Hiking

OK... I can be a little slow sometimes but I'm starting to sense a theme here.  Most of you know by now that Jen did 99% of the planning on this trip.  I got a few destinations/activities (Tanzania, Cape Town, the Delta, Vic Falls and the Kalahari & Namib deserts)  into the schedule but for the most part, she did all the hard work as she was off last summer and I was happy enough to go along with the plans.  Jen hates the cold so I wasn't too surprised to see our itinerary stay within about 20 degrees of either side of the equator for the most part either.  Shawn wanted Costa Rica, Rachel wanted NY City and Paris (so much for Jen's 20 degree rule on that count!) and Jen wanted some time in France to teach the kids French.  All fair enough.... and I agreed with all of it.

She's also wanted me to lose several lbs so I wasn't too surprised when she added some hiking into the equation especially since she's always loved her long walks with the dog and had done some hikes on her other trips.  Seemed like win-win...Usually though, she'd couch it in her politically correct style of "we should go see xxxx as they have this cool waterfall where we can swim" and I'd fall for it and then discover to come those views or swim in those pools I needed to drag my sorry carcass up 500 meters of steep cliffs or somesuch.

Well this time I finally clued in... With about 24 hours after our 14 hour flight she plans a little more excursion to go to this reserve in the heart of the city that "has 120 different animal species and more plant diversity than North America".  Well, as you've probably figured out by now, I love looking at animals so that was enough for me.  The kids happily go with her on hikes anyways so they didn't need the sales job I got.

So we take the bus out and miracle of miracles somehow she's managed to find the only other mountain right in the middle of flat old Singapore (the hotel she booked is on the very top of the other one)!  Well, it doesn't look too high... So off we go. The three hikers and me dragging myself 50' behind as they sprint along with enthusiasm.  "At least it'll have a good view of the city" I tell myself.

Well this hike is on a concrete path but the next thing you know, we start passing all these Chinese people walking backwards.  That should have been my second clue.  Its not long before the path becomes so steep I'm hanging on for dear life. It's 90 miles north of the equator at 11am in the morning on a hot, humid day and we're climbing a mountain again...

Well I'm happy to say, we (or more correctly I - there really was never any doubt the skinny ones would be ok) made it to the top - where there was a bench and NO views because the trees went up another 200'.  Oh, and the 120 "animal species?" - well it turns out that 90% of them are insects!  We did see one rather large lizard...

And of course, we saw him at the bottom (after the hike).

Unfortunately, her efforts to slim me down have been hampered by the good Costa Rica and African Beers... And because it's so hot, I've had more than usual.  I guess that's why where we really staying now has no fridge!

I have to admit, she's got me really concerned with the mountains of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam!  They'll have some seriously high ones and they define humidity!  And I get the sense we'll be in beach bungalows without fridges too!  Run Forest, Run!!!