It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The worries that it would be raining or that it’d be too hot dissipated quicky as we assembled to board the bus. The bus, ferrying 38 of us – parents and students, drove into Rifle Range Road. There, groups of monkeys greeted us, looking bored. The greenery along the winding road was a welcome relief to the urban jungle we left behind.
We started our 7km hike at the end of Rifle Range Road. Peter, our guide, briefed us on the do’s and don’ts while on this trail. This was, after all, a primary forest and we might encounter snakes, bugs and such. ‘Let hissing snakes lie’, ‘Don’t disturb anything that moves’ were some of the warnings dished out.
The trail was rocky but our hike was a comfortable stroll. We made many stops along the way, as Peter pointed out interesting trees he felt we should know, rewarding us with chocolates and tidbits for giving the correct annswers. We didin’t just learn to identify the plant, but their uses as well.
‘Squeeze the stem of the thickest rattan tree for water.’
‘The Jering fruit is good for diabetes.’
‘The tow gay leaves were used to wrapped cha kway teow in the 50s.’
Soon, we left the forest behind to walk the rim of Island Country Club, where golfers and monkeys ignored us and went about doing their stuff.
We walked along the boardwalk on the fringe of the MacRitchie Reservoir Park, stopping to point out fishes and terapins. A kingfisher performed a dive into the water. A monitor lizard peeped out from a pond. It was refreshing being close to nature.
We ended our three-hour walk at MacRitchie Reservoir Park where our bus was waiting to take us back to civilisation. For me at least, it was a great day for bonding – with our kids, with fellow parents from the school, and with nature. Lastly, a final word from Peter: ‘ You need to make time to do the things that you have not done before, like this nature walk, so that you will add meaning to your life.’ – wise word indeed.
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