I have lived in Liverpool in the UK all of my life and although I am immensely proud of my city and my fellow Scousers (the slang for people from Liverpool), I have always dreamed of living in the tropics.
Trips to Thailand, Egypt and most recently the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico leave me dreaming of life in the heat, the tropical beat between dry/monsoon seasons and the swelter of growing things.
The smell of the jungle, when I visited Koh Sok national park in Thailand will stay with me forever. It felt like I could literally inhale the breath of the trees, measuring time with the changing sounds of the wildlife echoing through the jungle. Whether the barking call of the Great Hornbill mingling with an explosion of other bird songs in the morning or the deafening cicada heralding the approach of the evening with a cacophonous clatter, the heartbeat of the jungle sank deep into my bones on that trip.
The pictures above and below were taken while on a jungle treck in Koh Sok national park, that is me taking a well-earned dip in a jungle pool after emerging from a cave exploration.
But I am getting distracted! This post is about a touch of the tropics in Liverpool, UK. When the cold British weather is getting too much to bear there is a place I retreat to which offers a reminder of the lush verdancy of tropical paradise.
The Palm House in Sefton Park in Liverpool is a lovingly restored Victorian-era hothouse conservatory which was originally built in 1896 by MacKenzie and Moncur Ltd. The palm house fell into disrepair over the 1970's and 1980's before a long-running campaign began for its restoration. You can read all about the trust who restored it and what it is used for now in the link above.
Upon entering the palm house I am always struck by three things, the lush variety of tropical palms/flowers, the heat and the smell. The smell takes me back to those jungle trecks and amazing adventures, the only thing that is missing is the sounds of the tropics. It is an extremely peaceful place, a retreat from the hum of the city and a great place for meditation or yoga. I regularly set up my matt, after checking with the security guard that it is ok, and stretch out my stresses in the tropical heat.
As you walk around the central canopied area of the building you're struck with a cacophony of colors and a wide range of flowers. The palm house has over twenty varieties of palms and thirty-two different orchids among its collection. Many of which bloom at different times of the year.
As you walk on, the flora continues to amaze and inspire. It is the perfect place for a painter or a poet to visit when the dreaded creative block strikes. I have been feeling particularly flat over the last three days creatively and my trip today has inspired me to share these words and my experience with all of my fellow Steemians. We all walk different paths but we are on the same journey :)
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. -William Shakespeare
All pictures are original property of myself.
