Springtime in the Pyrenees

It had been a few years since last time I saw a proper spring, and I was excited for it. I don't suffer from any allergies so far nor I hold any grudge against bright colors, so I couldn't wait to reach my hometown during my April holidays to immerse myself in the expansive, blossoming fields of the always captivating Pyrenees. Luckily, I didn't have to wait much, because since the day I arrived, the weather welcomed me with incredibly clear, blue skies that had awoken all trees and flowers early.

The cherry queen, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Congosto de l'Entremont, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Textures and colors, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Ligüerre de Cinca, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

I would only stay for two weeks, but that didn't mean I would stay in my hometown the whole time; actually, I felt like driving my car to some other places in the proximity, and that's exactly what I did almost on a daily basis: everyday a new destination, places I hadn't been to in ages or some completely new to me, despite the closeness. One of the former was Tella, a beautiful, tiny hamlet perched atop a mountain that offers spectacular views of the valleys around. Last time I visited, I was a kid on a School excursion, so it was about time to pay it another visit, and stroll along the so-called "Ruta de las ermitas", an easy path that, starting and ending in the hamlet, brings walkers to three medieval Shrines with some majestic scenery.

Tella I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

San Juan y Pablo I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

San Juan y Pablo II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Virgen de Fajanillas, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Tella II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Another trip saw me going a bit further, all the way to the heart of the Pyrenees; after a long and bumpy road on my fathers jeep, we reached a gentle meadow at 1.928 meters of altitude, where we parked the vehicle and started the real walk. After going up and down some rocky slopes and crossing some pine forests, we finally reached our destination: Ibón de Plan, or Basa de la Mora, a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by snowy peaks. The weather that day was cold and cloudy, yet we didn't let that stop us from enjoying our trek and subsequent lunch, delighted by the spotless air and the fantastic views.

April ice, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Bending down to drink I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Bending down to drink II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Basa de la Mora I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Basa de la Mora II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

On the day before my departure, it was time to visit what probably is the most well known landmark of my whole region and the place most of the travelers journey there to see: Ordesa National Park. I have walked and explored many areas of the Park on multiple occasions, yet it never ceases to astound me with its beauty and its diversity, its magic and its purity. The weather was great again, so the long trek was a breeze, and the landscapes around, with the last spots of snow melting under the spring sun, were nothing short of mesmerizing.

The last snow I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The last snow II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The last snow III, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Beginning and end, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Thus my vacation concluded: memories renewed with fresh experiences, bonds reinforced, people and places re-embraced. Very curious, how time works, for a short stay such as this can remain present in the memory, enduring the test of time, while endless routine days fade away with scary speed.

Verticality game, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Curve game, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Afer the two days we spent at Sam Roi Yot National Park, we rode a bit north and, after passing by Hua Hin city, we arrived at the entrance of Thailand's biggest National Park, Kaeng Krachan, which is located right along the border with newighbor Myanmar. After the previous days when water, limestone formations and caves were all that dominated our views, we changed to a completely different environment. One would think that we had drove hundreds of miles away, but in fact we were barely 100 km away, yet the nature around us told a completely different story, and received us with lush forests and thick canopies, populated by multitude of autoctonous species, such as white handed gibbons or elephants, to name just 2 that we could see, wild in their habitat, the same day we arrived. The dominant element was now, without doubt, the magnificent, beautiful trees of the rainforest.

The tallest of them all, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Pride and beauty, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

The red intruder, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Watch over, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Originally our plan was to overnight at the top of the mountain, deep inside the park, in Panoen Thung campsite, but we arrived a bit late and the muddy road was already closed, so we rented a tent and stayed that night at Ban Krang camp instead, the last camp accesible by paved road but already deep inside trhe park perimeter. The camp consists of a small visitor center, a restaurant and a mini store, toilets and a gentle meadow, all surrounded by a transparent stream and the dense, endless rainforest. It was early evening, and the golden light of the setting sun gave everything around us a magical vibe. I walked down to the crystal clear stream and let my legs stroll as my camera stuggled to keep up with so much beauty.

Layers of reality, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Still waters, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Inversion, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Puddles of light, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

The one thing most people come to Kaeng Krachan for, apart from butterfly and bird-watching, is to see the so-called "sea of fog" that spreads throughout the forest every morning in the cold season (December to March). So we woke up before sunset, excited to see this phenomenon, took a pickup that drove slowly up the winding, tortuous road, until one hour later we reached Panoen Thung, the campsite on top of one of the mountains that surround the park and that offers spectacular views of the valleys, hills and forests that extend all the way to Myanmar. We waited a few minutes until the sun rose in the East, and the dark night soon started to fade away, the newborn light subtlely revealling the shapes and volumes of the world. We were told that that was not a particularly misty morning, yet we were in awe nonetheless, eyes wide open, seeing how the forest awoke.

Sunrise over Panoen Thung I, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung II, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung III, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung IV, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung V, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung VI, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

Sunrise over Panoen Thung VII, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm

The cold temperatures increased, the trees slowly grew more and more colorful, and as surreptitiously as the clouds of fog dissipated, our short trip came to an end. Another year had passed, but for a fraction of a second, as I stood on the top of the mountain, looking down upon the ocean of drifting mist, I felt like time had frozen, as an old, monochrome photograph, anchored in the past.

Forest offering, GM1 + Lumix G Vario 12-32mm