1.9.2007: MacRitchie Reservoir visit

after the strenuous MPW group meeting, it began to rain heavily (typically Singapore: First they say on the forecast that it going to be sunny, then they say it'll rain heavily, then they say it will rain only at noon...) at around 14.30.
In Singapore, you're never sure what the weather is gonna be. Actually, you don't need to listen to forecasts. just make sure you wear light apparel, good shoes and take an umbrella with ya (the army would say: umbrella is "Sackbefehl"). Usually, it is between 23 and 35 degree Celsius hot and very humid. In case you walk a lot around, it doesn't really matter whether you are wet by sweating, or wet because of the rain...
Due to its exposure to the sea - I guess - the weather can change very quickly, sun follows rain follows sun etc.
So, at Saturday afternoon, I took the MRT to Toa Payoh Station, where I arrived at 3.15pm and the sun was already back again. Just fine to go to the MacRitchie Reservoir (lake).

The MacRitchie was built in the 19 Century and subsequently enlarged to serve as a water catchment or fresh water pool for Singapore (the chief engineer's name was MacRitchie). Later on the Brits saw that the need additional water supply which is why they turned to the Sultan of Johor Bahru (Malaysian province next to Singapore) for water (from where S'pore still gets water today - despite some quarrels).

The MacRitchie is quite cool to hike around. There are good trails (one around the lake is 11km), mostly near at the lakeshore. You see some monkeys, turtles and other animals. The nature park is surrounded by two golf courses (at one I briefly encountered a Chinese golf player who spoke German:-).
more infos: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature_central_history.asp

Unfortunately, the HSBC (right, in Singapore very much everything is sponsored; e.g. in the Night Safari park you see an old elephant which is "sponsored" by another bank...:-) TreeTopWalk closes at 5pm (hum!!!) and my Chinese collegue and I were not able to get there on time. On 25m altitude above surface, you would walk there 250m around the tree tops.

However, we managed to get on the Jelutong Tower, a roughly 20m high metal device from where you get a great view to the primary (or secondary) forest still in place here.

Unfortunately, I gets dark very early here (sunrise at 7.10am and sunset at 7.10pm...), so we walked in some muddy trails in the darkness. Due to poor trail-arrows/directions, we got on the wrong road and more and more deeper in a second golf course until we reached another lake (Lower Peirce Reservoir, north of the MacRitchie...). Damn!
My fellow took it remarkably easy tough.
check out the latest pic's at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8557504@N04/?xp=1

Back to the Golf Resort Restaurant, we finally reached the bus station. Nr. 167 took us to the Farrer Rd, from where we reached Evans Lodge (at Evans Rd) by foot.

Around midnight, we cooked experimental chinese Hotpot with a more-than-crappy-stove. But we had a lot of fun!









http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature_central_history.asp