Friday, September 30, 2011
3:04 pm. in La Foa
I am full after our lunch picnic on the bank of a small but beautiful creek in the town of Farino. Farino is the smallest community of New Caledonia. It is mainly located in the mountain, like a small village in fairy tales. I went there 4-5 times already--to have lunch, visit a hill-top market and its annual fair, have a sightseeing and join my brother-in-law to visit the house of one of his customers near there. This time my sister and my brother in law took me to enjoy a simple lunch picnic in the mountain during their office lunch break. Here, lunch break is from 11: 30 am. to 1: 30 pm.
We left the shop a bit later after 11:30 am. and drove away further from La Foa for about 10 minutes. From the highway or main road, we turned right at the direction sign to Farino and Saramea until seeing the separated route to Farino, we took a left turn. We drove to find a good spot so we could enjoy our meal while taking time to appreciate the surroundings. The first spot was nice--next to a creek but too many witnesses nearby ---several big cows and oxen were grazing grass and leafs on the banks of and in the creek. So, we changed our mind and retreated to a small road further uphill.
Next, we saw a better spot just on the left side of the road. A few steps down we could see spatial room under the shed of big trees and shrubs there. Next to that space was a crystal clear current of a stream flowing from the mountain top. Perfect.
I spent only five minutes having my simple meal--French bread, butter, smoked ham and frushed down my snack potato chips with fresh water. Done for the meal. My mission and mind were already set for the exquisite beauty of natural surroundings.
Just seeing everything in front of me was terrific. I felt like being in the deep green forest, listening to the water flowing down in the stream and the noises of some birds hiding amid the thick canopies of those big trees and shrubs as well as seeing small blue butterflies, the endemic insects found only in this island flying jubilantly near me. The water in the stream was so clear that I could see the bright blue sky above reflected on its surface. The air was warm and cool with some shy breezes from time to time.
I noticed only small fish and fresh water insects in the stream but my brother in law seemed to have better vision. He saw tadpoles. There must be some frogs living in this area. Several kinds of plants and trees appeared here; too bad I knew only a few including wild water apple, mango, giant fern, eucalyptus, ratten, big wild muhroom, some wild orchid on the trees, for example.
We spent less than two hours there but it was truly a great refresh for all of us. I love nature and wish other people to see and appreciate this amazing creativity that we have on this blue planet. It is free and available to everyone. It has been healthy with this planet millions of years until humans arrived. One word I could think of, man is the real destroyer. Worse, man can always find any excuses to destroy tnature while makes such actions sound and necessary. :(
Okay, enough for my complaint. I don't want to drive my readers away.
Gigi
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