Macritchie Reservoir

Decided to visit Macritchie Reservoir last Saturday...it's been a while since I've last been there...

For the uninitiated, Macritchie Reservoir is one of the big water catchment areas in Singapore, as well as part-nature reserve part-popular trekking route.....the last time I was there was in 2001, during one of the annual 5km jogs there that every school in Singapore seems to hold...and thus it wasn't really a chance to enjoy the more scenic aspects of the place...

So yeah! The plan was to hone my amateur photography skills while enjoying a nice leisurely walk through the reservoir, since I've never actually seen most of it....so if you've a few moments to spare join me on a stroll won't you?


The route: I started at 2pm at the lower right star, and basically traced the red arrows all around the reservoir; according to the map it's about a 12km trek...In general, the route flanking the water was nice, with a romantic wooden pathway, whereas the route cutting through green in the map is just boring jungle... I'll update the map as we go along...



The quaint little path... I found it amusing how the path had to dip to accomodate the tree branch brazenly sticking out sideways for a drink...


A wider view of the place from the spot marked by the red dot ...hmm dawn or dusk might have made for a more striking sky, and the water could try to be clearer, hmph....the reservoir is actually several times longer than the panorama captures though...it's a looooong walk....














The aforementioned schoolkids on their once-a-year-is-enough brush with nature jogs would turn left here, to the main road and jog back to our starting point...but we shall plough straight ahead onto the jungle path, and this thus marks the point I step into the part of the reservoir I've not seen...note photographer non-chalently gazing at some uninteresting arbitrary point in the trees...

The jungle itself is boring....




















Emergence from the jungle! Not a particularly scenic point, I thought it was an interesting spot to mark the boundary where the wild chaos of the jungle meets the manicured turf of the adjourning golf course..

Further on a nice spot to try out a 360 degrees panorama of Macritchie Reservoir...do go take a pan-nable look =D it'll take a while to load though, but I think it'll be worth it...the golf course is on the left and the reservoir on the right...










We then head back into the jungle...and chance upon a lookout tower! I'm starting to feel tired now..the tower is quite a challenge...and the view's not fantastic actually, just a homogenous patch of green treetops...

I had planned to follow the yellow route, but...HURRRRR...and worse it's 5pm, whereas the treetop trail closes at 4.45pm....



Stairs...HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR......

I reach the ranger station...feels weird to finally see a building here... but I'm not complaining about the water cooler and washroom....

Would love one of these right now though...how cool to take it out for a spin in the jungle?

















A short distance later the trail flirts briefly with the adjacent country club before plunging well back into the jungle...
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waaaaaaaaaaay back.....it'll be 50 mins before I emerge...I pass two guys walking together, the older one walking barefooted along the rocks....and apparently imparting some advice about life to the younger guy....mewonders about the wisdom that when learnt makes you want to walk through the jungle barefooted....

And I've returned! 4 hours to circumnavigate Macritchie Reservoir... hungry and tired.....someday I'll tackle Bukit Timah Nature Reserve...

The words say "I was here 4 hours ago"

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In other news....today I submitted my application for Singaporean citizenship...so I listed my roommate Ming Jenn as my local contact when I leave for the USA....the immigration officer takes a look at my form, and asks me if I'm cohabiting with him....

I don't get the underlying connotations the first time; it's not a question you expect...so I answer "Yes I'm renting a place with him".....she then looks at me earnestly and asks "I mean, are you COHABITING with him".........

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'm not gay while my friend (another scholar) who's also here to apply for citizenship laughs her head off....I'm made to write down 'Single and not co-habiting' next to MJ's contact, and sign.....hurr............hmmm.....would Singapore not accept gays as citizens? Haha the immigration officer cheerily asks my friend the same question half a min later.....