A Saturday In Singapore's (Actual) Jungle

The shiny urban high rises of Singapore is something I think is a little lost on me. I have to remind myself to look up and appreciate some of the stunning architecture, because I'm normally rushing to find the hidden gems squeezed between these 40 story apartments. There is one exception; Some Saturdays I'll take the slow bus to the deserted city center; the city square normally swarming with fast talking business men and women having stern conversations and folding newspapers is completely empty. I'll pop in my headphones and wander the seemingly abandoned plazas, doused in shade by the towering buildings, scouting out geometry patterns in the concrete. 

Ah, but this weekend was different. It was time to explore Singapore's real jungle. Nestled at one end of the island, away from hustling MRT stops and crowded hawker centers is the MacRitchie Nature Reserve; an expanse of tangling vines, enormous umbrella like foliage that makes it hard for even the rain to pass through and tall towering trees, slightly reminiscent from the high rises that are only a few stops away. I hadn't realize how much I needed the time outside — Don't get me wrong, trying to find flea markets and walking from bakery to bakery in Tiong Bahru counts as being outside, but it's a completely different feeling when you are out in the forest. The hike in was nice, you slowly perforated the dense foliage, counting down until the next wooden sign told you how many more kilometers were left until you arrived at the treetop bridge. 

The bridge is pretty magical to walk across. A sturdy base and high railings were not the sort of things I found in China while waltzing across jungle tree tops; this is Singapore, so safety is one major concern and all safety instructions are clearly outlined in 4-5 languages. Ah, but I digress. I hadn't realized how much the din of the city had been weighing on me. I've taken to wearing an eye mask at night for bed because the illuminated high rises outside my windows don't power down until 3 or 4 in the morning. But that doesn't muffle the deafening blur of expensive race car engines that seem to zoom down my street at all hours of the day. Seeing butterflies flit in and out of the trees and even spotting monkeys from time to time was a nice break from the urban jungle I'd surprisingly gotten used to. 

Though, this guy was ready to pounce, thinking I'd reached into my bag for some snacks, rather than my camera. Not sure the picture was worth the risk. Though this may be Singapore, I bet these monkeys would still pounce on you for a bite of trail mix just like the ones in China.