, The Hort Park (horticultural park), Labrador Park (and the piers near by), Telok Blanga Hill Park, Mount Faber Park, Marina Padang, Marina South piers, Commonwealth park (and the green space off Portsdown rd), Kepple Golf course (we did not ride thru the course), visited the Singapore/Malaysia train station, crossed Henderson Bridge (http://www.flickr.com/photos/55592119@N00/3355136443/), Alexandra arch, the elevated forest walk, explored many back alleys, found out where the Kent Ridge mountain bike trail starts, found two new places to eat and found 5 new bars (El Barrio - maybe Singapore's best/worst dive bar). And I found a cool biking web site some more. True I had been to some of this before but I went to a ton of new places too.

Man, there is a lot to do and see in Singapore - and on two wheels is your best bet!

Check out the routes on the cool bike site -

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/HV-to-Marina-south-loop

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/West-cost-Parks

for picture of the weekends rides check

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55592119@N00/