Hiking - Finding The Rock Garden

Good morning, Blog,

It's Sunday! Unlike the previous weekends, which were either stormy or busy, today I want to visit a place to properly register the route. If you missed my visit to Rock Garden (2025), you can check it out.

It's perfect weather for hiking because it won't rain; the ground will remain dry, and the place will be bright.

I plan to visit Rock Gardens to familiarise myself with the route so I can revisit it in the future. I hope I can find my way in.

Getting ready, but my mind was still kind of affected by what had happened yesterday... So I need some me-time.

Usually, I just express my feelings and thoughts to ChatGPT as raw as possible.

It's just like pouring out to a friend who doesn't judge and is able to find the patterns and links in my experience.

I typically consider ChatGPT as an additional reference or perspective for my experience.

Most importantly, I took this as an exercise in articulating my emotions, so that I can better understand them myself.

Hmm, I wondered if I would be able to find the entrance or not... Hope for the best.

I am about to enter the forest, marking my departure from the urban areas of Singapore.

It has been some time since I last walked along this path.

I had hoped to capture some quality photographs of the train tracks here; however, it was challenging to do so alone due to the crowd.

It seemed like I couldn't find the entrance... I had been wandering around, and yet, I couldn't let anyone see it.

After careful consideration, I identified the most viable option and proceeded to attempt it.

I think I am on the right track.

Yup. Most likely. I didn't refer to my previous post, but I should get it right...

The forest is constantly changing. Especially when I need to access something inside, I can only rely on instinct and key spots. With that in mind, I didn't have time to think about my trigger points yesterday.

That's strange... I don't remember a path in the forest when I first went there.

I could not remember anything here. I was trying to find the next key spot, which is a bridge.

Ooo, I found it, but that wasn't the bridge I was looking for...

Meanwhile, I took out my cutter and started to cut some thorny leaves, and left a clear path.

Ah! Finally found that bridge that I was looking for.

With this bridge, the next journey will be easier, and I have no problem navigating to the Rock Garden.

It's so quiet here, and I really love how natural everything feels.

I was unable to identify this fern. It appears unique due to its bluish outline.

But this is definitely a White Bat Flower (Tacca cristata); what a beautiful flower.

I really like this photo as it captures my emotions of wonder and my feeling of immersion in the forest's flora.

Ooo, did you see what I see?

There was a rambutan party here! Hahaha. The aroma of fresh rambutan here was amazing.

Sometimes I wonder... why I like to go to such a place. Won't that be dangerous?

By the way, there are a lot of large and undisturbed mushrooms here!

All I can think of are a few reasons - one main reason is that it gives me a moment of escapism from reality.

Since there is no one around, I have to find my way in such situations on my own. It gives me a sense of achievement and serves as a reminder that I am different from being typical.

Next is to be able to see the beautiful side of nature's landscape that the garden city can't offer. Like in the photo, do you see the water stream and slope? I guess, if I lived in a bigger country, those are the places I would like to explore.

And sometimes, I will bump into creatures that I don't know, like this Copper-cheeked frog (Hylarana chalconota), which is native to Southeast Asia, including Singapore.

Spotting them on this 'safari' is an exciting experience. Sometimes, I come across mouse deer and snakes. I am simply unable to take good photos of them with my phone..

Irregular landscapes, like fallen trees along my way and overgrown flora, can be seen as simulating our life journey and challenges. They will be there, but how do we overcome them, and what are our thoughts during those moments?

Oooo, a large Humphrey's Land Snail (Hemiplecta humphreysiana) is a native species found in Singapore.

I have to be mindful of where I step.

I have finally reached the Rock Garden, which has stacks of granite rocks. It is unclear whether these formations are natural or intentionally arranged. To be honest, those rocks are huge!

Just look at these tall trees, simply amazing.

Check out how small I am in this Rock Garden.

I appreciate the way sunlight selectively illuminated a section of the woods, resembling a beam from an alien spacecraft.

I wish there were a higher-quality camera available to capture this scene, as my phone is unable to do it justice.

If I set my camera closer, it won't be able to show what I want to express. That is also one reason why I love going to such a dangerous place, because I can take photos at ease and without judgment.

Just check out these rocks here. They are huge!

Oh yeah, and also check out this large rock, or boulder, it looks like a large mushroom over my head.

I wanted to explore elsewhere, but I won't go until I become familiar with this place. I will come back again.

The wise man rock, I want to snap a photo with it but...

I felt I should stop here somehow...

I believe I will conclude my hike for today and prepare to leave.

Love the moments and photos while sitting on the large rock.

I tried to take pictures with my phone (close-up) versus with the Insta360 (wide shot); each has its own style.

Time to say goodbye to them

I guess I will come back again and explore a bit further.

Something short and random for today's exploration. I don't have a good name for this place, so that's what I named it: a rock garden. Honestly, I'm glad to find a spot that only a few people know about.

Jeff