Welcome to the Jungle!

Singapore has a population of 4.7 million, according to the CIA World Factbook, and those 4.7 million live on an island 3.5 times larger than Washington D.C. (population density of ~18,000/square mile) - take that, Roosevelt Park! With Singapore being so small and so densely populated, you would think it would be hectic and overrun and busy all the time, but just driving around in cabs and taking public transport (MRT is awesome!) is really easy and if not during peak hours, kind of relaxing.

Like all big cities, Singapore maintains a large swath of park-land in its city-center. It's kind of like Central Park or Golden Gate Park or Boston Commons...but not really. As part of the Singaporean National Park system, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is only one of two cities in the world that protects a large area of essentially untouched old-growth rainforest (did I mention it rains here about every day?)! Unfortunately, my camera battery started dying as soon as I got to the park, but in any situation like that, I did what I could!

Memorial telling the story of Bukit Timah during WWII. The British were holding back a Japanese advancement. Eventually, the British surrendered Bukit Timah to the Japanese in 1942, and the rest of Singapore along with it. After the war, Singapore was restored to British control, who then lumped it in with Malaysia. Singapore eventually reclaimed their independence from Malaysia in 1965.

Really old, thick vines draped everywhere in the rainforest!

My first rainforest friend

Another wicked crazy vine! No idea what it is...

The highest point in Singapore, Bukit Timah Hill. I had some guy take my photo, but I blinked...

Trail of ants going down the road. They bite, too!

Up on the side of the tree is a little green bug. These cicadas were EVERYWHERE in the park and they were so loud!

 

Looking up into the canopy

Plantain squirrels running around everywhere!

One of the funny signs Singapore has illustrating penalties for breaking the law

Long-tailed macaques!

This one has a baby clinging to her chest

This one was very curious to see what was inside this blue plastic bag. When it turned out to be just another rolled up black plastic bag, he got bored, but not after it tried eating the bag.

 

Another baby macaques

A really cool bird that has two long tail feathers

A family of macaques socializing on the rocks

One of the granite quarries at Bukit Timah. Bukit Timah literally means tin hill, due to the heavy tin mining that occurred here.

And a monitor (?) lizard

I wish the photos had turned out better, but the quality of the camera I bought before this trip while mine is getting fixed is terrible! It takes blurry photos and can't focus in the dark. I hate it with a passion. One of my next investments has got to be a good-quality nice camera. Not just one of those point-and-shoot types.