Commissioned in 1912, Lower Peirce Reservoir is the second oldest reservoir in Singapore. Impounding the upper-reaches of Kallang River, the reservoir is surrounded by a mature secondary forest interspersed with rubber trees and oil palms.
With an early morning start we had the pleasure of soaking in the serene surroundings of the reservoir and the crystal clear reflections in the water.
With well laid plans (or perhaps not) we split into two groups: one for the 9km loop and the other for 3km loop. John and I stayed together, Zuzana followed her program and the rest of the gang; Chris, Stan, David, Michelle and Avni, tackled those well laid plans (or not).
The blue loop was meant to be 3km but it didn’t take long to figure out that what looked good on a map didn’t necessarily give you access in real life. So when the start of our route was inacessible we opted to go in the opposite direction onto a 900m boardwalk that crossed the edges of the reservoir and into the secondary forest.
The boardwalk location was beautiful but not conducive to running. The boardwalk itself was narrow (1.5 persons wide) and already filled with a steady stream of morning walkers and families with little ones. With my balance still askew post ankle injury I wasn’t game to tackle jogging around the people and hoping that I wouldn’t fall into the reservoir.
John and I chose to walk instead and enjoy the location. Once we returned we bumped into Zuzana and decided to walk to Grub Cafe in the neighoburing Bishan Park and wait for the rest of the group.
In the meantime, elsewhere in the park the group discovers that their well laid plans have thoroughly gone off the rails. Cutting through brush and jungle like true pirates on a hunt, to their utter horror they accidentally found themselves on the golf course instead of around it. Desperate to get off swiftly, preferably with stealth and invisibility (pirate swashbuckling all gone now) they found themselves sprinting across the course as if they were crossing the Mexican border. Mission accomplished and back on track they completed their hilly run knocking up 9km along the way.
Finishing off at Grub Cafe with a hearty breakfast as usual, we swapped stories of accidental exploits and adventures. Can’t deny though that wherever we go for our runs, Singapore is a beautiful country with lots of outdoor activity opportunities and lots of very good hearty breakfasts.
Cheers
