Blood Thirsty Mosquitos

Houses on the water where locals actually live
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Having read about Pulau Ubin in my Rough Guide I decided to take a day trip out alone. Pulau Ubin is an island off the east coast of Singapore and it somewhat of a hidden treasure.

Getting there involves taking the MRT & then a bus to Changi Village. From there you board a bungboat which departs as soon as it is full - there must be 12 people on board before the boat man will take off. As I was the 12th person to arrive that morning we took off before I had even sat down.

never in my life have I gotten bitten so badly

Bungboat that takes you over to the island from Changi Village
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On the journey over it was raining heavily and I thought the day was going to be a disaster but by the time we reached the other side some 15 minutes later the rain had stopped.

On the boat I got chatting to a couple called Bob & Julie from Melbourne & they asked if I would like to join them while we cycled all over the island for the afternoon. It was tough going at times in the heat but for every hill you cycled up you had the pleasure of cycling down the other side which made it that bit easier to motivate yourself  - that and Bob constantly yelling at us to move it!!

Bob, Julie & I taking a break
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I imagine Pulau Ubin is what Singapore would be like if it hadn't developed into the modern city that it is today. Wildlife on the island is varied - ranging from swamps and marshy areas to rainforest.

Some of the shacks that the locals live in are inredible - especially the ones that are up on stilts out on the water - I just couldn't imagine how anyone could live like that. I believe there are some 100 people that still live on the island.

We came across a Buddhist temple and were allowed wander in and even take some photos which I was surprised about. It is very bizarre to see all the fresh fruit, water and sweets that are left out to feed the gods.

Locals cutting up Durian fruit that we sampled
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It was on Pulau Ubin that I sample the fruit 'Durian'. It can be seen for sale at most of the street markets dotted all over the city - you can smell it before you even see it. The smell is awful but the locals go crazy for it and see it as somewhat of a delicacy. On one of the tracks we came across some locals chopping durian up so stopped to take a look. When they offered us some it seemed rude not to accept. the durian fruit is big, green and spikey in appearance - about the same size as a melon - and has to be cut open with a knife to get at the edible pieces inside. It looks like what I can only describe as brain and has the texture of chewy toffee - but believe me it is far from toffee it tastes! The after taste is slightly nasty but even so, I am glad I tried it. (Getting Sinead and Jeanna to sample it when they arrived was hilarious - I think Sinead is still upset with me!)

Buddhist temple on the island
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Not knowing what a trap this place was for mosquitos, I didn't use any protection against them - I assumed it was like Singapore and didn't need anything. But how wrong was I - when I woke up the next morning my legs were destroyed...never in my life have I gotten bitten so badly and I never get bitten!

However, if you have time and want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city then Pulau Ubin is well worth a visit - just remember to be prepared for the mosquitos ;)