Tuesday, September 12, 2006
ORCHIDARIUM at RIZAL PARK
It was once a parking lot until developed into a one-hectare rainforest-like park. Named The Orchidarium, it is a repository for orchids, as well as a variety of blooms, scents and greens; a project of the Clean & Green Foundation, Inc., headed by its president and chairperson, the former First Lady Amelita M. Ramos.
This park features a walkway that passes under the Trellis of Waves, a corner where clinging vines hang. Along this trail are different varieties of flowers and ornamental plants such as the Song blooms (Song of Thailand, Song of Korea, Song of Jamaica, and Song of India) and the Palm species (Anahaw, Fishtail Palm, Blue Palm, Pinanga, Majestic Palm and the McArthur Palm).
For those seeking a soothing respite from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila, there is the Reflection Point where one could meditate with the surrounding exotic greens and refreshing waterfalls.
For the children and young adults, there is the Rocky Trail, which has a facility for sport wall-climbing. They can also go fishing at the Mystic Lagoon where bamboo poles can be rented.
The Orchidarium was the beneficiary of a three-year initiative by mobile phone leader Nokia to enhance the park. The "Nokia Nurtured Zone" is dedicated to preserving the park's various flora and fauna, and is a venue for educational activities for young kids. There is also the Butterfly Pavilion sponsored by Nokia. A program called "Mondays with Nokia" is regularly held to teach schoolchildren the value of preserving the environment and one of its most precious resources: water.
The park also offers Reflexology Walk — a pathway of healing stones that is part of the Nokia Nurtured Zone. Visitors are suggested to walk barefoot and enjoy soothing properties of the reflexology walk.
There is also a restaurant right at the center of the complex, for those who may want to enjoy a meal amidst the beauty of Nature. The current Lush Life and Garden Bistro will be taken over by Barbara's Restaurant this coming October. Barbara's main restaurant is located right near San Agustin Church over in Intramuros.
They also used to present live jazz performances here at The Orchidarium; there are no plans to bring back this music feature at this time.
The Orchidarium is located at the corner of Orosa Street and Finance Drive in Rizal Park (or Luneta); telephone numbers are 527-6376/6378 for further information.
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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
Labels: Manila, Orchidarium
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:37 AM
| 42 comments
Thursday, September 07, 2006
PAPILLON
The average life span of an adult butterfly is one to two weeks. It can also be as short as two days, or as long as a year.
A butterfly comes from a chrysalis or pupa. The leaves of my rosal (gardenia) and calamansi plants can sometimes get infested by these things that resemble tiny leathery pouches.
Basically, these flying insects go through a four-stage life cycle: an adult butterfly lays an egg on a leaf on my rosal or calamansi plant; the egg then hatches and out comes a caterpillar or larva; the caterpillar then forms the chrysalis or pupa; finally, the chrysalis matures into a beautiful butterfly, flies around and drives the cat batty that’s trying to catch it.
Supposedly, butterflies can only fly if their body temperature is above 86 degrees. During cold weather, they sunbathe to warm up. As they age, the color of the wings fades and the wings become ragged like this one that landed on my wrist and then walked over to stand on top of my watch. Yes, all you have to do is stand still, hold your hand up high and wait for the butterfly to land on it.
Folklore claims that a spirit of a loved one who had passed away could sometimes incarnate as a butterfly for a brief moment of time just to be near a living friend or relative. And since this particular butterfly came and went a couple of times only to come back and stand on top of my watch, I’d like to think it was my brother who came to say hello. This Tiffany watch was his originally. When he died, my mother suggested that I keep it to wear some times.
Here’s another shot of the same butterfly that would land on my wrist, walk over to the watch, fly off, and then come back again. Sometimes he would fly off only to come back and land on my shoulder; difficult to photograph because he would get spooked whenever the camera got too close. This went on for almost ten minutes.
Based on his raggedy wing, it does appear like he had seen better days. However, the black and white butterfly at the bottom is gorgeous, but elusive. He would only land on a nearby leaf, not on my hand or wrist. But as the song goes, “butterflies are free to fly.”
I’d like to think that he may be a friend or close relative of one of my readers who wanted to say hello to him/her. Perhaps, that may be why he kept flying around and landing near me; always staying within camera range.
And that his beauty as a butterfly reflects the beauty of the love he holds for the reader.
Incidentally, these pictures weren’t taken in my backyard; rather, at the Butterfly Pavilion inside the Orchidarium here in Manila. It’s a small butterfly sanctuary sponsored by Nokia, but there are larger ones at Camp John Hay in Baguio, as well as somewhere in Tagaytay and Batangas.
* * *
Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!
*
Labels: butterflies, Orchidarium, photography
posted by Señor Enrique at 5:14 AM
| 37 comments
