June 8, 2017 - The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forest

Lost in the woods, engulfed in greens, browns, and shadows.  The only sound was the wind rustling through the leaves.  Occasionally, there was a mournful call of a bird.  Even that seemed out of place in this quiet.  It startles you when you realize how close it is.  The isolated butterfly, buzz of a mosquito, or swish of a dragonfly are the only things that seem alive in this place.  As my brain became accustomed to the quiet, the call of crickets became more pronounced. 

I turned abruptly as my eyes caught a glimpse of something moving in the dark, black and yellow feathers.  Did I imagine that?  No.  There it is again.  At least four black birds are darting though the trees, with yellow tails and bellies, only visible in flight.  They are calling me deeper down the path.

Suddenly in front of me is the lookout.  I was told I could climb it and see civilization.  There was a rustle in the brush of some animal.  I ignored it and climbed the six wooden flights to a platform above the tops of the trees.  A breeze dried the sweat caused by the humidity.  I looked around seeing the green tree tops.  There were a few trees that bloomed pink or yellow.  Butterflies flitted from tree to tree.  It was a sea of endless green.

There was a noise, like nails scrapping on a door.  I was quiet and listened.  Something was climbing the stairs.  There below me, rapidly ascending the stairs was the brown and red coat of a coati, a large South American cousin of the raccoon.  I waited at the top of the stairs.

He stopped on the flight below, looking up at me.  He sniffed the air and I said, “Hello!”  He didn’t answer me.  Maybe this was his home and I was the invader.  I moved back and he inched slowly closer.  I wondered about the outcome if we were to stand side by side on the platform.  Abruptly, he looked in a different direction.  There were the faint voices of children.  He hurried down the stairs to hide.

I followed but did not go in the direction of the voices.  The turtle had said if I cross the stream I would find the toborochis.  So, I went deeper into the forest following the black and yellow birds and the burst of color from bright butterflies.

A turn in the trail led me to a crooked stump, with a tiny blue bird singing in its branches.  Orchids bloomed in the crooks of tree branches.  Yellow, pinks, purples, and whites brightened this dark corner of the forest.  The bird took flight and now I followed him, but on a trail so dark, I thought night had come.  But as quickly as it had become dark, it opened to a sunlit green pool.

And there it was, the toborochi.  Thorns covered its trunk, keeping predators away.  Its pink blossoms, like fairies dancing in the sun, smelled like candy.  A hummingbird flew in my face, warning me to keep away.  This was his territory, his tree.  I backed away, allowing him peace in his kingdom.

I had seen the toborochi and now I was tired.  I again heard the cries of children playing.  I was close to civilization.  I walked in the shadows of the dark trees, the playful sounds growing ever closer.  I was back in the land of humans.

Turning around, I looked back and said goodbye to the enchanted botanical gardens of Santa Cruz.