One of my favorite things about cycling is that I get to go to places that I normally wouldn't have a chance to go, or which I wouldn't think of going if I were not already halfway there.
Places like these be like Sarimbun, Neo Tiew Crescent, and Jalan Bahar.
No one goes to Lim Chu Kang Road unless for a specific purpose.
And no one goes all the way to Sarimbun unless you're heading to the Outward Bound Camp.
Lim Chu Kang is the through road I take coming from Jalan Bahar to Neo Tiew and Kranji.
Sarimbun is another route altogether- I went halfway- saw it was too dark- and turned back.
I haven't been to these places in a long while.
These days- what with social distancing and SAH- I tend to stick to areas nearer on the east side.
Either Changi Village-Pasir Ris-Tampines-Bedok via the East Coast Park PCN, or Marina Barrage-Shenton Way-Keppel-Telok Blangah-Henderson-Chinatown-Kallang.
There're several new places, however, that I do wish to go.
Like the new Jurassic Mile that opened not too long ago
And the other side of Marina Barrage which I recently discovered.
It was a gorgeous, sunny day when, instead of taking the Fort Road-Tanjong Rhu route to Gardens as I normally do, I decided to follow the other cyclists and take the bridge.
I'm familiar with this place; I come here often, by day and by night, but not once ever- I tell you- have I made a left after crossing the bridge that spans the Marina Reservoir.
Until today.
Where I discovered, to my surprise and delight, just how quiet, and beautiful this side of the Barrage was. There were no children. There were no crowds. People drove in, parked their cars, and headed towards the Gardens. No one chose to linger by the breakwater.
I had the space almost all to myself.
And I fell in love with it.
There's something very soothing about hearing the waves crash against the rocks of the breakwater.
There's also something very hopeful about throwing your gaze over the surface of the waters to the horizon beyond- and know that the world's waiting for you out there.
In a year like this where plans have gone to naught, where lives have been adjusted and have had to adapt, where business travel has become a process and where leisure travel is nearly impossible, views like these are the assurances we all need.
What makes this space all the more special is that there aren't many of such spaces with the same views on our island. There's only other one I know of- near Siloso Point within the compound of Shangri La's Rasa Sentosa Resort- and which happens to be inaccessible to the general public this year.
But I didn't stay there very long.
One attracts a lot of (concerned) attention if you hang around at a contemplative place like this for too long a time.
So I took a drink of water, whispered a prayer, made sure I had enough breaths of the sea salt air, and off on a familiar route to the Gardens side I went.
Maybe it were the lack of crowds.
Maybe it were I got emboldened by the sense of freedom that being on Daffy brings.
But here I went a little wild, pretending not to see a sign that said "no bikes" :P and sneakily slow-rode my way into a section of the Gardens that I think is sort of the back area (but open to the public), and where I managed to take a few pictures of Marina Bay Sands silhouetted amongst the leaves, and of the famous Supertrees.
