It's a Jungle Out There

TODAY in Singapore I went for a hike through the wilds of the reservoir. There is a suspended bridge that goes across the canopy for a view of the water in the distance and the green treetops below.

Singapore is SO green! and having the chance to hike through the steamy jungle, with monkeys and monitor lizards all around, was heaven.

I got lost a couple of times and ended up hiking for twice as long as planned, but it is really hard to get too lost. There are several trails and cell phones work; besides, I met an intelligence officer of the Israeli Army who had GPS on his phone!! But really I think it was my 0wn good sense of direction that got us back on the right road!

The first problem was that I got dropped off from the taxi in a place that was supposed to cut a couple Kilometers off my walk. I followed the sign that pointed to the hanging bridge, but ended up at the normal starting point! Meaning backtracking and going back the way I came but somehow I was on a different path? still haven't figured out what happened.

Second, my new friend and I were talking and missed the trail- there is a gate there by the way. And a sign that says "do not enter, Live Firing Range." But actually, as we learned when we returned to this spot, you just have to walk around the gate and the firing range is behind a fence so worries!

Our detour took us by rushing water and idyllic lakes edged by trees. We put our feet in the water- which is probably going to the taps of the Singaporean households, and enjoyed the detour at any rate.

There is no strenuous hiking here; the highest "mountain" is probably a few hundred feet high!
But it is mostly wild and natural. On my first foray, I was walking through the jungle on leaf strewn paths without another soul in sight. Only in certain areas was I able to see that the path was actually black-topped!

Five hours of hiking later, on the road, I saw a tail flipping around in the middle of the street. It was a squirrel! A huge truck came by and I covered my face as I thought it would be squished. The truck missed by an inch. The squirrel did not move. It missed though!
Running up for closer inspection, the squirrel was encircled by a bright green coil, a small open mouth clasped firmly on its neck. It was dead now. But the question is, would the snake escape the other huge trucks coming down the road?