The Banyan Tree

The roots of an old banyan tree.

Banyan trees and my thoughts go to my old childhood favorites, Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, Kaa and menacing Shere Khan.

And here I am, in Bali, craning my neck looking out for any number of birds that feed on the fruit of the Banyan. It is a life blood for wild life in the forests around the world.

Their size is remarkable given that life for a Banyan starts as a seed as small as a grain of sand! And they can life for many hundreds of years.

I have been most amused with the trees wearing 'sarongs' using the ubiquitous black and white check fabric or yellow. What I did not know is that the Banyan is a sacred tree for Balinese people and used for ceremonies and rituals, so the Balinese dress the trunks.

The tree even features in the Coat of Arms of Indonesia.

I see them with new eyes.