Wednesday, October 12, 2005

A lake and forest fit for elves

i'm not sure if J.R.R. Tolkien wrote something about a lake. he did write a lot about forests. and i do remember rivendell and lothlorien in the lord of the rings trilogy. lorien i liked best for being the ancient forest home of the galadrim, the most beautiful race of elves who dwelt in the trees. i've always dreamt of finding a forest like lothlorien. those scenes in peter jackson's movies were great works of human imagination. but i still crave for the real thing. and i think i found one good candidate in bulusan natural park in the philippines.

the thick canopy dims the asphalt road from this natural park's entrance to its viewing platform where one can see the volcano, the forested slopes and the famous lake. a motorized vehicle's noxious emissions magically vanish in the cold, moist air as soon as it enters the forest. volcanic rocks and boulders lie majestically among the gnarled trunks and winding root systems of the great trees. the lake's generally calm surface reflects the greenish hues around it, drawing eyes to its beauty as in a painting.

through generations, the local "elves" have made their marks on the landscape. they've built viewing platforms and covered kiosks at strategic spots (many of these stuctures have been torn down and are now just rubbles). a path around the lake, near the edge of the surrounding forest, has been lain with concrete slabs. but nature has reclaimed its place in some portions. and barred by a felled tree or faced with the threat of a heavy downpour, one sometimes has to cut short one's tour of bulusan lake. of course, there's always the next visit to look forward to.

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