Bus Ride Sights: North Bridge-Jurong East

You know, I have to date hesitated to write of this bus journey from the east to the west not because I don't want to, but because this journey is incredibly, incredibly long.

And I didn't even know just how many pictures I'd taken until they got sorted out and realized, to my surprise, that there were more than usual.

Today's route began somewhere around the Haig Road Market and Food Center. 

But the camera came out only on (the eastern side of) North Bridge Road. 

This is the side close to Kampong Glam, and so has a boutique hotel, coffee joints, halal cafes, an Indian-Muslim (I think) eatery, and a shop aptly named The Ultimate Islamic Concept Shop. 

Further on is Golden Landmark Hotel, Raffles Hospital, Bugis Junction and the restaurant side of Hotel Intercon. 

Onwards is the National Library Building, Bras Basah Complex and Carlton Hotel. 

CHIJMES comes right after, then Capitol and then there's Peninsula Plaza with her variety of shoe shops, and where Burmese from all over the country tend to gather. 

After this comes what I call the part that can be either North Bridge, or South Bridge, depending on how you look at it. 

The Parliament House is on the left. 

An office building that houses a spa and a couple of lawyers' offices is on the right. 

Then there's the series of roads known as Carpenter Street, Hong Kong Street and the like up until North Canal Road. 

Hong Lim Park (and Speakers' Corner) comes up next. 

But past the Parkroyal Collection Pickering, the bus makes a right and turns into the street that leads to Chin Swee Road.

The view changes a little over here.

Where earlier we'd caught glimpses of glass-windowed skyscrapers, now we see blocks of public housing flats, the new State Courts Building, and the old hexagonal shaped State Court that some- in more ways than one- will know. 

An overhead bridge spans across the road here guiding one from the blocks behind Sheng Siong and Pearl's Hill to the (quiet) pubs of Central opposite. 

From here the bus carries on, going past the junction of Clemenceau, past the area of Robertson Quay all the way until you get to this notable structure of a former godown now turned luxurious hotel.

After this, the bus continues down the road straight, passing by Four Points by Sheraton, a building that I like to call something-arcade and then Delta House up ahead. 

This is another unique junction, I find.

Because whilst you can head on to Great World City, Zion Road, the River Valley area and Queenstown from here, going the opposite direction you'll find yourself heading towards Paterson, Grange and Orchard.

I always take Delta House as the landmark.

Because it is around here I know that there's good chicken rice to be had for lunch, dinner and supper.

Today the bus turned not left nor right, but went straight ahead upon this road whose name I am not familiar- but I think it's Alexandra. 

Straight ahead come a couple of condominiums, a school or two on the left and then after that, the spanking new blocks of 2022's Margaret Drive.

They tower over you these days, these blocks, unlike those of fourteen floors more than thirty years ago. 

Not all's disappeared, however, the 10 storey structure of Forfar House (Singapore's first high rise block of flats, I've heard) still stands- repurposed- with the brand new blocks of Queenstown only a bus stop away.

The bus went a little along the MRT line, then made a left into Queensway. 

I consider it a privilege to be able to take pictures of these blocks still.

There's a high possibility that these blocks may be demolished, and there's no saying that they won't be demolished soon. 

There will be people who'll miss them.

There will also be those who hope they remain. 

But things change.

And we can only hope that some structures, like this church with its iconic roof, remains. 

Beyond this the bus heads towards Queensway Shopping Center then makes a right towards the area we call Hort Park and the HP Building part of Alexandra Road.

If you find it strange that we're still on Alexandra Road, well, truth is, we are.

It's a very long road, and had the bus not made a right into Commonwealth Avenue and Queenstown earlier, we would have passed the buildings of motorcar dealers (Cycle & Carriage?), Anchorpoint and IKEA towards the HP side that we are traveling on now.

(Honestly I don't know if HP is still there- but PSA at least still is)

After this stretch, the bus makes a turn under the expressway/flyover and then after that makes a right into the area we call Pasir Panjang.

I wish I knew this place better.

But I only know a particular route, and I'm very unfamiliar with the rest.

Perhaps one of the landmarks I know is this row of shop houses.

Known for their roti prata, they're one of the structures that greet you first, after which you have then a few condominiums, and then coming up next is theme park Haw Par Villa. 

I'm even more lost after Haw Par Villa.

Someone who is familiar with this area will have no problem recognizing these road turns, these houses, these buildings and these trees. 

But I'm not. 

In fact I hardly know it at all.

So I can't tell you what the buildings are or what the landmarks are, except maybe for the Santa Grand Hotel and these flats that I know are close to West Coast Plaza near the junction towards Jurong.

After West Coast Road is the area of which I know not its name, but I know park a bunch of heavy and medium industries, so it's not uncommon to see huge trucks and lorries speeding up and down in and out of Jalan Buroh.

We enter into the area of Jurong somewhere around here. 

One of the things that first greets you as you make the turn is this block of flats.

I don't know exactly which estate they are- I think they are Teban Gardens- and even though they look like just any other block of flats, what with them overlooking the Pandan Reservoir, West Coast Park and maybe a bit of the sea, my guess is that they've got an excellent view.

From here on more or less it's flats all the way until you reach this particular junction of which I don't know its name but marks the Goethe Institute.

After that we're greeted by the sight of old hexagonal structures under the JTC, the Ng Teng Fong Hospital, the Jurong Regional Library and the Jurong Bus Interchange at the end.