Urban jungle

Singapore is located 1 degree north of the Equator. Ergo tropical climate. This means that the 6.1 million inhabitants are crammed together in a veritable urban jungle only 1.25 times the size of Bornholm.

And the jungle is part of Singapore. It blooms everywhere. There are small parks and mini green pockets. In the center, most high-rise buildings, viaducts and towers also have trees and hanging plants several stories high.

Space has been made for national parks. They are easily accessible by metro and bus. I visited three of them. For example, an abandoned quarry has been turned into a beautiful breathing hole.

In the Central Water Catchment are, among other things, Windsor Nature Park and Tree Top Walk (and not forgetting the world-famous Singapore Zoo, which I visited 10 years ago) - and I managed the entire round trip in just over 10 km. An insanely beautiful walk along forest paths, boardwalks along lakes and high-hanging bridges right up in the treetops. Say hello to macaques, large and small lizards and butterflies in all sorts of colors. And a piece of soaked, boiling viking.

Today the hiking sandals went out into the mangrove park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore's northernmost area. As a diver for 25 years, I have a special soft spot for mangroves: They are the alpha and omega of all life. They are the kindergarten and nursery. Another lovely day. Hornbills, sea otters (yippee!), mudskippers (hi hi), sea eagles (wow) and various types of herons. It was Sunday, so there were so many screaming and stomping families with children that the local snakes and crocodiles cowered for shelter (ouch!). But they WERE there, a young man politely showed me on his phone on the way back to the city bus. "At weekends, you must be here at 7 am - before all the families arrive", he said. The advice is hereby passed on.