1. Getting my first glimpse of the Botanical Gardens. I’d just climbed out of the cramped, sweltering auto rickshaw, and was delighted to be able to stretch my stiff legs. But what I saw made me freeze with wonder. Just up ahead were the towering iron gates that lead into the gardens. Behind them was a scene straight from a fairytale. There was a wide road leading up to a huge mountain of rock, into which a set of stone steps had been carved. At its summit I could see a small but ornate temple with intricate statues of the Indian gods, Shiwa and Garnesh, adorning its roof and pillars. In the middle of the road leading up to this masterpiece was a flowerbed bursting with vivid colours and vibrant life. And flanking the road were two tunnels, made of majestic wooden arches heaped with the most breathtakingly beautiful purple flowers. As I walked through one of these tunnels and stared up at the carpet of leaves and flowers above me I had the distinct impression of being in a dream. The sleek brown squirrel that scrambled across the flowers above my head only made everything seem even more surreal. And for that small moment I was completed separated from the noise and bustle of Bangalore and instead floating in a cool, quiet wonderland.
2. Seeing a bougainvillea and a jacaranda tree. We had found a tour guide for the gardens and he had just showed us the Chinese Gate, which had been decorated with twisting and writhing chinese dragons, and then led us past countless bonsai trees, where he had taken several pictures of us standing next to miniature pines and other stunted trees. We had then moved on to a wide, ambling path where he would point out various trees and flowers. However, I was not paying a lot of attention. I was content to meander along at the back of our little group and gaze dreamily at the bright blue sky and the squirrels that chased each other playfully around. Suddenly our guide came to an abrupt halt. I followed the direction of his pointing finger and stared, transfixed. Right next to the path we were following stood a bougainvillea tree. The flowers nestled in its branches were a dark, vivid red and possessed a heartbreaking beauty that kept me hypnotised. When I finally tore myself away my eyes immediately encountered a jacaranda tree that stretched its willowy trunk high into the sky. Its gently swaying blossoms were quite the opposite of the striking bougainvillea. Instead they were light and gauzy, their petals fluttering in the slight breeze. Caught between the untameable fire of the bougainvillea and the graceful airiness of the jacaranda blossoms I could only stare and thank the earth for placing such beauty in our midst.
3. Seeing black kites circling above the lake. Our tour guide had just left us, and after a light snack of biscuits and water by one of the fountains we had set off for the lake. In order to get there we had to haul ourselves up a slippery slope made mainly of leaves, twigs and pebbles, all of which are great materials for avalanches, but the view at the top was worth it. The lake was glittering in the sparkling light of the sun and in its centre I could see an island connected to the park by two strips of land. This island was overgrown with some of the most dazzlingly colourful trees I had ever seen. It seemed that every shade of green was present on that island, as well as a tree with bright red foliage. If you ever got bored of this spectacular view, you simply had to lean over the railing to watch a parade of imperious birds strutting along the sandy bank. The most interesting of these was a small bird in the shape of hawk, with an extraordinarily long beak that it used to peck busily at the ground. I was just marvelling at the unique little creature when a keening shriek pierced the air. Looking up I saw at least twenty black kites wheeling above the lake, their huge wings dark blots against the painfully blue sky. Kites are as fierce and beautiful as eagles and at least as big. As they looped, soured, dived and whirled through the air I felt as if one big jump could propel me up into the sky and then I could fly with them. It was a truly breathtaking display.
4. Seeing a family of monkeys. We had just navigated our way back down to the slope that led to the lake, and were heading down a shady, tree-lined path in the direction of the exit. We were all sweltering in the midday heat and exhausted from our walk around the park. We wanted nothing more than to grab an ice cream or a cool drink and return to our air-conditioned apartment. As we started walking I happened to glance over my shoulder at one of the soaring patches of bamboo that were commonly found in the gardens, as well as in other parks. Crouching in the shadows of the bamboo were two dark shapes. First I assumed that they were just stray dogs. They were quite a common appearance in the streets of Bangalore, and we had been told by our guide that were about 200 of them in the botanic gardens alone. But as I studied them more closely I noticed that there was a third, smaller animal with them and it was hanging from by its fingertips from one of the bamboo stalks! After another careful examination I finally came to my conclusion: they were monkeys! After alerting the rest of the family I crept quietly forward. Coming closer, I saw that there was a whole family relaxing in the shade. There were several youngsters who scrambled giddily around, chasing each other through the thick grass and up the bamboo stalks. Then there were the older ones who watched the youngsters with their world-weary gaze, as if to say, “Were we really so immature when we were their age?” They were just like a real human family, squabbling good-naturedly over a plastic bottle one of them had found, the youngsters wrestling playfully with each other. But the most adorable thing happened only after we had been watching the monkeys for several minutes. I had been chuckling at a youngster who was attempting to wipe his mouth with a tissue he had found when one of the mothers rose from the ground and began padding towards the peace and solitude of a park bench. Clinging to her stomach with stubby fingers was a tiny, pink-faced, heartbreakingly sweet baby. It was a simply magical moment.
The Suttonses in Bangalore 