Trip - Thomson Nature Park Again

Hi Blog,

I had intended to visit the old uncle's banyan tree but I chose to meet an old friend who was available that morning instead. He used to volunteer at the park, bringing people around, and he had previously visited Thomson Nature Park.

So why not meet him and give me a private tour of Thomson Nature Park?

Thomson Nature Park is not new to me or any of my readers (if any); however, it is a relatively new park that has a special place in my heart; and, according to my own hiking measurement score, it is a Level 2A. You can check out my Enter before it started, First Opening and Revisit in 2020 posts.

Yawning... To be honest, I only got less than five hours of sleep and had some unfinished blog posts to complete; hopefully, I will have enough time to finish everything before this post stacks.

I will just spend the afternoon publishing an update and resting before leaving for an appointment.

I am pleased that the weather today was pleasant and warm.

The more I gazed at the sky, the more I wanted to sleep. Haha, it was so comforting.

But Mr Sun knew I needed this to keep warm myself like a cold-blooded animal. Anyway finally got to see KWA.

(credit KWA) Here we were in Thomson Nature Park. Personally, I believe there are many unknown things or areas in this zone. I hope we can find it more today.

We will begin in the side zone of Thomson Nature Park.

There are usually fewer visitors here, especially on weekdays, so it is one of the most untouched areas.

This village was quite lively and eventful in the past.

If I had the opportunity to travel back in time, I would be interested in observing the origins and development of this village's page, as though I were utilizing a remote control to rewind and fast-forward through the timeline.

KWA told me that he was glad to be able to meet up today; I suppose it is good to catch up with friends.

Ooo! I discovered a unique millipede on a plant leaf; have you seen this type of millipede before? I was wondering if this was Desmoxytes cervina, Helicorthomorpha holstii, Orange Rosary Millipede, or Dragon Millipede. To be honest... They look similar online.

KWA informed me that this entire area is owned by a famous person.

Personally, reputation shines only for a limited time, just as a beautiful flower does.

Oooo! A trace of termites moving on the ground is one of my worst nightmares when hiking in the wilderness.

There is an information board near the entrance to Mr Han Wai Toon's farmhouse. So... Who is Mr Han Wai Toon?

This step path connects Upper Thomson Road to the farmhouse.

Maybe I will walk up the stairs to find the gate in the future.

Lim Mu Hue 林木化 (1936–2008), a talented local painter, painted Mr Han's rambutan garden.

As you can see from the painting, this location appeared flat and clean, with a serene atmosphere.

The next section is about the farmhouse stairs that lead to Han's master bedroom, studio, and gallery.

This is one of my favourite spots at Thomson Nature Park. I would like to bring a broom to sweep the stairs. Maybe next time, I will get a broom from the nearby toilet and sweep these stairs.

I hope they can keep the staircase here forever.

Mr Han's wealth became clear to me thanks to KWA!

Check out Han's rambutan garden, but... we could not find any rambutan trees until they started to fruit.

Han's garden has its own water source from the nature spring, indicating that he is certainly wealthy.

Could you see the source of the water? How I wished I could have my own water source without paying for it.

Okay, enough with the rich; let us move on to other areas and visit other families.

Hmm Talking about the toilets...

KWA told me that he discovered something interesting in the toilet, which made me wonder... What is interesting about this toilet is that he quickly entered, so I followed.

The only thing that piqued my interest was this weirdo wearing a trisuit for a hike.

KWA showed me a sand-brown patch on the ceilings and walls, which I initially thought was a wasp's nest. However, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a four-lined tree frog, also known as Polypedates leucomystax! I adore its slender body and cool appearance species.

Just as we got excited about handling the frogs, my camera dropped and cracked... Fortunately, it was my tempered glass, and it was time to buy a replacement.

I saw something familiar behind the toilet... Is not this the plant I saw on the Mandai boardwalk? The name is Ficus villosa Blume.

Check out the current condition versus the first time in 2019. What a difference.

Okay, it is time to look into areas that housed families who were less than Han.

After entering the gate, KWA preferred to explore the left side and disliked the right side; however, I insisted as he explained that hiking in this zone is difficult, but I explained further...

If he meant climbing up the slope is difficult, perhaps starting on the right path would be a better option...

(Credit KWA) Ooo, nice sunshine here; capturing the ray would be ideal!

We climbed down the slope rather than up, which should be easier.

(Credit KWA) Furthermore, he could explain to me what was going on here, why there was a slope, and why there were so many wells nearby.

Aside from the stairs, my next favourite feature at Thomson Nature Park is the Roots Network.

Who knows whether it will be removed due to unforeseen circumstances.

All I know is that I want to take a picture with this tree, and I would like to take more pictures here, but I do not want to bother or delay KWA.

Ooo, KWA found this snail on a tree and it is Humphrey's Land Snail (Hemiplecta humphreysiana), a species native to Singapore.

Golden Orb Weaver - I wanted to keep them as pets.

KWA spotted numerous spider webs in this area, and I ended up wasting a lot of time taking pictures.

Let's continue our way.

Check this out! If I had a garden, I would grow giant plants like these.

Torch Ginger, a stunning pink flower, towered above me. I enjoy eating the unripe flower buds, and they taste great!

We continued our way up because I wanted to hear what KWA was going to say about that place later.

(Credit KWA) Asking him for assistance made him even more disgusted.

The lighting in this photo was perfect, making it look like a painting.

One of my favourite ruins here.

KWA provided no information about this house, and he seemed surprised by it.

Oh no, the wall has been torn down! Take a look at this photo taken in 2019, when the wall was still intact.

I guessed this location was dangerous when the tree continued to grow unless the roots could support the structure properly.

The banyan root system here was fantastic!

As if they were alive!

Before wasting KWA's time, I decided to use my drone to capture some photos here. I always want a photo by the entrance.

I just took some random shots with the drone before it ran out of battery.

Sorry for the delay, KWA. Let us go!

I really like the natural setting here.

Something new that I had not noticed on previous visits was the spiral staircase, which was severely damaged...

We went to a ruin that few people visit, and I decided to explore further, although KWA would not want to go in there.

I was amazed at how well-preserved this ruin was!

This location was so "clean" and untouched!

This will last for years until the plants take over the area.

This ruin still contains historical artefacts.

We discovered a photo album, but there were no photos inside, only the photo pigment imprinted on the plastic holders. Interesting.

It appeared that it would become my new favourite place in Thomson Nature Park! ❤️❤️❤️

Please come, KWA! Join in on my photo. Thank you for assisting me in taking eye-sore pictures. I should have let you explore the places alone, but I appreciate your assistance with my photos.

Let's go home now.

(Credit KWA) Fortunately, there is no light ray shot here; if there is, he will be annoyed as I attempt to capture a perfect photo.

(Credit KWA) There is an incredibly tall banyan tree here. I will not pass up the opportunity to take a photo with Oppa-Banyan.

According to KWA, this ruin could be used to raise pigs because it was located far from residential areas and had no room compartment structure. Can you make out the entire structure?

Alright... Time to sleep for at least two hours before my next meeting began. I will give myself some rest.

In summary, hiking at Thomson Nature Park offers a distinctive and relaxing experience compared to other parks in Singapore, as it provides both an urban exploration opportunity and a historical lesson about forgotten aspects of Singapore's past.

Jeff