Hike on Pulau Ubin - by Jeremy Tan

Hike At Pulau Ubin 22 August 2009

What an experience!!!! We actually hiked back in time to "old" Singapore and experienced first hand what Singapore was like in the 60's….Bumboats, Kampongs, Chickens running about, Mangrove Swamps, Shrines, Big Leaves, rare Plants and Insects… all these and more during our hike at Pulau Ubin on 22 Aug 2009. What great sights and sounds!!!

The day started bright and early at 0715 hrs when we met in school. After some administrative matters, it was soon Party Time…i.e. drinking water party. We drank water as the Adult Leaders want to ensure we won't suffer dehydration and faint during the hike because if we do, the Adult Leaders will have a hard task of pigging us on their back to base… Luckily only two of us fell "sick" during the hike and were able to "limp" back to base to the cheers and relief for the Adult Leaders.

A modern and clean ferry point dotted with the old noisy diesel Bumboats greeted us at Changi Ferry Terminal. What a contrasting sight! The old and the new bustling in harmony. Many of us had not sat on a bumboat and although the ride was bumpy (hence the name bumboats), the discomfort was negated by the excitement of splashing waves, salt breeze pressing against our faces and the sight of Pulau Ubin within reach as the bumboats sped for the island.

Pulau Ubin literally means "Granite Island" in Malay, which explains the many abandoned granite quarries there. The word Ubin is said to be a Javanese term for "squared stone". To the Malays, the island is also known as Pulau Batu Ubin, or "Granite Stone Island". The rocks on the island were used to make floor tiles in the past and were called Jubin, which was then shortened to Ubin. The island is known as "chioh sua" in Hokkien, which means "stone hill".

Legend has it that Pulau Ubin was formed when three animals from Singapore (a frog, a pig and an elephant) challenged each other to a race to reach the shores of Johor. The animals that failed would turn to stone. All three came across many difficulties and were unable to reach the shores of Johor. Therefore, the elephant and pig together turned into Pulau Ubin whilst the frog became Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island. Interesting folk tales!!!!!

The hike to Pulau Ubin coincided with the 3rd day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Our parents told us stories of hungry ghosts in the form of humans roaming freely in the streets in search for food and entertainment. They warned us to be careful and to stay away from these "humans" otherwise they will eat us up. One will know the "humans" when one sees them "walking on air", (walking without their feet touching the ground). One will also get goose pimples when one is near them.

One folklore had it that a shrine at Pulau Ubin is said to house the remains of a German girl who perished during World War I. When the war was declared, the British came to take over the girl's father plantation and she fell off the cliff while running away. Till today, the villagers at Pulau Ubin swear this German girl "hikes" around the island in search of her parents. We quickly walked past the Wayang Stage enroute to the Meeting Point We shivered and our feet trembled each time we passed temples and shrines along our hike route. Occasionally we nervously looked behind to see if we had additional persons in our group.

Pulau Ubin is in essence, the last 'kampong' (village) in Singapore. A hike through Ubin takes you back to Singapore in the 1960's with the simpler pleasures of life. The slow lane starts as soon as you join the queue for the bumboat at Changi. As you arrive, all cares are left behind.

We were divided into 5 groups and the hike route was divided into a Green and a Purple route. The former led to Pekan Quarry on the west and the latter to the North. Each route passed through two checkpoints and activities such as passing the hula hops, dogs and bones, sang songs, captain's ball were conducted at the checkpoints.

Along the route, we caught glimpses of "kampongs" , mangrove swamps, chickens running around, temples shrines and leaves that were bigger than us. The sounds of insects, animals and birds add colour and dynamism to our care free hike. Along the way, some of us saw "ghosts" at an empty house, others had their legs pulled by "ghosts" as a few cubs had their feet stuck in the swampy mud while others felt pushed and fell in the muddy ground! It was dirty jokes played on us by "ghosts". We knew that the "ghosts" also had a part to play when the bridge along the purple route was flooded with seawater so that those taking the purple route back to base had to U turn and hiked along the green route.

The highlight of the hike was lunch at Log point where the two routes converged. We had portable stoves and solid fuel to cook our Maggie Mee and sausages. Many of us were at a lost as to how to cook our Maggie Mee and how to open the can of sausages. We were lucky to have our "Maids" (Eagle Scouts) accompanied us. They were very helpful in seeing to our meals which were very "sedap" (finger licking good) and in appreciation some of us shared our sausages with them.

The hot weather and the cloudless sky made the hike backed to base seemed never ending. We persevered and were richly rewarded with cold ice creams when we arrived at base. It was a 6km hike in all, tiring but enriching in experience in many ways. Some of felt hungry after the long hike backed to base and requested for a seafood treat at one of the many restaurants that lined the entrance to Pulau Ubin. However just like our energy which ran low, we ran out low and out of luck as our request for seafood was denied. We headed for mainland Singapore at 1530 hrs and arrived at School around 1630 hrs and were dismissed at 1700 hrs.

The Adult Leaders and the Eagle Scouts had done a good job in organizing the hike and We Thank You. "You Never Walk Alone" was demonstrated strongly during the hike. They ensured our safety, conducted headcount frequently, ensured we drank water regularly (and we watered the plants frequently too as there were not so many toilets), and help us with our meals. They encouraged us (when we were tired and lagged behind) and hiked with us till we reached our destination. "3 cheers and What a Joy…".

By Cub Jeremy Tan Tien Tze
EMU