Coast-to-Coast Trail: The Journey Continued

When I did Coast-to-Coast Trail last December, I never expected to repeat this trail again. I thought once was enough, but then my ex-housemate Lina asked if I was going to do it again. Since there was an interest, I didn't mind organizing it. That's when the journey continued.

Checkpoint 5.

We resumed where Yani and I left off: Checkpoint 5. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is located around the centre of three stations. Two of them were where the Park got the name from. The other one was Marymount. We decided to start from Bishan. It looked quite close from Google Maps, but it turned out that checkpoint was still quite far from Bishan MRT, haha.

We weren't complaining, though. It was a fine morning and the other half of the park before the checkpoint looked amazing, thanks to the greenery and shallow river. It was so beautiful that we actually went for a proper visit a week later, haha. What's more fascinating was the signboard about what to do if we encountered a stingray. When I saw it, I was like, "really?"

Visiting Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, a week later.
Photo by Yani.

Anyway, back to Checkpoint 5, we reached there at 9.20am and started walking from there. We passed by Ang Mo Kio Hub and Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West as we made our way to Luxus Hills Park. I don't know if it's just me, but half way through our journey, the view all became too familiar. Probably because I had passed by the road quite often.

Checkpoint 6, before Kampong Lorong Buangkok.

It got better after we reached Checkpoint 6. The next route brought us to Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last village in Singapore! I'd heard about it, but this was the first time in 15 years that I ever had a chance to check it out! It looked like... well, if you came from countries like Indonesia, Kampong Lorong Buangkok looks familiar, except it is located next to one wide canal that somehow reminded me of Japan.

We had a detour for lunch before reaching Checkpoint 7. Since all of us love kolo mee and the three who studied in Kuching were feeling nostalgic, we went for it. After a long walk, it was good to sit down and drink something cold, haha. The meal could have been better, but the togetherness was splendid. 

Enjoying kolo mee.
Photo by Liwana.

It was noon time when we resumed our journey. With a full stomach and waning enthusiasm, the last leg of the trip felt challenging. But still we shouldered on. The scenery around Punggol was new to me and it did help in maintaining the last shred of interest. But once Liwana parted ways with us and we decided to had a toilet break at the Waterway Point Mall nearby, that was it. We called it a day, sat down to drink Koi and went home after that. 

We never made it to Checkpoint 8. In hindsight, it had lost its excitement and started to feel like a chore. It was fun to do it the first time, because we didn't know what to expect and the experience was entirely new. The second time, not so much. It's like, "been there, done that." This doesn't mean I dislike going for a morning walk. I still love doing it, but I just need a new trail. Only by walking one can discover and appreciate the beauty of Singapore! 

Last stop: Checkpoint 7.

Coast-to-Coast Trail Lagi!

Ketika saya menjajal Coast-to-Coast Trail di bulan Desember lalu, saya tidak pernah berpikir untuk mengulanginya lagi. Saya kira sekali saja cukup, namun Lina, mantan teman serumah di Kembangan, bertanya apakah saya akan berjalan pagi lagi. Karena ada yang berminat, saya pun tidak keberatan untuk mengkoordinir. Perjalanan menyusuri Coast-to-Coast Trail pun berlanjut. 

Checkpoint 5.

Kita mulai dari Checkpoint 5, tempat terakhir di perjalanan sebelumnya. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park terletak di antara tiga stasiun MRT. Dua stasiun dipakai namanya sebagai nama taman dan yang satunya lagi adalah Marymount. Kita memutuskan untuk mulai dari Bishan, sebab posisinya terlihat lebih dekat di Google Maps. Ternyata jaraknya lumayan juga setelah ditempuh, haha. 

Akan tetapi kita tidak mengeluh. Pagi itu cukup cerah. Hijaunya pemandangan dan juga sungai dangkal yang kita lalui sangat memikat mata. Begitu indahnya sehingga kita memutuskan untuk mengunjungi taman ini di minggu berikutnya. Satu hal yang unik di sini adalah papan peringatan tentang ikan pari. Pas saya pertama kali melihat ini, reaksi saya langsung, "ah, yang benar saja?" 

Mengunjungi Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park di minggu berikutnya.
Foto oleh Yani.

Kembali ke Checkpoint 5 yang kita bicarakan barusan, kita sampai di sini jam 9.20 pagi dan memulai rute perjalanan dari sana. Kita melewati Ang Mo Kio Hub dan Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West sewaktu menuju Luxus Hills Park. Mungkin ini cuma perasaan saya semata, tapi rute yang kita lalui setelah Ang Mo Kio tidaklah terlalu menarik. Ini mungkin dikarenakan saya sering melewati jalan tersebut.

Checkpoint 6, before Kampong Lorong Buangkok.

Setelah Checkpoint 6, barulah sesuatu yang baru muncul di depan mata: Kampong Lorong Buangkok, kampung terakhir di Singapura! Saya sudah cukup mendengar tentang tempat ini, tapi setelah 15 tahun tinggal di Singapura, baru kali saya melihat langsung keberadaan kampung ini! Suasananya seperti... kampung yang biasa terlihat di Indonesia. Bedanya cuma kanal lebar di samping kampung yang mengingatkan saya tentang Jepang. 

Sebelum mencapai Checkpoint 7, kita menyimpang sedikit untuk makan siang. Karena kita semua menyukai kolo mee dan tiga teman kita yang pernah kuliah di Kuching ingin bernostalgia, jadi kita pun menyantap mie yang khas Sarawak ini. Setelah berjalan cukup lama, enak rasanya duduk dan minum minuman yang dingin. Mienya lumayan, terbantu oleh kebersamaan kita sebagai teman lama. 

Menikmati kolo mee.
Foto oleh Liwana.

Usai makan siang, perjalanan terasa lebih menantang dari sebelumnya. Hari sudah siang, perut kenyang dan semangat pun kian pudar, namun kita tetap lanjut. Pemandangan di sekitar Punggol terlihat baru bagi saya dan masih menarik perhatian, namun ketika Liwana berpisah dan kita memutuskan untuk mampir sejenak ke toilet di mal Waterway Point, acara akhirnya bubar. Setelah bersantai menikmati Koi, kita pun pulang ke rumah masing-masing. 

Kita tidak pernah mencapai Checkpoint 8 yang sebenarnya sudah tidak terlalu jauh dari mal. Kalau dilihat kembali, antusiasmenya memang sudah pudar dan acaranya mulai terasa seperti pekerjaan, hehe. Di kali pertama saya menyusuri Coast-to-Coast Trail, rasanya seru karena terasa seperti petualangan baru. Di kali kedua, rasanya sudah pernah dan tidak terlalu menarik lagi. Ini bukan berarti saya kini bosan dengan aktivitas jalan pagi, tapi saya jelas butuh rute yang baru. Berjalan kaki adalah cara yang tepat untuk mengagumi keindahan Singapura! 

Last stop: Checkpoint 7.