The Great Outdoors

The past two Sundays we have taken advantage of beautiful weather to explore new areas of the island. It feels like winter has arrived, bringing cool breezes that remind me of when we arrived almost a year ago.

Last Sunday we loaded up both jogging strollers and drove to West Coast Park for the first time. We have spent plenty of weekends at East Coast Park because it's Singapore's largest playground. It's a popular spot for cycling, roller blading and camping. The long trails provide a great area for exercise -- the downside is the crowds on weekends. I've ridden bikes with Brian a few times and I always suspect it would be safer to ride on the streets. I think drivers adhere to traffic laws much better than folks on the jogging and cycling paths.

So we opted to try out West Coast Park instead and we liked what we found. The jogging path wasn't very long  but as a playground for the girls, we found it superior to East Coast. There were plenty of playset options for each child's ability and we happily played all morning there.

This past Sunday we packed up the car and explored Upper Peirce Reservoir (yes, the spelling looks strange but it is correct). We weren't sure exactly where we were going and while driving along winding roads, we encountered a gang of monkeys. When we stopped to snap a picture, they approached the car. I guess they're accustomed to handouts! I've heard of enough people getting bitten by the little guys that I wouldn't dare roll down the window, but they were certainly entertaining to observe. While we didn't find any playgrounds on our expedition, the area was beautiful. Standing next to the water and looking out at the reservoir, the landscape resembled a large lake back home. It would be a great place for a picnic with the peaceful scenery -- as long as the monkeys don't take away the food I suppose.

Head of the Hospitality Committee

Monkey Family in the Road

Upper Peirce Reservoir

I give credit to Brian and his high energy level for getting us out of the house on those days when I would have been happy to play in the pool. I'm glad we explored some new parts of the island and look forward to returning to those places and finding more gems on future road trips.