Tag: plants

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Nature, Travel

Weekend Friday Favourites

by natjtan1 Comment on Weekend Friday Favourites

How’s your weekend? Welcome back to another Weekend Friday Favourites! Perhaps my favourite post to write as it justifies me buying things to share. Only joking! It’s about things that have caught my eye or made me smile recently.

Holly Leaves

I seem to be turning into sucker for abandoned plants in shops. This dude I found randomly placed in the fruit and veg department in my local superstore Christmas. He (I think it’s a he the flowers have longer    thingies) dressed a plastic pot, another red metallic plastic wrapping and fake berries. It was about €2 so I was okay, you’re coming back with me. I did think initially it was just stem of holly. A repot and a few weeks later he’s flowered! My only concern is how big it’ll grow 😕.

Minisu

Minisu is a Japanese lifestyle shop that’s more filled with cute things which is now my cheer me up shop. I don’t have to buy anything, just walking around lifts my mood. Most of it is unnecessary plastic things although I have purchased a few things. I think the bright colours make me happy. It’s very similar to a Korean lifestyle shape Minsu that closed down in 2020, although it was actually a Chinese brand shop posing as Korean according to the girls at Miin Cosmetics a Korean beauty shop here in Barcelona. 

All Of Us Are Dead

My thing for Kdrama just keeps growing. Over the holidays and most of January there wasn’t anything on Netflix that I could get into. A random Netflix YouTube recommendation of All Of Us Are Dead caught my attention and I couldn’t wait until 28th January when it was released. Nobody does zombie dramas like Korea. Kingdom is one of my favourite dramas however All Of US Are Dead might top it. There are some great fight scenes, suspense and giggles, shouting at the screen and the camera man survives everything.

Cushion Compact Puffs

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Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii, February 2020 Part 2

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii, February 2020 Part 2

The rest of the garden at Lyon Arboretum leading from the Buddha was more semi wild rainforest. Still manicured, yet compared to the actual manicured part it was wilder, more forest. I’d got to the point I couldn’t and didn’t want to take any more photos, yet every twist and turn of the path was something I wanted to photo knowing I’m probably never returning again. Trees were more than just trees. They were cities in themselves with ivy, moss and host of other plants growing on them who in return housed hundreds of bugs, insects and animals. The big tropical leaves growing free competing for the sunlight. Leaves as big as umbrellas.

I only realised editing these photos I never changed the ISO. In my defence I wasn’t using or understanding how to use ISO 2 years ago. Yes, it’s been 2 years and I’m only just sharing the photos! This part the island has its own climate (The Hawaiian Islands have 10 of the 14 climates in the world!). Sunny skies accept for the Manoa Valley that day. It’s crazy how for such a small island in the middle of Pacific ocean different locations on the island have different climates and weather all in one day. It freaked me out almost daily when I was there that I was on a tiny volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean which is huge and deep, feeling open and exposed. I live by the Mediterranean Sea with a huge continent behind me with one fault line running in the middle of the med sea. I feel safe as there’s lot of space. Even in the UK an island itself where I grew up I never thought I was on an island. It’s what you’re used to. None of this however excuses my lack of using ISO.

Jungle, jungle more jungle!

Just like how plants grow in cracks in walls!

Canopy tops like coral fans looking up matched each other like jigsaw puzzles for light. Neither one bumping into each other leaving a little breathing room between them.

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Animal Kingdom, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii, February 2020 Part 1

by natjtan1 Comment on Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii, February 2020 Part 1

Deviating from the path at the end of Manoa Falls trail back the carpark, enticed by pink flowers and thick tree truck bases you could camp in we stumbled across Lyon Arboretum. 

Paths leading from the arboretum up into the rainforest

Lyon Arboretum’s a botanical garden run by the University of Hawaii set in 194 acres conserving native Hawaiian plants and their relationship and role in Hawaiian culture. Entry is free, although you’re encouraged to make donation of I think $10 person which I’d happily pay again as it’s perhaps the most magnificent, magical botanical I’ve been too. Yes, there’s a manicured lawn of which the main path of stone and wood stepping stones, takes you around detailing plants in Hawaiian culture, as all botanical gardens have a manicured lawn somewhere. In addition to native Hawaiian plants they also have many other non native plants such as ornamental tropical and temperate plants. More gems I think are hidden in the many trails up into the rainforest. Sadly we got there about 45 minutes before closing (coming from Europe or rather Spain, the early closing of many places was a shock). That was just enough time to walk around the main trail. I’m sure trails off the main path leading up into the rainforest are way less quieter than Manoa Falls trail next door. That trail’s way too busy! I didn’t see the gardens advertised much, so I think it’s a if you know it, you know it garden which is great if you want to escape the escape the hustle and bustle of the tourists while being tourist. And yes, I took way too many photos. Editing them for here was so hard.

Pineapple tree! Pineapples are actually berries!

Aside from the security guard chickens in the carpark and wild birds near the sea and at Diamond Head monument I didn’t see much wildlife on Oahu. I did have moment with this guy. We watched each other for a few minutes.

I have a confession, I didn’t know what arboretum meant when I saw it. It is a botanical garden devoted to trees for science and educational purposes. If I had used my Spanish I would have guessed it. Only looking it up I saw the root (hehehe) arbor. Tree in Spanish is arbol. The science and educational bit makes sense too as to why it’s run by the University of Hawaii. Duh Nat. 

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Animal Kingdom, Nature, Photography, Travel

Light: Late Autumn

by natjtan3 Comments on Light: Late Autumn

Happy New Year! Happy Winter! 

Could it be that I’m back posting more regularly? Maybe, just maybe. 

Last year as for many was a little crazy and disoriented. I don’t even know where last year went. I still took as many if not more photos than usual. Especially of my summer world, under the sea.

While warm springs and hot summers have my heart, cool autumns and what currently feels like summer Artic for winter (it’s super cold this year) hold it for light. The sun’s lower giving warm crisp yet bright cool hazy almost golden hour light all day. Or when it’s sunny. Last autumn was cloudy sunny than bright sunny. Zoo hours have changed, closing an hour earlier than previous years. It’s a little more tricky to make it and when I do, if it’s sunny I get amazing light! Some days the light’s so pretty I don’t to leave. If I find warm sunny sheltered spot with birds and few humans I almost want to freeze time to enjoy it longer. I don’t want to face what’s outside the gates when I leave. Everything feels just right at that moment.

I went to see my Mum and Dad in November. The UK felt a month ahead being further north with morning light. Warm morning golds which are like January mornings here in Spain. Yes, the sun does shine in the UK. 

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Animal Kingdom, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Manoa Falls Trail , Oahu, Hawaii

by natjtan5 Comments on Manoa Falls Trail , Oahu, Hawaii

One of the best things about Manoa Falls are the parking security guards. Semi wild chickens who have the run of the car park! 

Nestled in the Manoa Valley mountains, the Na Ala Hele (trail for walking) Manoa Falls Trail is a 2.6km/1.6mi hike up into the mountains. Starting at the car park the trail takes you into the rainforest. I think admission was about $5 if arriving by car otherwise it’s free. Trees start out tall with canopies reaching fanning out to the sky. Looking up they gently give each other breathing space while almost matching each others outline just like looking at world maps seeing where continents once connected, like a jigsaw puzzle or tropical coral fanning out. As you get higher up the path becomes narrower, steeper. Plants you don’t notice unless you use a branch to help you up. Tree trunks become skinner, the leaves become bigger as they compete for light, the forest becomes more dense, the path narrower and rockier. When we went it had been raining earlier so the path was muddy. Muddy! If you do this hike, wear something more than sandals as several people met the mud in style. Also do the hike earlier in the day if you want to avoid people. The hike takes around 1-2 hours there and back. No photos I’m sure it can be done in just over an hour. I think the trial during the initial covid-19 lockdowns was closed for maintenance to widen the path and make it more user friendly. It’s since reopened however I’m so grateful I got to visit before the covid-19 pandemic took hold. I’d love one day to go back to explore more trails that connect to it and those from the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum located near the start of the trail. This girl can visit in her dreams!

The security guards. Don’t mess with them

The path ends at Manoa Falls, a beautiful waterfall that I swear has ledges cut out each side for shampoo. Only joking, the ledges are filled with plants, but maybe just maybe shampoo. I wanted to get closer but the good positions were taken up with selfies. Take 100, delete all, take another 100 selfies. Another reason to get there early. I felt for the people that hiked up with 2 people with loudspeakers. Why? The epic soundtrack. In a city I get it, but in nature, please leave the music behind if anything to let others who for many it’s once in a lifetime experience to enjoy it. Man, I sound so old! Looking back I didn’t hear many birds. Maybe they avoid the area due to people. There were moments on the path to myself which was cool against the day’s heat.

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