A New Year’s present

Nizar al Musalmy - Nizar.nmh.musalmy@gmail.com - For this New Year’s present, I decided not to buy anything for the mother of junior and instead took her to a place like no other. A place poised just above the Equator amid the balmy waters of the Indian Ocean. I chose this place because it’s an island that has a reputation for natural beauty — a place where truly lives and thrives in the all-inclusive natural concept and goes beyond just comfortable rooms of star class facilities. Here, I introduced her to green highlands, the beaches, the sea, the river, the lagoons, the waterfalls, the botanic gardens, the forests and of course the living creatures like elephants, monkeys, turtles etc.

I took her to this fine island and together we flocked to its palm-fringed shores with rare spices, precious stones, magnificent elephants, splendid turtles and tricky monkeys. I also showed her the most interesting mammal in the world — the bat. These mammalian creatures which, like humans, give birth to the young, nurse them with milk, and often bring them along in search of food. These mammals have forelimbs which are modified to form a wing, which is different from that of birds. We came to understand that many of the valuable crop plants that we saw and enjoyed there such as avocado, breadfruit, cashew, clove date, fig, mango, and peach rely on bats for pollination.

Together we trekked step by step some 9 km distance through plains of a national Park towards the World’s End. This end is a sheer cliff, with a drop of about 4,000 feet. We then visited the coastal line that is famous for golden beaches and also the midst of hills and valleys which cross areas of tropical plantations, mainly tea. We saw live the idea of fishing industry, production of cinnamon, ceramics, brass ware and a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. The water falls were many and excellent — water all year round. We had to visit many of them on our way to the highlands. We discovered the gorgeous protected Highlands. Travelling with an informative personal guide, we headed into the island’s lush hill country, famous for its tea estates, exotic flora, waterfalls and cool mountain climate. We learned about tea production process and sample some varieties at tea factories, and stopped to admire the spectacular water falls in the afternoons.

Against all odds, we drove through terrains of this island. Nothing could stop us, save being slowed down by some very narrow roads. There are many things you will see and not bother to see again but not the green hills and beautiful sites. Boasting of big herds of animals and many other species of wild game and birds, the place is a wildlife treasure. At least that is the impression I got as we continued to penetrate these parts of the world. The ride was refreshing, for there was so much beauty to marvel about. The green from the trees and grass lures your entire feelings. Then there exist beautiful-rolling country sides and modern architectural wonders that kept surfacing one after another as we passed through cities, towns, villages and forests. Every single sight was thrilling to her and she spent a good time taking pictures using her mobile phone. I chose to present my New Year’s present to my other half in style through creativity. And I believe I scored some good points.