Following our first cycling date between Darius and I last year, we finally went for our second date this morning, under the blazing hot sun! ^^|

I took half-day leave to look after Darius today. He woke me up quite early at around 7.30am by pulling open the curtains and make the sunlight shone down onto my face, forcing me to wake up. Soon after, Catherine left for her appointment and I fed him cereal for his breakfast, while my stomach groaned in hunger.

Yearning for some nice roti prata as breakfast, the Ah Mei Cafe at Sun Plaza (Sembawang) came into my mind straight away. However, I recalled there was no baby chair available from the last time we were there, so there was no way I could have him seated properly while I enjoy my breakfast. Yes, I could bring along his stroller but it would be inconvenient when boarding and alighting from the bus, assuming that would be the transport I would be taking. Furthermore, I was feeling adventurous this morning so I was leaning towards cycling there instead.

In the end, I cycled Darius to a coffee shop along the way towards Sun Plaza and had my roti prata there. Well, it’s not actually as nice as I would have thought, but at least I got to fulfill my wish. Darius was also obediently sitting in the baby chair while he watched me. ^^

From then on, it was where the ambitious part came in — I had planned to cycle all the way from here to Sembawang Park with Darius in tow. Hmm… So why was this plan ambitious?

Firstly, Catherine and I had cycled once there before a long time back (before Darius was even conceived or planned) and it was a long and difficult path, consisting of up and down slopes throughout.

Secondly, the weather wasn’t kind to us, with hardly any cloud overhead and the sun was beaming straight down from the sky. Not the best kind of weather to take on an outdoor adventure yay?

Hot, cloudless morning...

Still, I decided to go ahead, believing that my physique (fact: I had not jogged nor routinely exercised for a few months at least though) and my mental strength (read: stubbornness) would help overcome the tough terrain. As for the sun, I recalled the route was well shaded with huge trees so we should be well shaded most of the time. Of course I still needed to ensure both of us were well hydrated throughout the journey.

With these set in my mind, I started cycling towards our destination, starting off from Sembawang Way and heading east towards Canberra Link and making a turn to the northeast at Montreal Garden before riding along Sembawang Road till we reached Sembawang Park. According to the map, the route was about 4km long and it took me 30 minutes or so to reach there. My thoughts when we finally arrived at the park, with me panting and sweating profusely?

“No way I’m going to do this again!” ^^|

Darius was starting to get restless in the bicycle’s child seat when we were nearing the park. So as soon as he touched the ground while I was locking my bicycle, he immediately started to run off. I had to run after him quickly and carry him back, telling him to stand still in a firm voice before I was able to lock my bike in peace.

He then started to walk along the wide pavements happily while looking around curiously since he was in a new environment. The last time when we drove there, Darius was still in Catherine’s womb so this was the first time he got to ‘see’ Sembawang Park. ^^

Lots of shading from the trees

Darius finally got to stretch his limbs

It was a big and natural park, with many huge trees to provide shade with, so we were comfortable walking along the pavements. There were also ample pavilions to take shelter in.

The unique 'dice' pavilions at the park

I had expected the park to be near empty since it was a weekday morning but surprisingly, I did notice groups of people there, both young and old. The young people were either on some kind of treasure hunt activity or resting in the pavilions while the senior citizens were taking strolls in the park. We also noticed a few joggers.

A little further up from the beach area, we spotted an interesting playground. Unfortunately it was not shaded so it was not advisable to venture there under the hot sun. We also saw swings which were specially meant for young kids like those we saw at Pasir Ris Park. I told myself that I would bring Catherine and Darius back here again sometime soon, but definitely not by cycling~ ^^|

The swings on the right side of the photo are meant for younger kids

I had wanted to bring Darius down to the beach and the jetty below but it looked like a bad idea under the hot sun too. So after a short walk along the pavements in the shaded areas, Darius started to look tired and we decided to head back home.

Getting on the bike once more, I wondered if I would have the strength to cycle all the way back again. The journey back proved to be as tough, if not worse and my body was emitting lots of heat by the time we got home. Fortunately, Darius appeared to be unaffected by the journey since I was doing most (if not all) of the exercise throughout. ^^|

Sembawang Park is indeed a nice park to visit, especially when it’s difficult for us to find a park that is natural, huge and with a beach in our area. I’ll be sure to plan a car trip to the park again soon!

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