Singapore Street Art

One of the things I would often stop to admire in my travels is the street art and wall murals in various towns/cities around the world. In particular, I was so impressed with Rio de Janeiro's street art that I made a specific post about it. Of course, there are alot of others, like Valpairiso, Buenos Aires etc, that has wonderful street art culture.

Closer to home, Penang's Georgetown have its wall mural very well publicised here, thanks to its easy access from Singapore and the various media. In fact, Singapore also have the same street artist's art gracing our walls. But wouldn't it be better if we have our very own local artists' creations? Well, recently we do, thanks to the efforts of a Yip Yew Chong.

Yip Yew Chong is a self-taught artist who is actually in the accounting profession. On a career break, he started painting several wall murals that garnered plenty of attention and praise. The thing that set his murals apart is his theme - his murals all depict scenes of Singapore from a bygone era. It is no wonder that it struck a chord with many locals passing by who saw the artwork. I'm sure he had made many new friends while working on set. Many who particularly appreciated his work were of a certain age group (including me), and I had a good time reminiscing the "good old days" with him, discussing brands of milk cans and biscuit tins and details on grating coconut etc.

Of course, the murals can be appreciated by any as the quality of work is top notch, with many works showing an almost 3D nature in the appropriate light. His murals is currently being featured in the various local media and personally, I'm very proud that now, we have our own local street art, by our local artist, about our local culture. Tourists can now see some of old Singapore through these murals!

You can go to Yew Chong's website to find out the details on how to reach the various murals. Go check it out! (Check out his incredible travel map too!!)

Yip Yew Chong's website

Artist painting his latest mural

Helambu Trek, Nepal

Nepal is one of the top trekking places in the world, with the famous Annapurna Himalayan range as one of its most popular and most visited backdrop. Treks range from 3-18 days, so there is one to fit most people's schedule and fitness. And this is only one part of Nepal!

I've decided to try a less touristy trek, and I have 6 days. So I opted for the Helambu trek, which is part of a bigger Langtang-Gosainkunda-Helambu trek. The Langtang region is also a beautiful trekking region, and Helambu is south of the mountain range. Here's some feedback regarding this trek.

One of the plus points of this trek is its accessibility from Kathmandu. Trekkers to the Annapurna region would have to get to Pokhara, which is either a 7-8hr bus ride or a flight. The Helambu trailhead, on the other hand, is just an hour bus ride away from Kathmandu! At the end of the trek at Melamchi Puul Bazaar, it is also just a 4hr bus back to Kathmandu.

The highlight of the trek is the 3rd day/night at Therapati (3600m). So essentially, the first 2 days of the trek is the ascent to reach Therapati (from 1500m), and the 4th+5th day is the descent. The thing I didn't like about the trek is that most of the ascent (and descent) is all "bunched up". Especially the 4th day after Therapati, it was a continuous 4-hr steep descent which is a sure recipe for feet blisters and damaged knees.

The scenary during the trek is mostly of terraced fields and villages against the mountainous backdrop of the Langtang Himal, Jugal Himal range etc. So expect plenty of greenery. However, my first 2 days of the trek was marked by heavy mists and clouds, which is not common at this time of the year (Oct). So even though at Chisopani (first night), famous for its sunrise views and popular for weekend trips by the locals, I didn't quite get to see a good sunrise. Luckily, when I arrived in Therapati, the weather turned for the better, and it was a spectacular highlight. The lodge/guesthouse was set amidst a spectacular backdrop of mountains, and the setting was picture-perfect. Add to it a beautiful sunset, and an equally enchanting sunrise the next morning, it certainly washed away any negativity of the previous days.

At the end of the day, I had mixed feelings for the trek. If not for the wonderful highlight at Therapati, I would not have enjoyed the trek as much, the main gripe being the long continuous steep ascent/descent on the trek. I also didn't get good weather for half the trip but weather is not something anyone can control.

So for those wanting to experience a short less touristy trek, as opposed to something immensely popular like the Poon Hill trek, this is something to consider.

Terraced fields with snowcapped mountains as backdrop

Contrast of the fertile land and bare snowy mountains

Alpenglow on the Jugal Himal range at Therapati

Sunset in Therapati - High in the clouds

Guesthouse in the mountains (Therapati, 3600m)

Misty atmospheric post-sunrise at Therapati

Village life - one of the key aspects of the trek in Helambu

Bukit Brown, Singapore

Looking for alternate green spots in Singapore? Looking for historic spots in Singapore? Look no further. Check out both Bukit Brown Cemetery.

Sprawled across 200+ hectares of wooded land, the cemetery is scattered over several hills, and is the largest Chinese cemetery in Singapore. However, it is so much more. As mentioned, the area is an excellent green venue for outdoor activities. These include hiking, cycling, birding and even horse-riding. The lush green is wild and natural, surely the draw for many an outdoor enthusiast.

But when I said it's so much more, I was not particularly referring to the greenery. I was thinking more about our heritage and culture. For in Bukit Brown cemetery lies many of Singapore's founding fathers and pioneers, and with them, a whole slew of historic and cultural insights. Sikh statue guards guarding Chinese tombs, mosaic patterns, engravings and reliefs, and many stories on the inscriptions and epitaphs that to this day, is still being uncovered.

Shockingly though, the government of Singapore had deemed it necessary to build a four-lane road cutting across it, and as a result, 4000+ graves had to be exhumed. Over 4000 slices of our history may be lost. And to make things worse, exhumation works are to begin in the fourth quarter of this year (2013), which leaves little time for people to uncover these histories. And little time for Singaporeans and tourists alike to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place, for surely the outlook and ambience of the place would be compromised.

For all things on Bukit Brown, check out the aptly named website All Things Bukit Brown. There are free guided walks led by passionate volunteers almost every weekend, and I have to say, these guides will make your walk through the cemetery an especially educational one. The information and histories dished out by these guides are just amazing! It was doubly amazing when at the grave of Chew Boon Lay, whose name is now on our roads and a MRT station, his great grandson was around to recount the history!

One of the volunteer guides, Peter, telling a story

Grave of Chew Boon Lay, with his great grandon telling his history

 These group of people are still petitioning to stop the road development. For those who are going for the guided walks (and you should), please provide your support if needed. I feel a sense of loss and indignation for those people in the affected graves. It is especially poignant to think that in life, they had toiled for the development of Singapore, and in death, they would be ousted from their final resting place in the name of the development of Singapore!

The many histories of Bukit Brown

Northern Pakistan

When we read about Pakistan in the news, they are mostly on war, disasters and generally depressing and negative news. Which is such a waste, cos the country is such a wonderful travel destination. It's landscapes and sceneries are just fantastic, and with 8 of the 13 mountain peaks above 8000m in Pakistan, it is a mountaineer's dream destination.



But one of the most amazing things I experienced in Pakistan besides the landscapes, are the people. They are among the friendliest people I meet in my travels, and their hospitality is what makes travel in Pakistan one of the most memorable as well. I got invited for teas, and even joined a family for dinner in their house and they would go all out to make you comfortable. And we just met on the streets.





I flew into Lahore, and covered mostly Northern Pakistan, so I actually have no experience in travel in the southern part of the country. However, from what I gather, I do feel the northern part provides the best experience and photo opportunities in both landscapes as well as people and culture. Moreover, the Karakoram Highway is in any backpackers dream trip, and that alone could warrant you a trip to Northern Pakistan!