Singapore Circa 1970

Last weekend I did my favorite thing since moving to Singapore. I went bike riding on Pulau Ubin with Alice and a very lovely dutch couple, Laurens & Tjitske. This tiny little piece of paradise is only a 10 minute ferry ride away, But, when we landed it felt like we had traveled back in time about 40 years. As soon as we docked, our first mission was to find some good bikes. As you can see, there were plenty to choose from.

After testing a few out, making sure the brakes & gears were working properly and making a deal with the “rental company”, we set off to explore the island.

It was incredible. So peaceful and charming. No crowds, very few cars and lots and lots of bikers. It’s one of the only remaining places in Singapore that hasn’t been touched by urbanization. You can even see some of these traditional kampong houses from the bike path.

According to the cabby who dropped me off at the ferry, this it what Singapore felt like back in the 70’s. The 70’s! Wow, that’s not really not that long ago if you think about it. Part of me wishes all of Singapore still looked like this. But, if that were the case I guess I wouldn’t be here. Unless Proximity/BBDO was running out of one of these wooden houses. Which would be pretty rad if you ask me.

In the 60’s, this island supported a few thousand people through granite mining. The quarries were abandoned moons ago, but you can still see the aftermath of all that digging in these beautiful lakes. Does anyone know why the water is this color? Ya, neither do I, or Wikipedia.

We wheeled around this island for the majority of the day. There’s lots of cool wildlife  (according to the signs we saw), but the only thing I got to see was a wild boar and her baby. I apologize for yet another shit photo. Apparently, getting a good shot is hard when you’re preparing to run for your life.

At the end of our ride, we stopped in the village for a drink . Here are a few photos I snapped while sipping on my much deserved Sprite. (you know the ride was a good workout when I choose Sprite over Tiger beer)

This lady was feeding her dog with chopsticks. So freaking cute. One of my favorite pictures to date.

After hydrating, we walked back down to the dock and caught the next boat back to the city. Here’s a look at what they ferries were like.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. Up next, scuba diving in Malaysia. I spent this week taking classes and learning how! So prepare yourself for pictures of me in a wetsuit and blurry sea life.