khatib bongsu in yishun

i had tried to locate this place unsuccessfully a few times. once, i went to the area near springleaf at upper thomson and thought that i had found the place. i remember going to this nature area many years ago with my friend and his brother's family. we were there to collect large clams in the bed of a muddy stream.

today (3 april 2007), i drove to yishun avenue 6, parked my car in the housing and development board (hdb) carpark beside northview primary school and crossed the road to the entrance of the track. there was a man manning the barrier but he did not say anything when i walked past.

as usual, i did not meet another person during my entire walk. i did come across two stray dogs. it seems that people tend to abandon or dump their vehicle in remote places. i came across this truck that was left by the side of the track. it had a season parking label for a yishun avenue 3 carpark and a registry of vehicle (rov) tax disc that would expire at the end of the month.



saw two wooden structures with zinc roofs, could hear voices but did not see anybody. there was a fishing pond beside one of these structures. as i was walking out, i saw the shells of the clams by the side of the muddy stream. this means that people have been going to that place to dig for clams in the mud and in the mudflats around the mangrove area.

up to the last days of its existence, the fishing pond was still open for business. by now, all the structures would have been demolished and the last few occupants would have moved out.

when i last tried to visit the place in september 2008, the track that used to lead to the fishing ponds was obliterated by vegetation. i had no choice but to turn back, aborting my plan to see if the ponds were still around.