Yishun Forest Again

Hi Blog,

On the first of March, the last day before Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and a month of fasting), I will hike with my friend because I promised to meet SY for a simple exploration.

Today’s weather was a bit moody, but at least it didn’t rain!

As the title implies, Yishun Forest will be a Level 3A experience based on my own Hiking Measurement System and fulfilled SY's desire to try off-trail hiking. Let me show you what a Level 3A hike will look like, and you can also read about my two hikes (Aug 2023 & Aug 2024) to see how much has changed since my last visit.

I am exhausted and want to sleep more, but I must motivate (force) myself to step outside of my comfort zone; otherwise, I am doomed to become fat.

Anyway, I had already left home, so there was no time for sleep; it was time to act red (an energising colour).

Good morning, Yishun forest!

SY had to settle with his mother's meal, so I arrived early, and perhaps I should just explore first.

What was I looking at? There was a gate here, but it was heavily overgrown by plants.

My previous visit was in August 2024, and this place already looked different.

The farm plot now appeared more organised than before.

Bitter gourd had dried up; perhaps they just wanted to reset their crops.

Maybe it is time to launch my drone and see what it looks like from above.

I like the drone's aerial view because it allows us to see more of the area; I need to figure out how to pack my accessories so that I can switch between phone, camera, and drone as needed.

A small orange leafhopper, Bothrogonia, was resting on a leaf.

When I looked around the leafhopper, I noticed a cricket 🦗 (Nisitrus vittatus) sitting on a...

Morning Glory. There are many morning glories here, which brightened my mood. 😊

Back to this area, and it looks cleaner now.

Ficus variegata can cause trypophobia in some people.

It appears that a new path has emerged that did not exist previously; it resembles a tunnel and is well-maintained; we will see how it develops in the future.

Okay, let us get back to the main route, if there is one.

In 2023, there was a neat and tidy makeshift tent, but it was now gone.

The skeleton structure of a hut (2024) is now gone, leaving only a supporting log; we can only guess how long this will last.

So what is next? Usually, the hike would stop here, but because I know what is next, I continued to push through.

Many beautiful spiders waited patiently on their webs as I bashed through the wood, unaware that a fat animal would pass through and destroy their home.

Another farm, and this time much neater than in 2023.

They were growing Vietnamese Sawtooth Coriander, and I was curious what they would do with it next.

It appears that this place has been utilized efficiently and with great care. However, I still have a question: What other activities are they engaged in here apart from gardening?

I appreciate the design of the staircase that has been constructed here.

They really organised their farm this time, and I am hoping they will keep it that way. Will you keep it a secret, dear readers?

A small pond here would be ideal for bloodsuckers and wild, invasive waterweeds.

I am curious about the reasons behind their decision to install a fence. What are they trying to prevent? 🐶 or 🐗 or 🚶

This is the first time I have seen this on the branches. Can you spot it?

Yes, it is the rubber tree fruit! Normally, I only see the seeds and fruit husks on the ground; this time, it is still flesh.

The next zone was the unofficial mountain biking circuit. It appeared that it had been revisited and preserved. I assumed it was because most bikers are Muslims, and it will be their fasting period, so they will not be using this location for the time being.

Let me use my drone to get an aerial view of this area. Hmm, not completely.

What's up next? You might ask. What do you see from this spot?

Yes! Let's visit the Yishun Banyan Tree.

I like the angle from the bottom up and am curious how it will appear from above.

Wow, check out that big golden orb-web spider; it's gorgeous!

Okay, time to go back to the entrance and meet SY. I thought I’d wrap up my blog post here, but I guess not! Haha

After meeting SY, I took him on a tour that ended at the Banyan Tree site.

And continued my exploration from that point.

However, there was a change in route... I could not find a trail, but I knew there was one somewhere, so I decided to bash through. Fortunately, SY is a good sport and decided to give it a shot; for a first-timer, he is courageous. And, yes, we did find the trail, but I wanted to go back and see where it came from...

What truly astonished me was the existence of a newer zone!

A new zone signifies a new area for agricultural activities.

It appears that if we can encourage more individuals to participate in agricultural activities to produce food for others rather than being exploited, this world could be free of hunger...

Regrettably, it is utilized to feed the leech, similar to the themes presented in Animal Farm, if you have read or viewed it.

It's my first time seeing people tidying up and taking care of the place.

(credit SY) ooo, SY, did you spot something here?

Yes, a bigger golden orb-web spider 🕷️

(credit SY) I mentioned that this location was once a village, and the remnants that remain serve as a testament to this forgotten history.

Oh... Looks like this place has been abandoned... Just look at all the leaves on the ground and how things are compared to last year.

(credit SY) This is the second biking trail, which has been covered with sheets to maintain its conditions. They will be back again.

Can you see the urbanisation through the window of nature? We will head back.

Hmm... It appears that the insect repellent spray is not effective. This may be due to my application method, as I only sprayed it without rubbing it in thoroughly. I will consider applying it more effectively to assess its efficiency.

Overall, Yishun Forest is a simple level 3A hiking trail (based on my personal hiking measurements) with a variety of elements, such as urban exploration, trails, and raw natural ingredients, making it ideal for beginners looking for a Level 3 hiking experience. I will be back for more in the future.

Jeff