Legendary Tampines Pond @ Tampines (Near to Bedok Reservoir), Singapore

Just in case you are wondering if this is just a small, tiny little pond located in any primary or secondary schools, you are dead wrong!

A long delayed follow up from my last post on this hidden gem in tampines, i am now going to divulge its exact location although i agree that it's an open secret that some of you might have already known.

You don't think i am going to give you the answer immediately right? Let's have some kind of a flow to make this post slightly longer than the ones i published recently.

For record, the entry point is located somewhere along this isolated road. Taking a bus is possible but it might be such a long walk that even Ms Karen Au will spew vulgarities after a hundred meters!

One of two man-made pathways, i am always under the impression that numerous snakes lurk within the grass and strategies are needed to deter any unwanted encounters. My strategy? Don't walk. RUN across the grass!

This is the usual "market" scene in the daytime. Comes night-time and the whole place is filled with a misty eeriness that put chills down my spine.

Enthusiastic RC (radio controlled) boaters call this place home. However, i wonder how long it will be before the government decides to evict them out of this natural haven.

Sad indeed. When i was younger, i used to like the way Singapore is organised; prim and proper. As i grow older, i lament how we are slowly losing Singapore's heritage and spirit to continual development.

Mom was my company that day even though she was rushing to go back to my sister's place (to take care of chubby Jovyn) after a praying spree at three different temples! I persuaded her that it will not take more than 5 minutes and expectedly, we ended up spending half an hour there!

It wasn't that hot and there was a gentle breeze blowing towards us. I can see that mom was enjoying the beautiful view and bet it was the most relaxed moment she had ever had for the past few months. Taking care of a new born is seriously no easy task!

Leaving mom to her cherished moments, i trekked along this quiet, human-free dirt path. Granted it was the seventh lunar month (aka Hungry Ghosts Month) and the path did feel different, the intense curiousity of what lies beyond is too hard to resist!

Found alongside the bank was this floating device that a light person can use to row out to the middle of the huge pond. Not something i will utilise since i hate the feeling of not being able to touch the ground underneath the water. Blame it on this 1986 horror movie called 鬼拉脚 (literally translated to ghost pulls legs).

Loads of religious artefacts were found at the end of the path. Who is interested (and daring) to go with me during the night to check the place out?

That's not all! Strings of religious flags (of Tibetan or Thai origins) were tied to trees; signifying some sort of religious processions in the past.

Judging from the vibrant colours of these flags, the events must have occurred recently (maybe for this seventh month). Intriguing right?! I did feel uncomfortable being the only human there but well, my heart does need some excitement every now and then.

On a lighter note, parents need not spend any money on guppies for their children anymore! There were so many of them in the pond!

In addition, I had the fortune to also encounter a lot of toads on the rocks! This baby was at most 1/3 the size of my pinky. So kawaii!

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Location

Tampines Industrial Avenue 2 (red star for entrance). Drivers can park illegally along the road and its best to access via Tampines Avenue 10.