Trip - Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park II

Hi Blog,

Christmas eve, what do you usually do on this date? I would like to know if I can ever hear from any of my readers. To me, it is just another typical day.

Hmm... Taking pictures downward worried me a lot... my imagination tends to go too far

So today where have I decided to go?

Based on the title, yes, I was going to that popular hillside and if you happened to miss my previous visit, you can click here.

Getting ready and at least, got a chance to go for a hike. Today, Xy requested to go there and need some guidance.

Good morning plants, I guessed that I need to find some ways to document you guys.

What a quiet Saturday. Typically, I will see people here and there.

Good morning Mr Sun, Thanks for following me today. Let's go!

Wearing my trisuit to train seemed like a norm to me... No one bothers, LOL. What am I expecting from a stupid nerd? Hahaha. At least better than they threw a disgusted expression.

Meeting XY at Bukit Gombak station and I heard that he has never stepped foot here before and won't plan to visit here again, so I suggested bringing him to one beautiful place to test out his new camera.

Yes, I brought him to Little Guilin.

Nice! No one around here!

(Credit XY) I told XY, he can try to snap some insects with his newly purchased DSLR. It seemed like the joy of snapping off a little critter.

(Credit XY) Trying another critter, the one which I kind of dislike meeting during my hike.

Checking and thumb up for his clear photography which I like a lot and asked him to snap some pictures of me on this trip. Hahaha!

Ooo, very nice Christmas Moss on the pavement. I decided to comb a bit back to grow.

Little Guilin (aka Bukit Gombak Quarry) is a beauty on this little red dot. I believe oversea will have a better scene but I just appreciated what is in front of me.

Since I was here, let's snap some pictures...

...with the beautiful quarry.

Or re-positioned for different angles; I still love this angle which we are smaller than the quarry than those above.

(Credit XY) Nice gentle sun ray stone onto the lake.

(Credit XY) I told XY about the beauty of the moss. I will like to collect some moss for my Baobab Bonsai making but such a beautiful one, I will leave it there so others can appreciate it too.

(Credit XY) Ooo my! I love how high-resolution XY's camera has to offer! I can see how ugly my face is by zooming in! But I really love it!

Now looking back at my less- resolution images, I feel so apologetic to my blog for not giving my best quality. I guess it is time to upgrade my camera.

My camera had walked with me for many years and I will utilise it until it completed its life.

Nice willow tree making this place soft and quiet.

Oh dear, I forgot to snap a paranoia shot of this place.

Do I look good with the willow tree?

or just sit down to appear Zen with the quarry hill or (Credit XY) captured by XY while I posed for a picture.

(Credit XY) Thanks XY for making my blog something new.

...and time to focus on the blog title.

I'm glad he won't mind me in trisuit attire.

Okay! Getting near to the hillside.

Thanks goodness, today's weather was good.

(Credit XY) Do you see the entrance here? Let me show you!

It seemed like I entered the wrong place?

Nope, once you know where it leads; you will get there eventually.

(Credit XY) Comparison time. Okay! your camera wins!

I was explaining to XY that those rocks here are all artificially man-made.

A familiarised path from my previous trip just made me recap my memory and today's objective was to find the Toril Gates for XY and I was to find a Bamboo Wood here. 

(Credit XY) Love the depth and blurriness

Okay! let's go in further.

Ah, along the way, we found a giant Golden Orb Spider (Nephila pilipes guarding the path and the perfect moment to test XY's photography skill. For me, I need to switch to my Huawei phone. What a beautiful spider.

Typically, many people will try to snap pictures from afar and can't see many details; but also depend on individual storytelling. Personally, I love close-up shots like the above.

Like maybe I just wanted to explain how wide and majestic its web 🕸 covered... Or having some moment of wild imagination. :3

Different angles of an object can have a great impact or appreciation towards the object. I took its backside of it but I will prefer to show the beautiful side of it, which shows its yellow and red markings belly (pictured above).

(Credit XY) But nothing can compare to XY's photo quality. The Funny was, it took him a while to get clearer and more focused shots because it was moving gently due to the wind's disturbance and our bodies' movement.

Anyway, we hang there too long, and ants and mosquitoes started to explore us.

The highlight feature of Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park is this Well.

(Credit XY) It was a perfect photo spot and one of the easiest before exploring the rest.

Time to enter here to find the legendary Toril Gates.

My memory didn't fail me... Just after a few steps up...

We found our Toril Gates!

But it was heavily damaged... due to a long period of zero maintenance and rotting logs...

It seemed unsafe to go in a bigger group and it will cause a possible risk for anyone who decides to walk on it.

I decided to risk myself by taking baby steps on the log carefully.

Mr Sun also wanted to see this Toril Gates for the last moment.

(Credit XY) Yes, Mr Sun, believe me... perhaps two/three years later, this place will be heavily damaged/renovated.

Hope they can reserve the idea of Toril Gates in their new instalment.

Because it is definitely unique in Singapore Nature Park.

This table got some new plants growing on it, as compared to my first visit here.

Let's snap more of this Toril Gates

(Credit XY) XY had some ideas to let Mr Sun participate in the picture as if I have a shield protecting me.

This one had some background story. Next turn, I was helping XY with his picture with the Toril Gates, but somehow Mr Sun's glare hit too hard on the lens (Similar to mine but worse), then I told him to sit down to appear Zen because that glare might be a good effect after all. But somehow, Miss Cloud helped to stop the glare by covering it up with dark clouds...  (like the picture on the left) for like ten mins. XY was also trying to maintain his sitting position as he was sitting directly on his feet than on the dirty platform; so it was torturing for him. Just when we were about to give up, Heaven gave us some chance by letting a bit of the light and formed this nice 🌈. It was a perfect moment which required XY to maintain his expression and sitting position. (like the picture on the right) Lesson learned: We have to learn to treasure every moment for us to learn to be strong and have a little bit of faith, and then Heaven will grant us a little growth.

After checking off the Toril Gates, next will be finding the Bamboo Wood here... Hmm... where can I start...

Looking around... and get some inspiration...

My gut feeling told me that I should take this uphill path.

Aimless but can sense the footsteps here. I will be closed...

Spotted a group of fungus - bracket mushrooms

Ooo we got to the summit and no sign of bamboo but I saw a few bamboo trees along the way up.

Ooo some HDB flats were developing, I guess this garden won't stay too long

(Credit XY) Loved these pictures because that showcased how a weirdo dressed up inappropriately for the hike. If some demigods dressed up like me, I believe the outcome will be positive and acceptable.

Anyway, Nature led me well... After entering this opening...

I found my Bamboo Wood!

Thank you Mother Nature for giving me the gut feelings.

I wondered what was their plan or purpose to have bamboo wood in this park?

Barely spotted any grass growing beneath the bamboo. That's odd but one thing is for sure, it is definitely one of the most invasive plants on earth once it is established.

The established bamboo can grow 4cm per hour!

They are just giant size grass!

XY was busy snapping here.

(Credit XY) Thanks for snapping for me :) At least, having pictures of me in high definition. LOL!

Thanks XY for accompanying me to find this bamboo wood.

And we won't return here anymore unless there is something new here. For any reader, try to visit here before it closed or goes completely. Just take note when you are at Toril Gates as the logs are just unstable.

LOL! I brought back some Christmas Moss and hope it will well.

I love to have high-definition pictures which can spice up my blog but I don't know if it will happen for every post I have. 

Jeff