Friday, October 22, 2021

Welcome to the Jungle - Geoje Jungle Dome

 Geoje opened its door to Korea's largest dome glass botanical garden a year and a half ago, so we decided we should visit. But first: lunch at the Pine A Plus in Bangha Village. The owner has farmed pineapples in the area for years and is fulfilling his dream of opening a pineapple-themed restaurant. 
Apparently it is in much demand for young Koreans. 
We hipster so hard!
The Geoje Jungle Dome first opened its doors in 2019, so it's relatively new.
The Jungle Dome looks like half an egg cut lengthwise, constructed of 7500 triangular pieces of glass.
Kate, Lotte, Linda, Trish
 
The Jungle Dome was inspired from Disney's Jungle Book
 The dome is 30m high and 4468 square meters. Inside are escalators, an observatory, a skywalk and a waterfall.
Isn't this an odd little photo op? 
However, as odd as it seems, it is not Linda and my first rodeo with taking a picture together in a nest.
            Cheep! Cheep! 
The Jungle Dome is home to over 300 different kinds of tropical plants, with a total of 10,000 total plants. 
There were a couple Rock Gardens, where plants grew on the rocks.
The waterfall is 10m high.
The picture didn't capture it, but this was a starry sky.
The cave allows you to view the waterfall from the inside out.
We were looking down at the Rock Garden in the water below the waterfall.
These were roots hanging from the top of the rock 'cliffs.'
Double trouble, and then some.
These plants look like they could be underwater coral plants to me.
This little plant was budding from a rock.
Lotte said in Denmark these plants are called Mother-in-law Tongues.
For the record, my mother-in-law's tongue is much more soft and smooth, like this plant. 💜
There are several types of fruit trees, including coconut, palm, mango, guava, banana.
The roots were totally growing around the tree.
Seokbujak is a work that harmonizes plants and natural stones. These living stone pillars are covered with various plants in which "the appearance makes us feel the depth of time and the length of life."
The mist created from the waterfall eludes to a feeling of mystery among the stone pillars.
I have come to love red spider lilies. I found a green-tinge spider lily inside the Jungle Dome. The scientific name of hymenocallis means a plant with a beautiful membrane, and the plaque claimed that it is referred to as the rose of Sharon in the bible. It is a member of the daffodil family and is native to the West Indies and the Carribbean.
The Hobbit Garden is a site where the "guardian 'triant' (tree + giant) spread the seeds of life." The fisherman, carpenter and farmer enjoy small happiness here.
You can view of the dome from atop the coffee shop. Hardly a surprise that we made our way to the coffee shop before we left.
[October 8]

No comments:

Post a Comment