The Finish Line

Friday, 29 March 2013

The usual route into Singapore is to enter from Johor Bahru - the southernmost city of Malaysia (and also of Eurasia mainland by the way) - across bridges either from the North of the West. Both of those bridge accesses are very busy, not to say potentially dangerous for cyclists. I choose another itinerary that is less popular but incomparably nicer : from Desaru follow the coast line as far as possible, first to the South, then to the West, until the Pengerang ferry terminal where boats rally Changi Point on the Eastern flank of Singapore.

In red, the itinerary from Desaru to Pengerang

The route to Pengerang (60km from Desaru) is very nice. The first section going South to the small town of Sungai Rengit is the wildest. The road is nearly empty: a shorter route serves Sungai Rengit further from the coast and anyway this area is best described as a dead end hitting the Singapore Strait. It’s the quietest and most pleasant cycling in a while, leaving me with plenty of mental space to think about the last months spent cycling. From Sungai Rengit the road becomes busier strangely. I notice however small sideroads zigzagging closer to the coast across a mix of countryside, fishing villages and old Chinese houses. The sleepy atmosphere gives the place a definite charm, as if it was lost in time.

Everything runs smoothly at the tiny Pengerang ferry terminal: my passport is checked and less than one hour is needed for the required 12 passenger to line up. I was concerned about not having enough Malaysian ringgits left but fortunately I’m allowed to pay in US dollars (the cost was 12 Singapore Dollar if I remember correctly). The crossing itself take more time than I though, not far from an hour. I’m amazed by the level of activity in the strait. Skilfully, the pilot guides our small ship, probably an old fishing boat, through a complex maze of floating markers, artificial islands, huge portals and other large machineries who’s purpose is mysterious to me.

Tiong Bahru neighborhood

Once I’m done with Singapore border controls at Changi Point (including x-rays for the bags) I’m back on the road in a new setting. Bye bye the sleepy fishing villages, hello the multilane speedways. At first the surroundings are surprisingly green, with many parks and trees lining along the way. Then the road penetrates into more urban areas, the traffic becomes denser and traffic lights slow down my pace. I probably need close to two hours to reach the Tiong Bahru neigbourhoud (25km away from Changi Point). On the way I’m under the impression of going through not one but at least four different cities: the residential outskirts, the marina bay and the docks, Chinatown, the city center… Vertical buildings with stunning architectural features are rising from the ground all around.

I’m relieved to reach my destination just when the night falls. Céline and Marc, Belgium friends expatriated in Singapore, welcome me with fresh beer followed by a nice evening where we have plenty to discuss. In the back of my head, I feel happy to end this trip safely without any incident. Pierre already arrived fourteen days before. Now the mission is hundred percent accomplished!

The end of the road!

My assignement for the next day is to find a box to put my bike on the plane. I only have one day because my plane is leaving the following day (the 29^th of March)… which I discover is also a public holiday. At noon I come back home empty-handed and a bit nervous. The two bike shops I visited in the neighbourhood have either no box or extra large models (requiring a lot of work to shrink and impossible to bring back home anyway without a minivan). I can already picture myself running around Singapore desperately for the rest of the afternoon. 

Then I suddenly remember a conversation with Stefan, the German cyclist I met a week earlier in Malaysia. He told me about a bike-friendly hostel in Singapore where he left his box : Tree in a Lodge. After a phone call I meet the two friendly owners, SK and Yong, in the Bugis neighbourhood… and they save my day, no to say the end of my trip! Immediately we have plenty of stories to share. SK travelled extensively by bicycle and tells me about the month he spent in Dhaka waiting for a permit to enter Burma. He is thrilled to learn that someone finally made it across. Their guesthouse is undergoing some transformation and Stefan’s box is temporarily out of reach, but other boxes are available. Furthermore, they propose to drop a box the following day in Tiong Bahru and help me pack my bike. Waow! The stress built up in the morning suddenly vanishes and I can enjoy the neighbourhood guided by SK and Yong to the best local food and juices around.

With Marc and Céline

In the evening I get a special treat from Céline and Marc. First we go for a drink in a trendy open air bar. The view on the marina is impressive. The young cosmopolitan people enjoying their after-work drink makes for an interesting sight, reminiscent of similar settings in New York or London. Then after discovering some Taiwanese delicacies for dinner we hit the Altitude rooftop, the highest bar in Singapore at 282m above sea level. The 360 degree view over Singapore is spectacular. This is the perfect setting to celebrate victory and smoke the cigar that was given to me in Brussels before my departure for this exact purpose!

SK and Yong drive by as promised the next day. It takes only a few minutes to disassemble the bike and pack it in the box. Hurrah! This leaves us some time to discuss some more around a coffee and look at the picture of the trip on my iPad. Thank you for your help guys!

With Yong (left) and SK (right)

With Celine, Marc and their three kids we head for a last walk in a park amazingly suspended at the top of the new Pinnacle towers. Then it’s suddenly time to pack. I set aside 10 kilos for the hand luggage and dump the rest of my belongings in the box. Incredibly, at the airport the 30 kilos on the scale do not raise an eyebrow from the boarding staff. Thank you Qatar Airways! Relieved, I’m left wandering around the airport trying to realize that the trip is truly coming to an end…

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