It'd been a bit of a while since I last brought Daffy out on an errand.
But this evening I was feeling bum, there was something needed be done, and although I could have walked for ten minutes thereabouts, it seemed happier a task if I rode Daffy there.
So into a little shiny square shaped bag went a couple of things and I slung it onto her handlebar.
Pedaling there- with a slight wind blowing into my face- got me to the place in no time, and almost right away that errand was done.
I didn't feel like going back straight, however, especially since I was feeling a little peckish and a little hungry, so from the shops I got a small packet of pistachios, and settled down at the void deck seats munching away.
I thought I might go back right after, but at the same time it felt like a bit of waste going back so soon, so up onto Daffy I hopped, and rode her all the way down along the canal towards Kembangan MRT before making a left.
Here I could decide- should I turn back along Jalan Kembangan and go back, or should I continue my way forward towards Frankel Avenue and Siglap Road?
I decided to go Frankel.
Not because there were shops along that stretch I wanted to go, but because I'd never seen Frankel Avenue at night before and was curious to know just how the broad-road residential estate looked like in the night.
There were few cars, thank God, and soon enough I found myself at the junction of Frankel and Siglap.
Here I decided to make a right- it was time to go home- and so went down East Coast Road, passing by Christ Methodist Church, and St. Patrick's School all the way until I got to the junction heading into Telok Kurau and made another right.
Telok Kurau- the main road- is one of the more interesting ones where one end starts at East Coast Road, and the other at Changi Road. There're a couple of shops- indie ones, mom and pop ones- along the stretch, including a drinking pub, and a corner coffee shop which has since been renovated. Then there's Parkway East Hospital on the same stretch, and then finally you come out to what I call the Kim San Leng coffee shop.
Here it was a short ride along Lorong Sarina before heading towards the enclave home.
I guess this short ride stimulated me quite a bit, because couple of days later I decided heading out on a longer one.
It was one of those days where I didn't feel like simply staying at home, so decided it better to get out and stretch.
There were a couple of places I thought I wanted to go.
So I considered cycling up Lengkong Empat towards Jalan Senang and Chai Chee.
Then I considered cycling down the PCN towards East Coast Park which seemed like a great idea except that I had no destination in mind and Changi Airport was not a place that evening I wanted to go.
So I decided to head towards the expressway.
From where we were, Daffy and I turned out onto Jalan Eunos.
Then onwards under the expressway we went, going along Eunos Link until we got to the junction near Kaki Bukit Avenue 1 and Ubi Avenue 2.
I considered turning into Kaki Bukit- I really did- but then again it was dark, I wasn't sure where the end of the route would bring me (Bedok North Road) and I thought it wiser to cycle to places where at least I knew where I was.
Night time is not the time to be exploring places on your own especially if it is your very first time.
Ubi seemed more lively- I thought- so a left I made and into Ubi Avenue 2.
To my surprise however, most of the workshops and SME-style factories had their lights out and were shuttered for the day. Even the smattering of coffee shops on the first floor of these JTC-style flatted factories were closed.
No matter, I simply went ahead all the way until I got to Paya Lebar Road.
From there I went straight ahead again, this time heading onto Circuit Link, then crossing three lanes (rather dangerously) into Circuit Road.
Here I made a sort of loop, rolling first into Pipit Road, then Circuit Road then Merpati Road.
Let's just say I passed by a good number of housing board flats, then the well known Circuit Road Hawker Center, then Merpati Road (where the 60s flats I visited only a couple of months ago are no longer around).
I could have tried to continue along Merpati Road, but it's now one-way, and so I made a left onto Mattar Road and did this bend until I got to the junction of Aljunied Road.
From here I went ahead towards Geylang, passing by St. Margaret's Primary School on one side, Nexus International School on the other, then past Aljunied MRT.
Here I turned onto Sims Avenue and rode all the way down going first past rows of shop houses, then private condominiums, then PLQ Shopping Mall, housing board flats, the big field outside Eunos MRT, and finally Sims Avenue East where I stopped for a while at one of the benches and breathed.
