The Singapore Series: PASIR RIS PARK

The breeze ripples through the trees, sending tiny flakes of yellowed leaves on the journey down to my hair, my shoulders, to the ground below.

Dried leaves at the bottom of my shoes crunched with each step,

each lazy wave sidling ashore accompanied with a gentle swish,

air full of laughter and cries of merry kids on the playground,

endless ringing of bicycle bells that surely ends with the irritating ear-piercing “Eeeeeeeeg!” produced by the jamming of brakes.

Note that the pictures are taken on an early Saturday morning hence the lack of a crowd.

This is what you will be greeted with when you step into Pasir Ris Park on a weekend. Teeming with families, couples, fitness fanatics and children, the park is noisy and buzzing with boundless energy. Children will be playing at the large playground that actually has sand* for ground. What a rare sight.

There is also the ‘spider web’, a huge tent-shaped structure of about two or three storeys high made of thick red ropes woven in such a way that it allows you to climb on them and scale to the top of the structure. I loved playing on the ‘spider web’, back then when I have the balls to climb two to three storeys high without entertaining notions of falling or broken bones.

Pasir Ris Park is on the coastline of the east side of Singapore. I would say that it is a mini-oasis, away from the hustle and bustle of the city (well, the furthest you can get if you head eastward). I would not go as far as to say that it is paradise on earth, but after taking a stroll along the many shaded pedestrian paths snaking all over the park, I would feel lighter and more alive. My head clears and I absorb the natural surroundings, taking in the sights and the sounds, not allowing worries and stress to cloud my vision or curb my enjoyment. It is my personal therapy. You will also find many cyclists perusing the cycling path that snakes around the park.

But be careful, I once got knocked down by a young cyclist and bruised my right knees badly. The wound got infected and it took a long time to heal (it’s still blue black and it’s been a year). Just because there are segregated paths for cyclists and pedestrians, it does not mean that everyone abides by it. I too will flout the ‘rules’ sometimes and jog or cycle on the wrong path. Keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings.

Campers

Besides the perusing the playground and the various fitness corners, cycling or jogging, you will find people partaking in other activities; rollerblading, soccer, sailing, canoeing, camping, barbequing, stretching, exercising or just generally taking a breather from life. You can also spot a little fishing going on at the two bridges over the water canals that runs through Pasir Ris Park. When the sun sets, a whole different activity takes place. There are some pubs and restaurants littered around the park where you can go for food or to have a swig of beer from. Personally I have never eaten there before. Not a proper meal anyway. I, however, have enjoyed a few glasses of beers at the pubs by the water, under the starry night sky with the fishy-smelling sea breeze caressing your cheeks (liked the breeze, not so much the smell). The ambience is just right for snacks, beer and good company. That being said, I have not been to Pasir Ris Park for a beer for the past few years. So I am not sure if the pubbing scene has changed. Eateries and pubs there do have quite a high turnover rate as demand is low and visitors generally do not dine there. It is also common to get bitten by mosquitoes there, so bring your repellent.

There is also a relatively new activity at Pasir Ris Park: horse riding. This is provided by Gallop Stable, who built a small stable to house a few horses and ponies. They utilized a small part of the park for the horse rides. I have not tried it before, but it seems popular with the young ones who can ride a pony while their parents look on from the café. If you are interested, you can check out their website Gallop Stable.

Pasir Ris Park stretches from Pasir Ris all the way to Jalan Loyang Besar. You can access it by car through Elias Road and Pasir Ris Green. If you are taking a train down to Pasir Ris station (EW1), you can take bus 403 at the bus interchange or take a 15-minute walk from the MRT station.

For more information about Pasir Ris Park, do visit the NParks (National Parks) website at Pasir Ris Park.  You can even download an e-guide (.pdf file) on the various features and activities that you can do at Pasir Ris Park.

Oh, you can also spot the odd rooster or two.

*Note: Gone are the days where playgrounds are built on sand ground. Nowadays it is all ugly rubber that is supposedly ‘safer’ for kids to fall on. No wonder the young generation of today are such fragile softies.