How Wrong Turns at a Hike can lead to a “Lost & Found” game
Based on a true story
A couple of years back, I had been to Singapore for a winter vacation. This is my first international trip and hence I had planned the itinerary meticulously with my dad and sister. While googling the list of places to be visited, we found the treetop walk. It looked pretty exciting in the pictures. Neither of us has had any hiking experience. So we decided to include that to our plan.
The start
It was our second day in Singapore. The day was pleasant — with a cool breeze and a moderate amount of sunshine. We had our brunch and relaxed for a while before we started from our hotel for the hike.
The initial few minutes on the Boardwalk
For the initial few meters, you get to walk on Boardwalk. These are walkways that cross over water or marshy ground. They’re typically made of wood or other smooth materials and are accessible to wheelchairs. So my mom and my Grandma waited there. These are usually close to parking lots, and you can find a lot of people. Walking on boardwalks is relatively easy.
The reservoir is extremely pretty with lush plants, wooden bridges, and colorful insects. We were told that the trail would be closed by 5 pm. We had less than two hours to reach the treetop walk. All three were new to hiking. I and my sister were extremely excited. We carried a water bottle, a DSLR, and our mobile phones which were of little use as it was hardly able to connect to a network. So we mostly used them to click pictures.
We spent about 30 minutes at the starting point, clicking pictures for our Instagram statuses and admiring the prettiness. These initial few minutes gave us a good start to our hike.
The actual hiking phase
Once you pass the boardwalks, you step into the Multi-Use Trails and that is when you will start to feel that your actual hiking has begun. It seemed like it had rained in the morning, and the trails had become marshy. Therefore we had to walk slow and be extra careful about the steps that we took. Apart from this we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of silence and the sound of nature. On the way, we found different insects, snails, and monkeys.
Times that made us extremely impatient
We similarly continued our hike for about an hour and a quarter. After this, we started to get enervated, restless, and impatient all at the same time. It was hard to find a good place to sit and rest. When we found a good bench, we spent a few minutes to take rest.
There were times when we were so tired that we started talking about returning without seeing the treetop bridge but we decided that we would regret if we do so and hence continued. We just did not give up. We walked and walked — through the boardwalks, elevated lanes, tar roads, bike-ways, foot trails, and multi-use trails.
And finally, we made it to our destination
Time was 4:45 pm and we saw a board indicating that we have reached the destination. I started running fast towards the Treetop walkway in excitement.
The TreeTop Walkway is a 250-meters long freestanding suspension bridge spanning across Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang, the two highest points in MacRitchie. The bridge allows one to be at a height of 25 meters above the ground. The view from the bridge is simply breathtaking. So we spent a good 15 minutes witnessing the panoramic view of such a huge number of trees in a different light. From the bridge, you can take a closer look at the canopy of MacRitchie. You also get to see some birds and tree lizards. I was lucky enough to spot a green tree python hanging on a tree.
And we realized that the hike was not over yet
The MacRitchie trail is as vast as it’s beautiful. The entire trail is one way and returning to the car park takes more time and we did not know it. We continued to walk after enjoying the treetop walk.
The trails were mostly boardwalks and Multi-Use Trails. All three of us were enervated. Now that we have enjoyed the treetop walkway experience, we did not feel like walking again. Our eyes were constantly searching for vehicles that could drop us but we couldn’t find any. I wish I was a kid so that someone could just carry me. My sister was the weakest amongst the three. She started to slow down. I was tired too but I kept walking as fast as I can to reach the car park before the closing time. My dad walked slowly with my sister to have an eye on her as she was really tired. He asked me to continue walking. I continued to walk fast. As fast as I can to complete the hike.
Lost in the jungle
A few minutes later, my dad and my sister were beyond my line of sight. I waited for them for a while but then decided to continue walking because it started getting darker. At times I felt so scared and lost. I was able to feel my heartbeat rising. I wanted to cry out loud but decided not to. It was raining that day and I was able to hear animals howling and barking. It was getting dark as well. The scariest part was that I was there was no one on the trail. I wish I had stayed with my dad. I shouted out loud for help but no one heard me. The silence that I once enjoyed, seem to become frightening. I had no other way out and I had to keep walking to get out of the reservoir. Getting lost in the forest and walking all alone was a tough experience.
The finishing point
After a while, the rains started to subside. I saw some buildings, a playground, and some vehicles. I did not find any people near them. Very soon, I realized that the path I had walked all this while was just getting connected to the route that I had taken to reach the treetop walk. Which means I took a longer route to return. I thought of my dad and sister. “They must feel the same when they reach this place,” I told to myself.
I continued to walk.
The places seem to feel familiar and I knew I was close to the point where I started. I saw the wooden bridge, where I and my sister spent a lot of time getting a perfect Instagram worthy picture. I smiled as I clicked a selfie to see how I looked while I was going to complete the hike. The fact that I crossed a lot of difficult times all alone by myself made me feel that I am stronger than I thought I was. Knowing this brought a sudden gush of enthusiasm in me and I walked with the same level of energy that I had while starting the hike.
You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice that you have – Bob Marley
And I realized that sometimes, you just have to be at the right place at the right time to get things working as you want them to
As I was heading towards the entrance, I saw my dad. He ran to me and hugged me. I was surprised to see him before me. For a moment I couldn't understand what was happening. All this while I was thinking my dad and sister would take another hour to finish the hike. My sister ran towards me and told that she found a truck that carries waste and they boarded it to reach the car park.
Ahhhhh! Damn..! I wish I had walked slowly with them but I was still happy about the distance I had walked. Especially the ones I had covered all alone inside the jungle. I was more revitalized and refreshed than them. After all, the satisfaction that I gained on completing a hike successfully is something that they never got to experience.
Hey! If you have reached till here, it means my hiking experience has got you engrossed for a while and I’m happy about that! The Reservoir is a great place to visit! I’d recommend you check out the map while planning your trip.
You can download the Map of the reservoir from here.
You can Download Guide to Walking Trail at Treetop Walk from here.
This story is published in Writers on the Run. If you’re interested in submitting your travel stories please visit our submission guidelines.
