Hiking - West Side of Keppel Hill

Hi Blog,

After yesterday's hike with Mr L and his friends to visit the Great Banyan Tree and a new discovery (for me) beside Keppel Reservoir, I decided to go on my own today.

Thanks, Heaven didn't rain in the morning.

Nowadays, there is nothing new and exciting location in Singapore so any newer places are always exciting for me. (I just have to stop visiting abandoned building locations)

I checked my new phone and realised that I had not yet installed the map.

This was the place where I wanted to explore.

Gerring ready...

With a top over.

Believe me... Even wearing a top over also can't help... I just bumped into my auntie who stayed near us, she commented that it is an ugly sight and highly recommended I wear a short over and reminded me to set a good role model for kids and people around me...

To think back... No wonder my cousins do not want to mix around with this stupid weirdo... Oh well... Believe me... Even if I start wearing shorts... They will not mix with me too...

Anyway... My trisuit life is a short one, one day I will stop wearing it because I am getting old. Okay... Pull me back to today's hike.

I guessed before I go straight to the new place, let's visit that tree again.

Let's go, shall we?

Today's sky was much blueish compared to yesterday.

Keep up the positive vibe!

Okay, same familiar entrance and I wondered will I be the only visitor for the day.

Time to feed the mosquitoes. The number of mosquitoes here is unbelievable... How does the resident here live in such a condition?

Is it the Banyan Tree that we are looking for? Nope, but this one is beautiful.

Let me show you my motorbike and yes it is useless. Haha 🤣

I loved a shot of me with the greenery

I also love the moment when Mr. Sun recharged me with his grace.

Because it embraced my untoned body.

Quiet and noisy wood noise are the healthy sounds.

I hope someone can bring me to explore other cross junctions if anything is interesting to explore.

The water pipeline goes to nowhere.

Good morning, Great Banyan.

Just love how massive and tall the banyan tree is here.

As the root system is quite well defined as compared to other Banyan trees...

...which they are tightly packed all together. Here, you can move in between its roots.

Very dramatic roots and these are sturdy roots.

Perfect for a Tarzan shot or group photo...

...now just the tree and I.

My wild imagination started to kick in too.

Just check this one out.

Like a tree home filled with ants!

My Imagination was burning...

...imagining that these roots are alive.

Anyway, so sorry Grand Banyan Tree, I had to explore elsewhere so can't stay long for my imagination. See you again.

I wondered if anyone is growing a Banyan Tree themselves?

Alright, stay focused on the title.

But do take advantage of a picture with this epic tree.

Alright, let's start our journey here.

Thanks, Heaven for a dry morning.

We met again, in an unknown bunker. Whenever I see you, I will always remember the scary scene I caused last time and it becomes one of the jokes which I always share with whoever I bring here.

Time to conquer this steep sloop: easy for now and might be challenging in future for me

Will I still be hiking in future?

I know one thing...

If I can still walk and Mr. Sun shines on my path, I will continue my hike.

Just enjoy the present.

This place won't always be there.

The simple Keppel Reservoir...

Mr. Sun loves this place.

I hope to snap pictures when Mr. Sun can form a light ray here but sadly, he was too strong today.

I can fake it though but Nah, just leave it as it is.

What a peaceful morning and location where I can just sit back and chill...

...but I don't want to let the mosquitoes chill on me.

Time to explore the West side of the Keppel Reservoir since there is a path up

This path looked season and hopefully, we can find something here today.

Such a distinguished path might have a lot of hopes for new discoveries.

But I should manage my expectations.

Oh? Have I ever shown you an abandoned chair before? Haha.

...and an abandoned Jeff.

It seemed like this path had been visited often...

Ooo! I was on another side of the reservoir.

It seemed like it was not like a reservoir kind.

Hmm... Will this be the way?

It was fetched up before... Is there anything here?

Got some red marks.

Does it lead to something new? :)

After a while... it was covered by thick vines...

Should I continue bashing through? And I tried... I could not find any path beyond the thick vine...

I returned to the fallen log and explored further up.

All I bumped into, were thick vines blanketing the path...

I was just struck in the wood of vines like a web.

Alright, I shall turn back to where I started...

I spotted something on the ground... I have not seen this before... It was a... wasp or a fly? Orange head flies or wasps??? I tried to google but none of them matched what I had seen here. They seemed like they were nesting in this small twig.

It seemed like I was heading to the wrong side...

I looked at my left side... it was blocked by thick foliage... but if there was a path... Maybe I will find it.

I bashed through the wood and I found a path!

It seemed like there was no one came here because of a big web built by a spider along the path.

Spotted another weird-looking and unknown (to me) red-headed insect.

NICE! A Clear distinguished path! Very distinguished!

Did you see the path yourself?

When I saw the red markings, I felt at ease. At least I was guided somehow.

Hmm, there was a staircase which meant that I had arrived at the right spot.

Let's start our exploration on my left which has concrete pavement (it will be easy to track back my way)

Oh! 😲 What a gigantic bracket woody mushroom! Not sure if it is still growing or not.

There were many vines which made this place look like a nature maze.

Oh man, there were some missing pictures which I didn't manage to transfer over successfully... After the discovery of the concrete pavement, I proceeded further ahead with a sloop (because of a season path) and found a bunker-like structure. Here it was where I stood.

Hmm roughly a 5m by 5m structure

With a few pipes from the structure

Looking into this opening, pitch dark but oddly enough, it was rather dry inside... Which means there is a drainage pipe somewhere inside.

Let me get down from the side to inspect the structure.

Hmm, it seemed like there was no entrance and based on Google Maps, it was named an Oil Bunker during WWII. (you may find more interesting pictures on maps)

Hmm... On my right, there is a steer slope which would be dangerous if this place was rained. Looked like this place was visited regularly.

Most of the paths here are quite distinguishable and thanks to Heaven, not muddy.

Ah, the way out which I am not taking this...

...I continued my exploration along the path and tried to test my memory as there is a loop somehow; so I need to remember by markers like this black cloth...

Or handmade cross...

...or more crosses.

As you can see on this split path, a marker is significant.

Even a special plant like this bamboo to mark the zone of where I had covered...

Even the elevation of the landscape can be used as a marker too.

Oh my, too sloppy; kind of breathless climbing up this slope.

Eventually, after a few loops in the wood, I finally found a staircase which gave a lot of hope and cheers...

Yes! A small lonely garden park at Mt Faber.

A good place to chill too.

Ah! Interesting, I was really making a few loops!

What a great personal discovery today! I will visit here again.

Nice achievement today, I believe there are many hidden places here and I think I will get help from other hikers.

Up to Mt Faber, I didn't know there was such scenery. Too bad, it was blocked by trees...

At least this scene was unblocked and amazing.

I will come back for more at Keppel Hillside with A., he might know more than what I discovered today. Stay tuned.

Jeff