Montane Forests

Towering over you, enclosing you in the wilderness, are spindly trees whose branches travel in every-which-way, in a unique pattern that only the Mother can understand. Everywhere you look, there is always green stretching for miles, deep like solid blocks of jade. And if you dare to meander further into the pattern-born jade, all the way to the core of the forest, listening veeeery carefully, you might hear a creaky heartbeat from one of these skinny towers, prospering in stifling conditions.

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But in order to hear this exceedingly quiet vegetal heartbeat, you'll have to put in hard work to ignore the birdsongs of the forest. All the different pitches and melodies can be distracting; they will lock you in a trance that can be difficult to break from. Or it can be difficult for you to want to break from. It's almost as if singing to themselves to help keep their minds occupied in such active lifestyles. They might really get into their showcase and flaunt their colours, maybe to impress a certain partner… what a flourishing life they lead, up there in the jade canopy.

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Your attention will probably be brought back down to the ground to a croaking frog or a squeaking shrew or squirrel. These innocent ones are fantastic at minding their own business. Their work shines its brightest in their families and their innate ability to properly nourish themselves. On the contrary, you could be rudely interrupted by the purple-faced leaf monkey who is wondering what the hell you're doing here and if you have something they can steal. You hear a roar and scan your surroundings for the famous Sri Lankan leopard, the actual king of the land. But chances are, it's that pesky monkey swinging through the trees, alerting its tribe of your presence. You retreat further into the forest, hope swimming in your eyes of catching sight of that forbidden cat.

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With so many personalities living prosper under one roof, the monsoon rain comes down, pattering on the jade and sinking into the earth, emitting a pungent smell of soil. It's as if wood and dirt arose into a golem that throws itself all around the forest, dodging every stump and mammal, fully enjoying the space in which it can move. The cooling droplets are stark contrast to the warm climate heating your skin… take it as a professional massage. You feel as though you're in your own bubble with this ultimately fresh and organic scent and you're completely safe. You can't stop the mist that blankets the area, but it's completely harmless and cleanses your skin.