"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Henry Miller.
Forests are one of the most extraordinary things nature has, it is always an incredible expirience when I have the opportunity to visite them.
These photographs are from some years ago when a couple of friends and I visited for the first time the pine forest of Loma de Pío in San Cristóbal, VE. We did a walk through the mountains and pastures of the National Park "Chorro El Indio" to get there; it was very pleasant. We headed on a sunday morning and arrived at the forest near noon.
Entering a forest is a unique event, it's like entering a temple made by nature itself. It is almost a religious experience; the place has an atmosphere of silence and incredible sacredness, where only the sound of the wind among the trees is heard. As soon as we arrived we could not hide the astonishment and sat down to admire for a while.
The ground is cover with dried pine needles and pinecones of an intense copper color, among which grow tiny pines and some fungies. We took the chance and walk through the whole place, exploring everything it has to offer. The light brown ground, the dark green leaves, the warm light and the blue sky create a contrast as the gaze rises.
We spend the afternoon telling stories and taking pictures, talking about travel plans and places to visit. We agreed to make more short trips as often as we could to get away from the chaos of the city and find perspective. We returned shortly before sunset, feeling lighter and with more energy, waiting for the next adventure.
As it happens, the destiny was just another starting point.
