Clementi Forest

I'm not enthusiastic to join the crowds thronging the Green Corridor or Clementi and Dover forests. I didn't even really feel like hitting the MacRitchie trails or Bukit Timah Reserve. It's less fun when nature reserves are out of bounds to the dog, and I know she would love all the smells. Also, the Singapore weather is too damn hot for me (and the dog's paws) to be doing any major trekking. The humidity just kills me.

I do miss seeing wide expanses of green and blue, and I can trek for miles in mild weather. But in Singapore, I'm a lazy worm. I'm not about to roll out of bed at 5am to roll in mud and perspiration every week. NO THANKS. The views are gorgeous; I'm not sure it's worth it. Hahahaha. We have views too, although they aren't the same. I appreciate what this city offers, but it's really not the same when it's man-made and sanitary. The weather is a giant mood-killer. I just can't. I don't care so much about the bugs or whatever. They bother me, but bugs are everywhere anyway. I'll just spritz bug repellent and hope it works for a bit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I've taken walks along the unmarked trails of Clementi Forest long before the media picked up on it and long before they did all those IG-shots for it, and long before the crowds whooshed there. That weekday morning, I took the dog for a walk at 7am — just us girls! Wore comfy and sturdy-af Wellies, and off we went. I wasn't going to do the full trail with the dog. We would do a short 2km or so. We would exit near P's house and she was ready to welcome us into her dining room for breakfast, and avail her super practical mud room + bathroom to us. Muahahahah. Started the walk opposite Ngee Ann Polytechnic since I didn't feel like exploring, and this is the path I know. 

I had a walking stick borrowed from the friend because I was a tad scared of monkeys and dunno what nonsense that might attempt to attack Choya. I was well-prepared for mud and had a backpack to carry her through the tougher portions. (She only just recovered from being bitten by a damn monkey.) Her flea and tick meds are up-to-date, but I still sprayed bug repellent (formulated for dogs) over her. This is a smol city dog with delicate paws, unused to the forest terrain, real mud and bugs. LOL Smol dog emerged unscathed, unscratched and she was sooo happy from the morning jaunt and learning all about new smells.

This was the dog's first visit ever, and this was my first visit in over 1.5 years. Wow, the muddy patches have grown; there're to be many more trails trampled out by other people who don't want to do mud crossings, and the forest feels... inhabited. There was also a lot more plastic and paper garbage strewn around. WHAT IS IT WITH HUMANS?! You want to snack, do pack remnants away into your bag and bin it when you exit! SO ANNOYING. Singaporeans really cannot have nice things.