Part 2: Jungle Rhythm

forgive me for this very very late post!!

I’m sure most of us are aware of the Jungle Book stories, the story of an orphan boy living in the jungle being raised up by animals, sleeping under the canopies of the tall trees, and feeding off only what nature gives. Everything that he found and lived off were just the “Bear Necessities” (like how I put that one in? Hehe).

During my recent trip to The National Park up in the mountains I had the opportunity to waltz through their new and improved Botanical garden. It was just so Picturesque!! Endeavoring to walk into a new realm of uncertainty and monotone colours was interesting to say the least. Walking deep into the Botanical trail the trees were strutting proudly whilst the creeper plants hugged them like a newly form couple would for the first few months of a relationship, clinging on till death. Saprophytes and Parasite plants were everywhere, the paras

ites weaning off bigger plants sucking them dry just like a freeloader who doesn’t pay his rent while the saprophytes sat on the branches being good little patrons, paying their rent on time and what have you.

The Botanical Walk boasted around 2000 types of plants in such a limited area, it was a shame they couldn’t grow the Rafflesia Flower there but I’m guessing it’s a blessing as well. I mean those things stink more than a rotting corpse perfumed with Davidoff! Erm yes, sorry about the diversion. The monotonous colour of green was complemented by the different hues of red, blue, purple, white, and yellow of the various orchids, pitcher plants, and wild berries which made the whole jungle looked like a festive place adorned in lights to welcome a huge town parade celebrating Hitler’s downfall. (poor choice of a metaphor, sorry!)

Blanketed by the sounds and the rhythms of nature, the various calls of the birds, the sounds of the streams wishing and wooshing over the rocks from the top of the pinnacles and the muttering of the leaves being teased and tickled by the smooth cold breeze that enveloped the area, I took in the majestic sights which were so new and alien to me. My mouth was agape, my index finger working overtime trying to capture the best shots, my body contorting into all sorts of odd shapes and my eyes trying to mimic that of a photographer through the lens while my brain improvised with what little photography knowledge it had.

Nature was just so beautiful and being amongst such flora and fauna for a moment of still time allowed my mind to just drift a while to a place of make believe. I’m guessing it was the higher concentration of oxygen or the excess alcohol that remained within my system from the previous day. I couldn’t really tell which caused what but due to some bizarre coincidence they just seemed to work for me. Even the pouring rains of the monsoon couldn’t hamper my spirit from documenting each and every moment whilst in my contrasting Harvard hoody.

It just makes me think of a simpler time. A time when humans used to live in the wilderness living off mother nature, not only living off it but coexisting equally with it. You’d have to wonder how the people of the land originally learned about the plants, their medicinal properties and even their general uses. It’s amazing how innovative and creative they were even back then. Things nowadays are really just taken for granted IMHO.’

Aodian's Pen