A walk along the path of Flowers

Sometimes life gives you gifts that only those of us who love nature can understand.

In my case and, as a Geography teacher, I have been able to enjoy many natural sites that are in my life as gifts and that have served me to strengthen the idea I have about nature and its beauties.

However, what I have lived these days has no comparison, because it has been a natural experience, in which I discovered a world of which I am totally illiterate, but that fascinated me from the moment I lived among them.

I am referring to an adventure I had with flowers and, in this publication, I will explain what I lived in Topes de Collantes, a natural paradise in south-central Cuba.

A change I will be grateful for all my life

Our first activity in Topes de Collantes was an excursion called Mar y Tierra (Sea and Land), which is one of the best that this tourist package has, but it could not be, for reasons that are not relevant to explain now. No matter how much the guide explained it to us, there was no way to calm my dissatisfaction because I had been told a lot about the quality of this excursion.

On the other hand, the guide proposed us to do the Flower Trail and, actually I did not think about going, but my wife and a friend of ours, a connoisseur and lover of flowers, told me that I was going to have a good time and that I should go. In the end, as I was there to rest and celebrate I decided to go and, this has been one of the best things that has happened to me because I have enjoyed and learned from a world that I have just begun to discover.

A paradise of aromas and colors

As soon as I set foot on the lawn at the beginning of the trail I knew I would have a good time. It is true that we had that the place is on high ground, but, in addition to appreciating the natural beauty, you also exercise your body and your health is grateful for it.

The first thing that caught the attention of the expert we had was to see some yellow butterflies. For those who like me do not have much knowledge of flowers, I explain that the butterfly is the national flower of Cuba and, at least, the five friends who were on the trip had only seen white butterflies, but nature took care of giving us yellow butterflies, so that we had one more experience to tell.

All along the way we were able to appreciate other types of flowers that beautify this place and grow naturally and that according to our expert friend are of incalculable beauty and usefulness.

From her we could know that there were Butterflies, Vicarias, Roses, Orchid of the Earth, Parasitic Orchid, Pacific Sea or Poppy as we call it in Cuba, Heliconia, Anturium; among others.

Umbráculo, Casa del Chocolate and Casa del Café

Another of the things I appreciated about this trip was visiting the Casa del Café, the Casa del Chocolate and the Umbráculo, a place that I did not have the slightest knowledge of its significance. In each of the places we admired the beauties that adorn these sites.

A final comment

Flowers have a charm that I have begun to appreciate and that goes beyond trying to charm a lady when you give her one. With this friend of mine, a connoisseur of flowers, I was able to learn about their names, their characteristics, various uses and the way in which we can plant and preserve them.

In addition to the above, it has been a trip that I will be grateful for all my life, but, above all, thank you for not fulfilling the first excursion and giving me this trip to the Path of Flowers or Path of Life, as this author baptized it.

Note: I have used the translator DeepL Translate.
All images are my property taken with my Samsung J2 phone.