Starting local - 272, 273
Right. Since I wake up almost every morning at around 6-7 a.m., I always have as much of the day I as need to make progress on this challenge. I went out at around 8 and went down to my home-front bus stop. I checked the arrival time for Bus 5 and waited.
My bus arrived in a few minutes.
The bus was somewhat packed, though many passengers got off at the nearby industrial complex. It didn't really as Bukit Merah Bus Interchange is just 2 stops from where I live.
The unique Bukit Merah Bus Interchange, with berth B5 (right) being refurbished.
There is a lot I can say about Bukit Merah Interchange, from its design to its lack of MRT connection for a bus interchange.
After a few moments, I hopped onboard a bus on Feeder Service 273, passing under the Henderson Waves and winding around Telok Blangah Heights estate before returning to the Interchange.
Trunk Service 120, also serving Telok Blangah Heights estate.
And thus, that's the 1st service of the challenge - 273 - ding!
Back at Bukit Merah Interchange, I was on my way once again, this time on Feeder Service 272, doing a (sort of) Figure-8 around Telok Blangah Crescent and Telok Blangah Rise and looping back, while carrying many commuters travelling towards the Town Centre.
Sun shining through trees in along Telok Blangah Way.
272 - done.
Delay and Deviation - 122
After I finished the Bukit Merah Feeders, I travelled to Redhill MRT using Service 132. I put some money in my student pass and then travelled west.
Outside the fare gates, I saw the signature yellow disruption signboards with flashing lights. I already knew about a disruption on the Circle Line that day, but I went on anyway since I wasn't planning to change. At first, I was planning to go to Jurong East but since there was, in fact, a major delay on the East-West Line as well, I got off at Commonwealth Station instead.
It turns out that there was actually a train collision at Joo Koon Station at the end of the line, which injured 23 people caused a major disruption, shutting down train services between Boon Lay and Tuas Link.
Taken while the train was stationary just before C'wealth Station.
But of course, that was no reason for the challenge to halt! From Commonwealth Station, I got on board the Trunk Service 122, taking the half of the loop service from Commonwealth to New Bridge Road Terminal via the delightful, old stretch of road known as Margeret Drive.
That's 122. - half ding?
Lunch Service - 54, 410
I haven't been to New Bridge Road Terminal since before my exams, but the last time I was there, the boarding stop was still being rebuilt. So it was great to see that the stop was fully reinstated to its original position. The bus stop even seemed to have a 'new smell'!
Buses parked at New Bridge Road Bus Terminal
I looked at the arrival times and saw that the next bus on Service 54 was a non-wheelchair-accessible double-decker bus (quite specific, I know), but since government plans are to make the entire bus fleet wheelchair-accessible, I felt that I should take every opportunity to take a trip down memory lane.
The Concorde of the Singapore Bus Fleet. (Volvo B10TL)
Trunk Service 54 goes through Chinatown, Marymount and twists and turns through Bishan before terminating at Bishan Interchange.
I had my lunch of Japanese Curry Rice at FoodJunction in Junction 8. After buying a drink, I boarded a double-decker on Feeder Service 410W, that just so happened to arrive at that time. An anti-clockwise loop around Bishan through Sin Ming and Shunfu Road later, I was on my way, once again.
54 & 410 - done
Familiar Waters - 50, 84, 117
After a loop around Bishan on Feeder 410W, I proceeded onto Trunk Service 50 to Punggol, passing through Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang while carrying a healthy load of passengers (possibly why most buses on Service 50 are double-deckers), even during off-peak hours.
Giving the ding to 50 for one moment, taking a full loop of Trunk Service 84, one of my personal favourites, in another.
Old Punggol Road on 84. (I have a thing for old, narrow stretches of road)
I have a soft spot for Punggol, in general. Its new flats and forested areas give it a sense of pristineness. For that reason, I took a walk along the Waterway from the Waterway Point shopping centre to Sam Kee LRT Station.
I then took the LRT back to Punggol while trying my best (honest) to take a picture of the old maps at the unopened Teck Lee Station.
Notice the lack of lines?
Back at Punggol, it was back to buses. Trunk Service 117, going through the Seletar Airport area, into Yishun and ending at Sembawang.
Rain clouds rolling over the Seletar Dam.
Drained - 190
I would definitely choose to continue to joyride past 5 p.m., but since my phone's battery was already dipping below 20% after I got off at Sembawang, I had to return home. Obviously, I had to make my return home fulfil part of the challenge as well.
I put whatever scraps of trust I had left in the MRT system to travel on the Nouth-South Line from Sembawang to Choa Chu Kang. I took Trunk Service 190 back into the City, a highly popular commuter service using a quick expressway to link the estates of Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang to Orchard Road and Chinatown. (though my bus was quite empty due to bunching).
(no picture because my phone was on life support)
From New Bridge Road Terminal, Service 120 back home to write this blog entry.
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