Tiring Tropical Treetop Trek

Sorry for the alliteration above, I'm still a little loopy after our 7+ mile hike starting at the MacRitchie Reservoir.  Our guides warned us that it was going to be a tough hike, but nothing really prepares you for traipsing through the jungle at 90 degree temperature and 80% humidity.  Well, maybe roofing in Atlanta in early August for a mission trip.  That was pretty similar.  On the brighter side, our walk started out with cute monkeys.

As we learned from numerous signs along the way, we were not to feed the monkeys, approach the monkeys, or even look them in the eye.  They can be vicious and are know to steal food, water, and cameras.  By the end of the hike we were all treating our furry friends as slightly dangerous squirrels.  Cute and furry, but omnipresent and more annoying than anything else.  Oh, this warning sign was by far my favorite monkey sign.

After a few kilometers into the forest we got to the Tree Top Walk.  Essentially, a very long wire bridge across a valley.

In true tour-group fashion one of our female members was more than a little scared of heights, which, also in true tour-group fashion, inspired two others to shake the bridge.  Luckily it all turned out okay (no one got smacked) and the girl was spurred on to the end of the bridge by this sign.

The bridge itself was the largest and the most stable pedestrian suspension bridge I had ever been on.  And it offered some spectacular views.

After the bridge came walking up some stairs, then down more stairs, then down, down, and down more.  The elevation changed so much that many of us had our ears pop.  Just when we though we were down with stairs we came across a jungle tower.  Of course we had to climb it.  It did have a pretty good view of the city skyline and the reservoir.

Lastly it was around the reservoir and back to the station for a quick rest before heading out for a much deserved and much enjoyed lunch at a nearby hawker center.