MacRitchie Reservoir

Singapore often feels like a concrete jungle. High-rise apartment blocks, cars and buses everywhere, no mountains in sight; there seem to be few alternatives to "the city."

シンガポールと言えば、山が見えないし高い建物や車、バスしか見えないところと思うかもしれない。大都市から逃げる方法がないようだ。

 

Singapore's financial district at night.

However, don't be fooled by the Singapore naysayers. There are a few spots of green that offer hours' worth of trails in tropical vegetation. In addition to trees and flowers, there is wildlife - butterflies, birds, monkeys, and snakes (thankfully we haven't seen one yet).

しかし、そう言うシンガポールだけじゃない。大自然の中のトレイルでゆっくり歩けるところもある。木と花以外にもたくさん生物がいる。

We recently spent a Saturday morning at the largest area of nature trails in Singapore, located in the center of the island. This area, which consists of a series of reservoirs, including MacRitchie Reservoir, provides drinking water for many Singaporeans.

３週間前の土曜日シンガポール島の真ん中の方にある最大公園に行った。シンガポールの飲料水が溜まるところのマックリッチと言う貯水池でハイキングをした。

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=naturereserves&id=49&Itemid=75

We tried a few different trails - one a gently sloping incline with a rocky path, another a wooden deck on the edge of the water, a third a paved path under a tall canopy of trees. The area was full of people, from hard-core trail runners and racing kayakers, to walkers with dogs and lazy picnickers. In fact, some of the trails were downright packed.

色んなトレイルへ行ってみた。砂利道の緩やかな上り坂のトレイルに行ったり、貯水池側のデッキみたいな道に行ったり、高い木の下の舗装されている道を歩いたりした。思ったより人数が多かった。

 

Walking alongside MacRitchie Reservoir. Storm clouds loom.

We enjoyed just over an hour of walking when the sky ripped open and dumped on us for 30 minutes straight. It was a remarkable downpour. When it began we found the only dry place was under the thick canopy of trees. However, the water soon penetrated the canopy and left nowhere to hide. We decided to turn back and find some sort of shelter, but it was too late. I was completely soaked. H found a large leaf that she used as an umbrella a la Totoro (see below), but it only protected her head. 

１時間以上歩いた後どしゃ降り雨が降った。３０分ぐらい降った。最初は木の下しかぬれていなかったけれど、すぐびしょぬれになった。ぬれてないところを探そうと思ったが遅かった。Hはトトロみたいな大きな葉っぱで頭だけカバーをした。

 

After finally finding a gazebo to rest under, I wrung out my socks and t-shirt, and waited for the rain to abate. On the way to get a coffee, we ran into a handful of monkeys. They seem aggressive. Later on the way to the bus stop, we saw another group excitedly rummaging through the garbage.

コーヒーを飲みに行く途中猿を見た。攻撃しそう。その後でバス停に行くときゴミを食べている他の猿を見た。

 

Despite the rain, it was a great morning. I hope that next time we can try one of the longer hikes, maybe even the one with the canopy walk. Back from the reservoir, I must admit that sometimes it's great to live in a city, where one can drink a beer and eat a pizza along the riverside. Ah... Singapore!

大雨だったがいい午前中だった。今度もっと長いとレイルに行ってみたいなと思っている。マックリチから帰って来てビールとピザをエンジョイしていてシンガポールに住んでよかったと気づいてきた。

 

Happy hour at Brewerkz.