TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

A "vacation" by any other name....... As international border closures remain strictly in force, I have decided that an overseas vacation pre-pandemic style is simply neither possible nor practical. While it is true that I can theoretically travel to a couple of destinations currently, the required administrative loops and hurdles that I will have to jump through just to travel to these "select" destinations immediately made even the idea of leisure travel impractical. For example, based on the number of COVID testings one have to undergo just for a one or two-week trip, which can be as many as four or even five tests, simply don't make sense. Besides the costs involved (assuming an average of USD$110 per test), there are still the inconveniences of having to travel to designated clinics for these tests, queue up, wait, waste precious vacation time and to top it all the up, grapple with the amount of extra paperwork just to prove that I am vaccinated and also do

Explore your neighbourhood...... Travel in your own backward In a time when travel beyond national borders are difficult to plan and execute, traveling in our own backyard through exploring our immediate neighbourhood seems to be the new norm. At the very least, we get to know our own neighbourhood better, contribute to the local economy and at the same time, still get to "travel". Linkway between different wings of the museum, National Gallery, Singapore (2016) Traveling refreshes our mind and break the boredom of everyday work life. Anything that is not part of our normal and daily routine thus qualify as a new experience to refresh our minds. Go for a stroll in that nearby neighbourhood park. Spend an hour or two during the weekends to hike in the small hills, forest or meadows near your home. And you will be surprised how refreshing that experience can be for both body and mind. Of course, safe distancing and social responsibilities still apply. View

Vacationing....... in your home city's less visited neighbourhoods....... When we think of going on a vacation, it is usually about taking off to some distant destinations. While it is the much accepted idea of an "ideal" vacation, there are times when we couldn't just pack our holiday bags and go off to that far-flung dreamed destination. We are all bound by commitments such as family, work or budgets. So if you only have the luxury of a day or two for a break and are limited by constraints such as family and budget, how do you take a "vacation"? Over the years, I had found myself in similar situations. When budget permits, I typically booked a nice local hotel for a luxurious staycation. In times when budget got a bit tight for me, I just took a day off work and visited local neighbourhoods for walks. Often,  I found that I could enjoy myself just as much as going off on some distant holiday trips. A throw-back to what Singapore was like

Views from the top has always provide a fascinating insight into the immediate surroundings of an area, be it stretches of sea that extends far into the horizon, man-made architecture of an urban cityscape or the expanses of greens of a tropical rainforest from a vantage point. In Singapore where the amount of lush forest is shrinking as a result of urban development, forested areas are becoming more rare and precious as the clock ticks. Apart from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and other small pockets of forested areas still remaining on the main island of Singapore, the only other place with a sizeable amount of suburban and forested areas and is opened to public access is the island of Pulau Ubin. Here in Pulau Ubin near the mangrove areas of Chek Jawa stands a lookout tower. The view from the top of this tower provides a sweeping view of the forested areas of this small island. This awesome view never fails to provide me with a deep appreciation of the abundance of nat