Hiking - Finding a Way In

Hi Blog,

I mentioned my failed hike in one of my September 2024 posts, so I decided to give it another try today! I read something about that place in the Straits Times and felt compelled to return.

What a beautiful, sunny morning! Thanks, Heaven, for this nice weather.

If you clicked on the Straits Times news, you would know where I wanted to go. Yes, it is the Oil Refinery Factory that I visited in 2023.

I was feeling full because I had not yet output everything... Should I wait until I have gotten everything out before going out?

I guess... I have already had output, and if there is more, I will be able to control it. Anyway, that is not the main point of today's blog; I just typed randomly. Haha

Speaking of randomness, I discovered that I made a mistake: I left the water in my water bag for a long time, and the water inside made the bag slimy and the tube greenish, so I should not take it lightly and should handle the water bag with care.

Okay, enough with the randomness; today was a sunny day, ideal for today's adventure!

To continue where I failed on my previous hike, I believe I should push myself a little further and deeper into the woods to reach my goal.

Something new appeared in front of the opening patch which was a dog cage.

I had prepared a tape and cutter so that I would not get lost previously.

Okay, a photo before we enter the dense forest. Let's go!

The grass was so dense that I could not see the path.

Once I was inside, the adventure began!

I marked my entrance with a double node.

Hope this helps.

Okay, what's next?

It appeared that there were some new markers along the way that were useful, but I will continue to use mine.

I could hear voices from a distance and noticed they were getting louder; they appeared to be exploring the area and claimed to be looking for an exit before climbing up there, so I followed along.

Ooo, a new route!

Don't know what the purpose of this thing though.

Up here, there are two distinct paths: left and right. Make a guess as to which path we should take.

[Right path] When I walked in, it appeared to be walkable, but beyond that tree, there was a steep slope, so it was not an ideal path.

[Left path] Okay, since right is not ideal, take the left path. If I come to a Y junction first, I usually take the left path to give it a shot unless I know the path well enough to do otherwise.

The left path appears to be the correct path, as there are numerous indicators that it is active.

Looking at this pillar, I am not sure if it was previously used as a gate for a large house or something else. I do not see any fallen gates or gate holders, so I believe it leads to the Marsiling tunnel beneath the earth.

After walking further, I found Marsiling Bunker! Great! I need to locate this bunker again! I had previously visited this location in 2022.

I thought I would never find this again; today was a huge accomplishment!

I will not go in because I have other plans for the day, I do not carry a torch light, and my camera does not do well in the dark, so outside photos will suffice.

According to the 2022 post, I recall some parts of the bunker being located nearby.

I saw something I was looking for from a distance! 

I attempted to zoom in; can you see it?

Yippee! Found it! Now... How do I get in? I had a rough time...

You might wonder why I still want to return to this location. Because I felt there were some areas I had yet to explore (such as this one) and wanted to take a look before they were demolished. You can read more about my previous visit here.

So happy! Let us explore an area that I have not previously covered!

I remember how we were busy covering every area, but I did not walk over to this side.

Whoever was in charge of this before really knew their stuff, like which vaults to twist and maybe even finishing a quest for something, kinda like a game.

There may not appear to be much going on here.

Personally, I enjoy the unique appearance of this location, which we do not see in our daily lives. Pipelines and machines demonstrate how far humans have evolved.

The overarching and detailed planning required is respectful, just as it is for planning how things work, how to make them work, and how they should function. For me, the only task is to follow instructions to turn the vaults.

Perhaps it is a type of art that should be valued because it conveys so much information, such as symmetry, perspective, balance, and other concepts.

Looking out. I was curious as to what they used this place for. Was this a loading area?

Perhaps it is the ideal location for an industrialised photo shoot, which I hope to participate in. I am hoping for different angles, but it is difficult to do alone. Haha

For example, I would like to stand between the pipes and appear small in front of the green oil tanks, but this will be difficult without help, so I will just take the photo as is.

I suppose I can only imagine what happened.

Unique and special

Hmm, judging by this angle, maybe I have been here before!

Yeah, sort of. I remembered this generator thing, but I did not photograph it.

Should I go up once more? To be honest, with grace in the past and now, something tells me it is best to avoid because of the rust and lack of maintenance on the stairs over the years... Any mishaps will only make headlines for others to judge. I will admire from the bottom up.

Something did not seem right. The sky... The place... What is wrong...

I sensed something in this direction... Somebody was talking... It appeared that I was not alone here, or that I was overthinking.

I continued in my exploration until I reached my preferred location, characterized by pipelines and tanks that render this scene iconic.

It is a must-have photo here, and as I would hoped, a professional photographer will assist me in capturing it.

With my limitations, I guess I have to make do. I adore the scene of rusted and unusual locations. Do you? But I could hear dogs barking and people talking, and I was wondering what would happen if I was captured by them. What are they going to do to me?

Okay, Miss Sky started sending me a lightning signal via Telegram, and it started to rain. So sad... I was unable to explore further.

At the very least, I was able to explore a new location before it was gone. No regrets, just wonderful memories to keep.

I looked back, disappointed; there were so many places I wanted to go, but the rain...

Dogs were barking for a while, so perhaps there were people nearby.

Goodbye, Shell Oil Refinery. I am going to miss you.

A strong wind blew in from the distance, and the sky became darker. Fortunately, I made a quick exit; otherwise, the muddy ground would have made it difficult. Not sure, should I return again?

Raining cats and dogs!

I was extremely tired... I just rested deeply until evening and then went out again for a meeting. I guess I should return to the location, perhaps in the afternoon when most people will not have left for other activities. Typically, such visits are conducted in the morning. Just a guess, or maybe I am dreaming.

Have some fun with ChatGPT creating artwork for my blog. I think I'll do that every now and then. Something etc. :D

I reflected on how much I missed certain places I visited in the past, which are now gone, such as Tuas TV World and other locations, including the oil refinery factory. One day it too will be gone. I believe I will return again to explore the factory area further and take more photographs. For now, I need to rest.

Jeff