Bus Ride Sights: Upper Paya Lebar Road

It may come as a surprise to some of us, but there's actually only one difference between this set of pictures, and the other pictures (of the same road) that I've taken before. 

I'm on the driver's side of the bus this time. 

Now, don't roll your eyes. 

It may not sound like a big deal, but you must know that I usually am on this route only in the afternoons- when the sun is bright, and the air conditioning useless.

Today however, the air conditioning was strong, and the light was good.

So I sat there. 

First thing I noticed was that there was a lot of road. 

You see way more road this side of the bus than you do when you sit on the other side.

I never realized that somewhere along Upper Paya Lebar Road there is a four-lane road on this side, and a four-lane road on the other going down the opposite side.

Neither did I realize that somewhere along the same Upper Paya Lebar Road too is a very wide turn- with lines drawn on the road for drivers to follow. 

There're some areas on this route that I'm very unfamiliar with. 

Like this yellow building with shops on the first floor and apartments above. 

I wish I knew what these shops were. 

But I don't. 

I don't have any impression at all. 

In fact I think the only reason why I took the picture was because of the coconut trees. They made the space look (in this day and age) rather rustic, giving us a hint of what this area might have once used to be. 

The landmarks after this stretch were, fortunately, a bit more familiar.

Like this turn to the Bartley Road East (highway).

I like to think of this route as a highway, even though (technically) it isn't one. 

Because it is a route that connects you from the extremes of the northeast (in Tampines) to the regions of Farrer/Queensway and Bukit Batok/Jurong.

It is a route that passes through the areas of Bedok Reservoir, Bartley Road, Braddell Road, Braddell Flyover, Lornie Viaduct and Adam Road.

And it is a route where many cars make a turn. 

After this junction on the other side of the flyover, these shops appear.

Running parallel to an underpass, these shops house a couple of well known eating places, and if I'm not wrong, also couple of spas. 

I haven't patronized the eating places here before- there's not been a reason to- but I know there used to be a popular roast meat place here, and even right now there's Domino's Pizza, there's curry fish head, there's bak kut teh, and there's mookata.

I used to wonder who their regular patrons were. 

But seeing the flatted factories up in front, seeing the factories behind, and the buildings of PixelRed and Luxasia across the road, I think I know.

The view becomes a little more routine after here. 

There're a couple of condominiums.

There're a couple of factories.

And just as you're stoning away, the junction of Upper Paya Lebar Road and MacPherson Road appears. 

I took a picture of a very big lorry. 

I also took a picture of the housing blocks, which I've previously visited, and so know that there's a coffee shop and a Sheng Siong supermarket inside. 

It's not a very big deal, these blocks, and in a way I do agree, but, thing is, they are part of one of the older, more mature housing estates this side of the country, and their presence- amongst the blocks of Circuit Road, Merpati Road and Balam Road- make an example of urban renewal, and the country's continuous pursuit of change. 

There aren't any pictures after this. 

The sun was getting too warm. 

And anyway, I was preparing to get down the bus before it made a left into Sims Avenue, and the (newly built) shopping mall PLQ.