Trip 8: Places of Old

Right off the Bat - 93, 123M

   I started today right away, taking the rest of Trunk Service 123M from my local bus-stop down to HarbourFront Interchange from where I left off last time out.

The route detours via Bukit Purmei Avenue on its way through to HarbourFront.

   I had my breakfast at the adjacent Seah Im Food Centre. I saw a Volvo B10M bus deployed on Trunk Service 93. Making the best of this chance opportunity (since all of them will be retired by Christmas), I took the bus all the way through to Eunos Bus Interchange.

Service 93 passes through Queensway, Lornie and Braddell on its way to Eunos.

I also caught this Air Force Plane on approach to Paya Lebar Airbase.

Wandering in Bedok - 60, 69, 225

   Eunos Bus Interchange, designed in the same style as the MRT Station next to it, has few bus services for its size. One of them in Trunk Service 60 which is a short route between Eunos and Bedok passing through Bedok Reservoir, looping at the bus interchange.

The route passes through Bedok Reservoir and Bedok North estates.

   Arriving in the quite crowded Bedok Bus Interchange, I went into Bedok Mall and walked around for a while, thinking about where to go next. I decided to take Feeder Service 225 first, specifically 225G, a short bi-directional feeder route that serves the flats around the narrow Bedok North Street 3. 

   Despite being short in terms of distance, the route gets regular double-deckers due to high commuter traffic.

   After Feeder 225, I took a Volvo B10TL on Trunk Service 69, another short service like Trunk 60 which runs from Bedok to Tampines through Tampines West.

The scene at Tampines Bus Interchange

The Village - 29, 109

   At Tampines Bus Interchange, I had my lunch of Economical Bee Hoon before continuing on my trip. I decided to take Trunk Service 29 to Changi Village via Upper Changi since I haven't properly explored that area other than the Bus Terminal.

The old roads in Changi that Service 29 plies.

(Loyang Way and Upper Changi Road North)

   Changi Village itself has a rustic nature that can't be seen anywhere else in Singapore, with the large hawker centre (that made me regret eating lunch too early) and low-rise HDB flats with shops on the ground floor. 

   Beyond the chalet and the hawker village, there is also a delightful coastal boardwalk near Changi Beach and the Ferry Terminal.

   Anyways, after a quick walk around the village, I had the chance to ride another Volvo B10M, this time assigned to Trunk Service 109 from Changi Village to Serangoon.

109 passes through Pasir Ris, Sengkang, Hougang and Yio Chu Kang.

Rainy Rounds - 56, 315

   I arrived at Serangoon Bus Interchange sometime in the late afternoon. I walked a few rounds around the NEX shopping centre to get some ideas. 

   I got on Feeder Service 315, which serves Serangoon Gardens and Serangoon North housing estates. Interestingly, the nearest town centre to Serangoon North in actually Hougang, but Feeder 315 still gets a good amount of commuters travelling to Serangoon Gardens and Serangoon Interchange.

Winding around Serangoon North

317 is the other Feeder Service serving Serangoon Interchange

Shophouses in Serangoon Gardens

   After the round on Feeder 315, I took the MRT a short distance to Bishan and took Trunk Service 56 down to Marina Centre to get closer to home since it was turning into the Evening. 

   Service 56 plies Toa Payoh, Novena and Middle Road, ending at Marina Centre Bus Terminal near the Marina Square Shopping Mall

The windows were ripe with condensation after the showers in the late afternoon.

To Commonwealth - 195

The area around Marina Centre Bus Terminal

   To finish off the day, after having traversed through old housing estates from the heartlands of Eunos and Bishan to the quaint Changi Village, I took a trip on Trunk Service 195, one of my local services, half of the entire trip to Commonwealth MRT Station. 

The sun sat as the bus passed through Tiong Bahru and Telok Blangah

Recap of trip:

Routes done - 29, 56, 60, 69, 93, 109, 123M (half), 195 (half), 225, 315

Progress - 51.5/363 (14.19 %)

Trip 7: 1/10

Tight Fit - 139

   Right. So today, rather than starting at Geylang like I did for the past two trips, I started closer to home. Once again, at Bukit Merah Interchange, my first journey was on Trunk Service 139 to Toa Payoh. The bus was once again a Volvo B10TL double-decker (one of my favourites as mentioned before).

Redhill Estate (turning out of Lengkok Bahru) (139)

   One of my favourite combinations of bus service and model on display here, as it is interesting how the large, old double-decker can wind through the narrow roads of Lengkok Bahru in Redhill Estate. Service 139 afterwards connects through to River Valley, Dhoby Ghaut, Little India and St. Michael's Estate.

Passing Great World City (139)

Passing MacDonald House in Dhoby Ghaut (139)

Little India (139)

Jalan Rajah, St. Michael's Estate (139)

Arriving at Toa Payoh Bus Interchange (139)

10% - 159

   A bit of a milestone here at Toa Payoh Interchange, as after my breakfast (at 10 a.m.), I ticked off Trunk Service 159 from Toa Payoh to Sengkang. At 37.5/371, Service 159 marks 10% progress on the challenge. A minor landmark but one nonetheless. 

   Service 159 serves the estates of Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon North and Hougang before terminating at Sengkang.

The North-South Line MRT tracks near Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 (159)

Approaching Ang Mo Kio Town Centre (159)

The heart of Hougang Estate (159)

Arriving in Sengkang (159)

Arteries of the Northeast - 82, 372, 386

   At Sengkang, I decided to trek on Feeders again with Feeder Service 372, which primarily serves Anchorvale in the western part of Sengkang, but looping in the town centre before going through Anchorvale again and ending back at the Interchange.

Flats and condominiums in the town centre (372)

   After Feeder 372 and a short MRT ride north, I also finished off Feeder Service 386 while also stopping for lunch at Punggol Plaza in Punggol East along the way.

   Feeder 386 loops at Punggol East, while also serving the new flats of Edgefield and Edgedale Plains and connecting through to Punggol Bus Interchange.

Feeder 386 crosses the Punggol Waterway twice

Skies darkening in Punggol East

Feeder 386 also serves Oasis LRT Station along Punggol Drive

   After the Feeders, I went on to finish the other half of Trunk Service 82 towards Serangoon Central, passing through Sengkang and Hougang.

Punggol Park (actually located along Hougang Ave 10) (82)

Vast field at Hougang Central (82)

The Switcheroo - 105, 143M, 201

   After arriving in Serangoon, I thought that I might also finish the other loop services I only took half of, 143M and 201. To get from Serangoon to Jurong East, I took the entirety of Trunk Service 105, which perfectly gets me to where I want to be.

Back to Toa Payoh (105)

   Service 105 serves Lorong Chuan, Toa Payoh, Scotts Road and Clementi before ending up at Jurong East.

Orchard Road from Scotts Road (105)

   Service 105 duplicates the East-West MRT Line from Commonwealth to Jurong East, will definitely help during full-day closures next month. 

Clementi (105)

   From Jurong East, Trunk Service 143M down to Pandan Gardens, and after a walk around the estate to wait for a double-decker, Trunk Service 201 to Kent Ridge Terminal, passing Clementi and West Coast Road.

Following its parent service down to Pandan Gardens (143M)

Turning out onto West Coast Road (143M)

Bus services along West Coast Road

Meeting the MRT tracks again at Clementi (201)

Last Round - 123M

Near HarbourFront Interchange

   After getting off at Kent Ridge Terminal, I took Service 10 to HarbourFront, though before I go home, I took one last round for today, Trunk Service 123M to Tiong Bahru Road and getting off at my local bus stop.

   Service 123M mainly connects residents of Telok Blangah and Bukit Purmei to Tiong Bahru MRT, so always gets a good load of commuter traffic during weekdays (and especially peak hours), so the bus I took was basically full from HarbourFront all the way to Tiong Bahru. 

Recap of trip:

Routes done - 82 (half), 105, 123M (half), 139, 143M (half), 159, 201 (half), 372, 386

Progress - 42.5/371 (11.45 %)