Some birds of India

Seychelles' Love trees

According to local legends on a night lit by a full moon in the archipelago of the Seychelles a thick mist is covering the jungle. In this thick sweet mist lovers are mating, interlocked in a mystic dance. These lovers are no humans but the old endemic palm trees on the Seychelles. At the climax of the mating dance palm leaves are intertwined and sweet flowers bloom in the air. This ritual will bring ensure the coming generations of the forest.

The palm tree mentioned in this legend is de "Coco de mer" or "Lodoicea Maldivica". The later name is a Latinised for of Louis, referring to King Louis XV. This palm tree is an endemic sort of the Seychelles and the coco de mer palm tree has separated male and female trees. Seeing the shape of the enormous  female coconut and the male catkin, which can grow up to 1 meter in length, it is not difficult to imagine numerous love myths being created about this tree.
The erotic curves of the fruit and flowers of the Coco de mer was enough to let general Charles George Gordon proclaim the Seychelles as the real Garden of Eden in the 19th century.

Nowadays most of the Seychelles are declared a UNESCO World Heritage and are well protected.

 

 

The Porsche street vendor

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, a street vendor selling fashionable sneakers arrived in his white Porsche and started to unload his wares from his car's trunk. China is doing economically well and it shows!



Japanese Beggar monks

Japanese beggar monks are not begging for alms as would be custom in Theravada Buddhism countries. But are begging for money in exchange for a small prayer or a blessing. They can mainly be found near places where lost of people are gathering. It can be a historical old temple, a touristic sightseeing spot, the subway station or even a shopping mall.

The outfit of a beggar monk consists of a long white robe covered by a black cape. The monk is holding a bowl and a small sistrum. On his head is a big pointy straw hat that covers his face. Because of this last attribute, in ancient times spies disguised themselves as begging monks to be able to survey a specific building or area.