Monkey Mania

Exploring the rainforest in MacRitchie Reservoir

Much excitement we found monkeys!

Monkey! (Long-tailed Macaque)

Merlin, the symbol of Singapore

Gorgeous in their matchy matchy outfits,
I want to do this!

Last lunch, egg rice, sweet and sour fish and beef noodles

Nicest bunch of tourists we have met

Our matchy matchy photo shoot

Enjoying the lightning storm from the bridge
 with 100's of other happy toursits

Supertrees at Garden by the Bay
ready for light show

Armed with much google research and a hand-drawn map we are off to MacRitchie Reservoir to try and find monkeys. I rate we have a 50/50 chance. The lovely Conrad concierge speaks to the taxi driver and gives him directions to the exact spot we want to start this mission.

We are here, there is a brown sign to a nature trail, let's go down this path, there are lots of people exercising, this is it, let's go. A few steps in whats that? There is a screech high in the trees, oh my, its monkeys, the plan has worked! They are very high up in the top of the trees, there's another, and another, they jump between trees, there are big ones and small ones, all doing their thing oblivious to us and the early morning joggers below.

Time to calm down and move on and explore a bit more of the jungle, I tell Beck to look out for snakes, she is not too sure if I am joking or really mean it. On we go, its much cooler in the shade of the trees, I know there is a boardwalk up here somewhere, through some mud, chase some small butterflies and we are at the boardwalk. It just keeps getting hotter and hotter, time to head back. 

It’s a well-made walkway, the vegetation is so lush, for Beck is just like being in Queensland to me its a novelty. We meander along chatting and snapping, keenly looking for more monkeys and wildlife. Oh oh, I must have taken the wrong track we are on the wrong side of the reservoir, time for a break lets have one of those apple danishes Beck has stashed in her backpack. Its good to stand still for a while the heat is oppressive. A group of oldies power by on their morning walk (age is relative) and politely suggest that we put our food away or we will be attacked by the monkeys. The nice man also says if the monkeys come to not look them in the eye. I am playing it cool with Beck. But what the hell? These little things attack? Its time to head back and get out of here.

A few more steps down the path and another bunch of monkeys emerge. Did they smell the food or is it a coincidence? I feel like running but decide to stay at a distance and get a photo. I tell Bec if the monkey attacks make sure you video the event :) Thankfully they decide to just stay in trees about 3 metres above us and dance and play. One leaps mid-air from one tree to the next. So we move in closer to watch, amazing!

Back to base and its time to visit Merlin, check out the opulence at the Fullerton Hotel, love the cake bar and have a wonderful experience with a bunch of Indian guys who wanted photos with Beck they were lovely and it was a lot of fun. I am madly taking photos of them taking photos. People just kept arriving from nowhere to join in the fun. Another pick and mix lunch, this time its sweet and sour fish, beef noodles and egg rice, plus two strange but refreshing tea drinks. A little bit more shopping and packing then its time to say good-bye to Beck. Sob, after 5 days of shared fun my awesome travel buddy has to return back to reality. I will miss you, not crying now.…much.

Time for a shower and then let's get going again. Following the ‘Jane Smith School of using public transport,’ I master the MRT and hop on down to Marina Bay Sands, explore the shoppes miss a torrential storm and have some dinner. Now I am perfectly timed for the main event of the evening, the light show in the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay, magical!