Bukit Timah Walk to Macritchie Reservoir

A beautiful morning, sun was beaming and I was able to get out of bed early on a Saturday.

My gal friend and I decided to go on a stroll, and to try out the route from Bukit Timah to Macritchie Reservoir.
Perhaps, it was more of a stroll, since it lasted approx. 5hrs including a few rests and wrong turns, and we were looking all burned out when we finally reached Macritchie!
Physical and mental challenging!
Nevertheless, all was compensated by the alluring beauty of nature.

I love this railway tracks.
Maybe because you can hardly find this in Singapore, I like how it stretches through the plain.

This sign reminded me what I am here for, to slow down my pace and appreciate nature.

//Sidetrack// This sign also reminded me of a song by Emma Rossum:
Rushing and racing and running in circles,
Moving so fast I'm forgetting my purpose,
Blur of the traffic is sending me spinning, getting nowhere...

Slow me down, don't let me live a lie
Before my life flies by
I need you to slow me down...

Here is the entrance of the Rifle Range Road, into the Kampung Trail where we embarked on our expedition.

Do keep in mind on the signages along the way, you do not want to end your trip on an unpleasant note.

The kampung trail can be a little to the less adventurous ones.
Being a themed 'kampung', it was not surprising to find monitor lizards crossing our paths or simply busking under the sun and spiders, giant ant or army of ants.
For the wild ones, be very delighted to spot cute squirrels or monkeys!



I like how this big tree stands.
It was really huge and tall, probably able to form a canopy layers in the forest.
Strong, sturdy, reliable. Hmmm...

No, it is not the 2.2km that we're heading towards.
Yes, it is the 9.2km sign that we were heading!!





Trails after trails, pavements after pavements, we finally reached a rapsid fall and it was the gushing sound of water that caught our attention.
What better way to rest and relax in a scorching, hot weather?
A dip in the water of course! Foot Dip.
The water was so cold and sitting on the bridge above this canal was really nice.


We decided to take a break at the Ranger Station and as we were almost lost in direction, we saw this very interesting sign on a rock, left by an interesting passer-by.




We finally arrived at the beautiful Macritchie Reservoir, tired but smiling.

Highlander Coffee Appreciation - I need to stop having 3-in-1s!

That was my main objective for signing up for this workshop.

I never knew how to differentiate gourmet coffee at Starbucks/Coffee Bean or even kopi at kopitiam (coffee shops); what's a latte, mocha, kopi-C, kopi-kosong, etc... Well, coffee tastes the same to me in whatever name they called it, only with or without milk/sugar.

Coffee has become my morning buddy ever since I started working. Not sure if this is a serious addiction, but I am dependent on the aroma and taste to wake all my senses.
One cup a day, I think it is worthwhile to increase my knowledge about this fascinating beverage rather than downing it everyday not knowing what I'm feeding myself.
I am glad to have discovered Highlander.

49 Kampong Bahru Road
http://www.highlandercoffee.com/
Mon-Sat (9-6pm)
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

Not just a simple coffee cafe, Highlanders conduct workshops and courses and I was there for their 2-hr coffee appreciation seminar. Here are some interesting things I've learnt.

1. Contents of our local coffee powder.
Isn't coffee powder made of coffee beans, I thought. No, it is not.
It consists of coffee beans, sugar, butter and corn/maize.

2. Italy has the highest consumption of coffee

3. Coffee beans are originally green "seeds" from cherry-like fruit, known as peaberry.

4. Two kinds of trees - Arabica & Robusta.

5. There are so many kinds of coffee makers, from the high end espresso machines to home-use coffee brewers, japanese siphon bar, aero-press, french press, etc.

6. Different kinds of gourmet coffee - espresso, latte, mocha, etc. Of course, with demonstrations came samplings! You'll be in for a coffee buffet treat at the workshop! And not forgetting the beautifully done latte art! They made it look so easy.


To find out more about each of these, come join their appreciation classes held monthly!
You'll be in for a great treat to both your mind and tastebud!
All simply pop in to enjoy a cup of good coffee.
Trust them for genuine coffee pleasure.

Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt exhibition

National Museum of Singapore

Address. 93 Stamford Road
Free entry for students
10am - 6pm
Prices vary for visit to Permanent Gallery &/ Changing Gallery

Quest for Immortality - The World of Ancient Egypt (22 Dec 2009 till 4 Apr 2010) offers an insight to the ancient Egyptian’s attitude to life and the afterlife, and the preparations they made to ensure their transition from earthly existence to immortality. Discover the Egyptians’ means of equipping the dead - through mummification, provision of sustenance, magic and ritual - and explore the evolution of their burial rites as well as the changing relationship between man and ritual through time.

I am often captivated by the documentaries of Pyraminds investigations, The Mummy (movies), life of Pharoahs, the worshipping of many Gods.
With over 230 artefacts spanning from 4000 BCE to 950 CE, this display of Ancient Egypt enlightens on the religious and cultural beliefs behind ancient Egyptian mummification techniques, burial rituals and the civilisation’s desire for immortality.
Feast your eyes on the ancient jewellery, vessels, literature, coffins and cartonnages, and statues of gods and goddesses and of course, the mummies!

Here's a sneak peak:

Serapeum Sphinx
Ptolemaic Period, 300-250BCE - Made of Limestone
A lion's body and a king's head - this symbolises an expression of the king's power as equivalent to the strength of a mighty lion.


This is a popular statue from the New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, 1323-1295BCE
Statue of God Horus and King Horemheb
Horemheb was believed to be an earthly incarnation of god Horus, the god of the sky/sun often depicted with a human body and head of a falcon.
Here, he is depicted as nearly life-sized, sitting next to Horus.
Well, Egyptians were believed to be generally short, it looks to me he is probably 5feet or so. (i.e. 1.5m?)


The triangular structure and angle were believed to be built with much precision, so as to be able to stay staunch and continue to stir enthusiasm of its magnificent today.
The inside of a Pyramid comprises (Top to Bottom) -
The Burial Chamber/ King's Chamber
The Grand Gallery - a sloping, stepped hall leading from the King's to Queen's Chamber.
Queen's Chamber - not a home to Queen, but a name to represent a smaller chamber to the King's Chamber
Shafts (long, narrow passage ways) are believed to allow air to enter the King's Chamber. It is thought that shafts were path to the stars, allowing the Pharoah's soul to escape. These shafts are believed to point to Sirius and Orion in the constellation.
Underground Chamber - Holds very little oxygen and was never fully completed. Obviously.

FYI >> The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu) is the oldest of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world, and the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3000 over years.

Steles, monument of any kind, were usually made of sandstone, limestone, granite or diorite, ranging from 40cm to 4m tall. These steles were used as grave markers that contained carvings/ paintings of tomb owner, often shown with his family, inscriptions of prayers to gods of the dead. They do resemble modern tombstones, which are possibly a manifestation of these markers.

Passage to the afterlife is not automatic. To prepare for this, a new body has to be created that could last eternity and that is the aim of mummification, not to preserve the body as it had been in life.
Embalming took place at or near the tomb. The process was tedious and yet very fascinating. I'm not saying, a little suspense here. *wink.







The X-ray of Mummy of Nes-Khons, a young mother who was preserved along with the corpes of her two babies.


This shows a Pharoah undergoing the process of embalming by the divine god, Falcon.

Egyptian Hieroglyphs


Here's my name (the 'O' is not the same though... Not sure why.)


Overall a mind-gripping experience, made me want to visit Egypt! Soon!