... notable events : Exploring Singapore's Wartime Past

The climb wasn't exactly what I would call challenging but no doubt it served it's purpose, keeping away all but the most determined of explorers from the hidden fortress at the top of the hill. One needed to keep hold of the branches and low brush along the sides of the narrow trail to pull oneself up the hill. At certain parts was a long nylon rope, highly frayed but still strong enough to take my weight past the most dangerious sections.

It was one of a string of forts guarding the busy port of Fortress Singapore, from Fort Siloso all the way to Kent Ridge. Built by the British, it probably was abandoned long before Singapore became an independant entity of its own, the structure of warfare changing to render just such a fort obsolete and a dinosaur of a bygone era.

I was certainly not the first nor the only one to explore the abandoned fort. As far as I could see, graffitti filled every major wall. Perched as I was on the top of a 8 foot wall after scaling the hill, a very ominious and erie silence swamped the senses as I took in the scene before me. The trees which grew close together as if to shield the fort from the rest of the world, parted at the top to lay bare it's secrets for me to explore. Strangely enough, the sounds of the outside world too seemed to stay away and the silence was disturbing.

I knew that the place wasn't entirely abandoned, accessible via a slip road on the other side of the hill, locked away by a high fence and chain. Just within the fortress compound was a transmission tower of some sort and would therefore have been regularly accessed for maintenance. I needed to be careful. I paused while as I reached out with my senses. For long seconds I stilled myself and listened but the strange quietness of the place was unbroken. Feeling reassured that I was alone, my eyes fluttered open and I grinned in eagerness.

Looking down at the broken concrete I contemplated my jump. An 8 feet jump was hardly a barrier but the uneven ground below littered with rubble would not guarantee a clean landing, and having a broken ankle in what was obviously a restricted area wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, but find a way down I had to do. I was eager to begin my exploring. Thoughts of finding treasures filled my mind. Not treasures of the shiny monetary kind, but the kinds that make the eyes of historians and collectors glaze over in rapture, although the presence of graffitti and the transmission tower made just such a find rather improbable.

I walked the edge of the wall looking for a way down until I finally found a pole leaning against the wall. Scaling the pole monkey-style, I shimmied hand over hand down until I was close enough to drop to the ground with minimal risk to ankle bones. Once on the ground, my grin only grew wider and I couldn't help the anticipation building in my quickened pulse.

The first explored were the simple rooms of the main building where the roofs had already caved in long before, opening everything to the elements. There was obviously nothing of value left here, either from other scavangers or from mother nature. The concrete floors made digging nothing but an exercise in futility. There was nothing here of interest anymore.

I headed for the watch tower next. From experience from other such sites, watch towers were usually empty but well worth the climb for the commanding views they gave of the surrounding area. The main things to watch out for were the rusted staircases/ladders and precariously fragile parapet walls and railings. I made it up the first level of cat-ladder which was in a decayed but serviceable condition. The second set however, proved to be devoid of rungs and only by dragging myself up via the side rails could I gain the next level. That unfortunately was where this particular journey ended. The final level, one where the best views would have been found, was out of reach, the final ladder was completely missing, rusted away into useless reddish brown strips from prolong exposure to the elements. I stared at the opening above me, the promise of adventure so near yet so far. Not having any means of scaling the hole in the ceiling short of bringing scaling ropes, I went back down to attempt easier areas to intrude.

The next building I tried was a two storey building that was more or less intact. It really didn't look too bad from the outside other than the fact that it looked creepy and abandoned not the least because all the windows were either broken, half-hanging out or completely shuttered. The first storey was boring, nothing but broken concrete and planks all over the place. The second storey however, accessible using a side staircase, was rather interesting in comparison. The were papers and charts still scattered on the floor or pinned to the walls. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much to read as everything was either water damaged or so faded that only outlines remained. I didn't stay long in this building as it got rather erie after awhile and I was quite glad to exit the building. The sky too was getting dark at the time and it was time to leave before I couldn't find my footing down the steep hill slope.

As I climbed back down the slope, I cast longing eyes back at the fort, thinking of all the areas yet to be explored. I vowed to return again and finish what I started, but until today, 8 years later, I still haven't found the opportunity nor a strong enough reason to go back. Things have probably changed by now as construction works were done along the foot of the hill since I was last there and the fort at the top of that hill is probably no longer as easily accessible to nosy people like me.