It's the climb...
Saturday, September 05, 2009 @ 11:59 PM
::29th Aug 09::
Excursion again with my Epsilon people :D XueNi wanted to go to the HSBC Tree Top Walk for like a super long time already, so I planned and invited the people :)
Meeting point was at Bukit Merah Interchange at 10am. The Epsilon people - ShunAn, Edmund, Puikwan, XueNi and me. Took bus132 all the way to MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Played Mario Kart on the way there :) It was a pretty short journey to me... Maybe because we were too engrossed in the game xD
So yea, we alighted the bus and walked into MacRitchie Reservoir Park. And woah, everything looks so different from the last time I've been there, which is 4 years ago (Henderson X-Country day). We walked towards the sign to see which direction we have to walk to get to the HSBC Tree Top Walk, because WE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO GET THERE! :X XueNi and I only read online that "The TreeTop Walk is accessible from MacRitchie Reservoir Park via MacRitchie Nature Trail".
A group picture to start off :)
The person who helped us to take this shoot, held my camera the other way round :\
I had to correct him before he took a picture of himself D:
Toilet break first before setting out!
Map of Singapore with all the reservoirs and river branches.
Saw this giant detail-less painted map on the wall.
Looks like we have to follow route 3 (blue route) from MacRitchie Reservoir Park to the HSBC Tree Top Walk. Oh goodness, such a long way! I recalled from the stuff I read online that the time taken to walk there was 1.5hours to 2hours (depending on your walking speed).
Without further ado, we began our journey :D Tried walking in the left direction and it was a dead end :X So we went up the stairs and we could walked in the left direction from there :D The view was really beautiful there :) Facing the reservoir.
I have photography talents hoh! :X
I have photography talents hoh! :X
We continued to follow the trail and also trying to walk in the same direction as route 3, as shown in the detail-less map :X And yay! We were on the right path, alright :)
How did we know? Because we found this sign :)
Clever, eh?!
More signs indicating that :D
No fishing, no feeding monkeys and...
NO GRABBING YIPYIPS!
How did we know? Because we found this sign :)
Clever, eh?!
More signs indicating that :D
No fishing, no feeding monkeys and...
NO GRABBING YIPYIPS!
Ahem, and so~ That was the real beginning of our hike to the HSBC Tree Top Walk! 4.4km here we go! The trail was tough with uneven ground, muddy puddles, big sharp pointy pebbles scattered all over the place! But really, every 0.5km was a relief to me! Because we were actually progressing forward! :X
Saw some weird insects, huge ants and a striped sun skink! Even a log with smoke emerging from it! Probably due to the hot sun... I should have brought along my hat! But I'm glad I did apply sunblock :) Anyway, our cameras were too lousy to capture the smoke in picture :( We stopped at the Terap Hut for a short break as well.
Saw some weird insects, huge ants and a striped sun skink! Even a log with smoke emerging from it! Probably due to the hot sun... I should have brought along my hat! But I'm glad I did apply sunblock :) Anyway, our cameras were too lousy to capture the smoke in picture :( We stopped at the Terap Hut for a short break as well.
And with that, we continued our journey! Halfway through our journey, something suddenly darted past us, followed by Puikwan and XueNi jumped backwards and XueNi started screaming "Snake, snakeee!!!" I was walking at the back so I was actually startled by her sudden screams. I looked in front and I spotted this small pretty snake in the middle of the path. It has a really red forked tongue!! SO PRETTY! I went forward trying to take a picture of it. But it was too fast and it slithered into the bushes at the side.
1.4km more!!!! D:
Weird sign in the middle of the path and...
further down, there was a tree in the middle of the path as well :\
Spot the pretty snake??? :)
1.4km more!!!! D:
Weird sign in the middle of the path and...
further down, there was a tree in the middle of the path as well :\
Spot the pretty snake??? :)
We walked past some government protected area with some weird green buildings all fenced up around. Reached one of the pit spot, the Ranger Station. The guys went to fill up their water bottles and we rested up for a short awhile, before proceeding on.
0.1km to the Ranger Station.
0.4km to the Tree Top Walk. REACHING!!!!!
There are a lot of FAT tadpoles in the pond at the Ranger Station.
I didn't have a container with me :( If not, I would have brought some home.
0.1km to the Ranger Station.
0.4km to the Tree Top Walk. REACHING!!!!!
There are a lot of FAT tadpoles in the pond at the Ranger Station.
I didn't have a container with me :( If not, I would have brought some home.
Spent the last 0.2km hiking up the Peirce Track. And gosh, IT WAS STEEP!!! But it wasn't as steep as one of the paths at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. It was really tiring the last lap. We had been walking for an hour or so. Moreover, this Peirce Track is a uphill walk D: Anyway, I was really happy that we were reaching and was looking forward to the suspension bridge!!
More giant ants D:
More giant ants D:
And phew! We saw the HSBC Tree Top Walk sign but we also saw a stairs heading downwards and the track still continues upwards. So we decided to continue following the track. And to our dismay... IT WAS A DEAD END!!!! D: Looks like we had to walk back down and we should have taken the stairs at the first place. Silly us :\
ZETSUBOUSHITAAAA!
The dead end has left us in despair! xD
Well, well, well.
Remember the big drain in "Where Got Ghost?" movie
ZETSUBOUSHITAAAA!
The dead end has left us in despair! xD
Went back to take the stairs and yay! We finally reached the HSBC Tree Top Walk!!! We managed to take there after all!! :D We were luckily we didn't take the wrong route and walked blindly in the forest. Didn't get lost as well! :D
Purposely waited for someone to come along so that we can take this shot xD
THE ENTRANCE OF THE HSBC TREE TOP WALK!!
Such a gorgeous sight :)
Some facts about the bridge:
- Type of bridge: Steel suspension pedestrian bridge
- Entire length of walk: 250m
-Height of walkway from forest floor: varies,
with a maximum height of 25m above the forest floor
Carpenter bees spotted!! :D
That's just one of them.
Am 25m off ground!
Individual shots ;)
Purposely waited for someone to come along so that we can take this shot xD
THE ENTRANCE OF THE HSBC TREE TOP WALK!!
AND SO, HERE WE GO!
Such a gorgeous sight :)
Some facts about the bridge:
- Type of bridge: Steel suspension pedestrian bridge
- Entire length of walk: 250m
-Height of walkway from forest floor: varies,
with a maximum height of 25m above the forest floor
Carpenter bees spotted!! :D
That's just one of them.
Am 25m off ground!
Individual shots ;)
The Tree Top Walk came quickly to an end :( 250m was nothing compared to the kilometers we had to walk to get there. But it was a really fun experience :D I love feeling the breeze and the vibrations of the suspension bridge as we walked on it! And so the seas of green all around us, it was really awesome :D!!!
When we left the bridge... we got stunned by the flights and flights of stairs in front of us. STEPS HEADING UPWARDS!!! T_T We got pwned mentally and not forgetting, physically :\ We counted the number of steps while climbing them. A TOTAL OF 152 steps!!! D: It was really good of them to build a rest hut right at the top of all those steps! So without saying, we took a break there, of course. And then we continued... Have to get out of this forest, right?!
Quotes of nature were all over the place.
Had to bend down to read it, as they were on the ground.
38 flights of 4 stairs... Total 152 steps!
Almost lost count because I noticed this pretty plant that spreads out from leaf to leaf!^^
When we left the bridge... we got stunned by the flights and flights of stairs in front of us. STEPS HEADING UPWARDS!!! T_T We got pwned mentally and not forgetting, physically :\ We counted the number of steps while climbing them. A TOTAL OF 152 steps!!! D: It was really good of them to build a rest hut right at the top of all those steps! So without saying, we took a break there, of course. And then we continued... Have to get out of this forest, right?!
Quotes of nature were all over the place.
Had to bend down to read it, as they were on the ground.
38 flights of 4 stairs... Total 152 steps!
Almost lost count because I noticed this pretty plant that spreads out from leaf to leaf!^^
Well, well, well.
Remember the big drain in "Where Got Ghost?" movie
Another break taken at the Ranger Station. Washed up and refilled of water bottles... XueNi made some egg and mayo sandwiches for us :) Thank you! You're so kind. I love you~~~ xD
Using toilet mirror :X
Using toilet mirror :X
Alright!! Time to get out of this place. We decided to take the Orange route 6 out. From the Venus Drive way out is so much better and shorter than walking back to MacRitchie Reservoir Park. Took a detour onto the road because we got tired of walking on the uneven forest grounds. Jumped over a small drain and went over a short wooden fence to get back in.
We even got lost back in the forest again, as there were no signs pointing the way out and only back to the HSBC Tree Top Walk D: We stood at the forked road, trying to decided which path to take. Gave up deciding for ourselves, because we were afraid we would really be lost in the end. So we asked a passer-by and he told us to take the left path :) Phew. What a relief! Imagine if there were no one there at all!! We would be there until the dusk has approached.
Just when I thought I wouldn't see any monkeys...
And we were out!!! :D
Just when I thought I wouldn't see any monkeys...
And we were out!!! :D
We walked towards civilisation to find a bus stop. Thank goodness there was a bus there goes to Bugis :) Took bus166 to our next destination! We all had an urge for something cold and sweet :P So we stopped by Ice Monster to get our shaved ice and sherbet.
Mine is the strawberry one, of course :)
Mine is the strawberry one, of course :)
Went to Sim Lim Square to look for our headset. Need it for one of our props for our cosplay. Walked around and we finally found the cheapest headset, after comparing the prices.
Some cheap brand headset selling at $10.
Some cheap brand headset selling at $10.
Walked through the oh-so-crowded Bugis Street. Made a detour in there to search for "Mr Men & Little Miss" shirts. No "Mr Men" shirts though... Only "Little Miss" So XueNi and I purchased one each at 2 shirts for $18. Yay!! Finally I have a "Little Miss" shirt! :D
Little Miss Whoops, me.
Little Miss Stubborn, XueNi.
Little Miss Whoops, me.
Little Miss Stubborn, XueNi.
While the rest went home, XueNi and I went to Hip Diner USA at Parco Bugis to have our dinner. I love good food~ They were having an offer of 1 for 1 purchase of main course! 2 main course for the price of one! How awesome :D XueNi and I was deciding between the burger and the chicken set. In the end, we chose the burger, Stars and Stripes xD And we couldn't finish eating it in the end... Because we didn't expect it to be so huge D: Good service, even though the waiting for the food to arrive was a tad too long.
AND YES! I HAVE FINALLY BLOGGED FINISH THIS OVERLY DELAYED POST! :D:D:D
Labels: animal, epsilon, excursion, food, insects, tired
--xoxo,
Akira Star
Akira Star
nette
