Flowers, Foliage and Trees

This will mainly be a post of photographs taken on my walks. With the tropical climate, there is always something in bloom, and some unusual sights. One such sight was “The Guardian,” which I was told was a tree that is revered in a village near the volcano. It is said that in all the times the volcano has erupted, the village was never harmed or destroyed, and they believe it is the spirit of this tree that protects them.

I have several pictures of the tree, which appeared from a distance to be enormous. When I got right up to it, it appeared that The Guardian is actually several trees with the trunks intertwined.   The trunk are so arranged that there is a hollow which you can climb, if you are so inclined (I wasn’t).

There was also an avocado orchard on the grounds.

Also on my morning walks, I found a papaya tree, surrounded by squash vines and a tree growing out of the branch of a larger tree. If I had binoculars, I could probably get a closer look, but for now I believe it might be an epiphyte – and that it grew initially out of dirt which accumulated on the branch of the larger tree. I might be totally mistaken, but that is how it appears for now.

There is also a picture of a flower growing in the courtyard of the Hacienda, with eye-popping color, and the photo does not do the coloring justice.

So I will close for now and leave you with these photographs of interesting and beautiful plant life.

Papaya tree with squash vines at its base

Valley with orchards near the Volcano of Fire

The Guardian tree

closer look at The Guardian

trunks of The Guardian

Trunks of The Guardian