Saturday, July 14, 2012

Jardín Botánico, Santo Domingo, Dominica Republic

"Jardín Botánico de Santo Domingo"
Elder Darrel L. Hammon

"Jardín Botánico de Santo Domingo"
 Over 3.2 million people scurrying everywhere,
clinging to shopping bags, purses, and children;
buses and taxis careening to the next bus stop,
basically anywhere along the road,
creating even more chaos as they swerve to the right;
other drivers zigging and zagging here and there,
horns blaring constantly; vendors selling everything
and anything from phone cards to bananas
to telephone holders to maps; the narrow roads disappearing
into smaller communities within the sprawling city;
the sights and smells and sounds of a large city spewing forth
into almost every crevice of life, almost engulfing us all,
and el Jardín Botánico, an oasis of heaven in the middle
of all this, beckoning to all to come and enjoy
and feel calm, peace, and joy....

What a refreshing day we had today. We went to the Jardín Botánico with Elder and Sister Mahon formerly of Chicago and Utah who are serving as CES missionaries. For a few moments, we lost ourselves in the beautiful of the flora and fauna, the train (tren) ride, the lushness of it all. 

We walked some; we rode the train around the entire Jardín Botánico; we stopped at the Japanese Gardens along the way, strolled through its lush beautiful garden, stood on the red bridge, watched the turtles (las tortugas) lazily swimming, observed a white egert (I think?) sitting on one of the rocks in the pond where the turtles were, gazed at the bonzai and other trees growing stoically in the gardens, and walked along pebbled trails--truly an amazing and inspiring experience.

Here are just a few photos--no words--just photos of our Jardín Botánico journey:
Banzai in the Japanese Garden

Cactus

Hanging campanilla

Hermana Hammon, the most beautiful flower in the entire Jardín Botánico.

Las Hermanas Hammon y Mahon
Lillies, anyone?

White, simple, pure, gorgeous...

The red bridge

Beauty defined in one single flower....
The lushness of it all....

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