RECREATION IN THE HEART OF A FOREST OF THE TALLEST GRASS

Have you experienced the wonderful recreation with your family or friends under the shady grasses? You may be confused by this question. How big or tall are these grasses that can accommodate a crowd of people below it? This kind of grass is recognized as the tallest grass in the whole world, the bamboo.

In the Philippines alone there are more than 60 bamboo varieties discovered. It has a lot of uses starting from its shoot as a delicious type of vegetable down to its matured body. Its leaves are used by many as a traditional medicine for certain illnesses. When my wife was giving birth to our second child we were advised by one of our relatives to boil bamboo leaves in a kettle. This process is also known as decoction. According to her, this will serve as a tea to enhance my wife's breast milk production. In our experience, we have proven that her claim is true.

The body of the bamboo itself can also be used in many ways to make household things like a seat, building a house, and many more. Even in common food businesses like barbecue, banana cue and many foods that need to be grilled bamboo sticks are a great contributor. Multiple applications of this simple and common grass make it very important in our lives.

Now let's talk about its unique application that has helped a lot in the economy of its developer and the government economy. In what way? Bamboo became the main component of the park which they call Bamboo Forest.

My fellow Hivers, I will share with you our family experience with my in-laws, siblings, and friends during our recreational visit to the Bamboo Forest in Luy-a, Medellin, Cebu. This was the first time we went to this place and wanted to find out how this common grass turned out to be an attraction. Its location is very nice, adjacent to a large sugarcane plantation contributing much to a fresh and fragrant air.

When you arrive at the place, the ticket office is the first thing you see beside the entrance gate. There is a coffee bar also that is naturally adorned with beautiful and colorful bougainvillea adjacent to the parking lot. We are amazed by the timeless beauty of the bougainvillea flowers that almost cover the front part of the shop. It is also regularly trimmed to maintain its arc shape like a majestic entrance.

There is another snack bar in the bamboo forest adjacent to its entrance gate.

When we entered the compound of the bamboo forest we immediately saw the well-maintained bamboos formed in groups and neatly aligned in rows. This has brought cool and fresh air to the surroundings which is the reason why many families even from far away places love to go there to relax especially during summer.

Our little boy loves to run in the forest vicinity. We are not too worried for our child to stumble because there are no stones on the ground and it is also covered with dried leaves.

It's also nice to relax in the wide shade under the bamboo. Many people visit this place because it has features that are not found in other recreation spots. In this selfie and groupie era, the most common souvenir is the image of yourself or with friends in your desired spot. It is a simple but significant thing that makes us happy. For this reason, the owner of the forest applies an idea for photo shoots.

One of them is the use of cultural clothing that you can use if you want to have a memorable souvenir. An example of this is the national dress of Japan which is the kimono. If you take a picture of yourself wearing a kimono, you look like you've been to Japan. In these photo souvenirs, you can brag to your friends that you have gone to Japan at a minimal cost 😀😀😀.

There are antiquated items also available if you love to pose like you are in a heritage place. These unique ideas can add satisfaction to your visit. Our family, in-laws, niblings, and friends totally enjoyed our visit and wanted to return at another time.

That's all I can share for this blog, my dear Hivers. Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this article.