There's nothing as sublime in life as being
surrounded by butterflies. Red ones, some a beautiful shade of green, large Mexican
turquoise butterflies, orange fritillaries from the Orient.
A modest zoo in Nijar (Almería) holds these and many others
inside a reserve, a large greenhouse with a garden, a pond, flowers, some
benches, soft piped music and a wonder of butterflies.
The butterflies dart about, except for the big
Mexican fellows – they’re called Blue Morphos, who seem to flap so slowly as
they spin through the air, they could be swimming. It was wondrously relaxing.
I felt like a character from Alice, perched on a mushroom and (figuratively)
wearing a felt hat and smoking a hookah.
On hand were three women to explain the story of the
Mariposario de Nijar. They speak Spanish, French and English. They look after
their charges, providing bowls of sugar-water and a soft spray to keep the atmosphere
moist. One of the women is an 'educator', who looks after the young children
who visit, keeping them both out of trouble and armed with paper and crayons. Another
does brief tours around the greenhouse, here showing a butterfly laying eggs, there
showing a couple mating. Outside, in the gift shop, a Frenchwoman showed me
some charming butterfly-themed pottery. I would have asked them more about the
butterfly zoo, but I was too enchanted, and instead asked to borrow a crayon.
The Mariposario is just outside Nijar, on the spur
off the motorway. Open every day. The entrance fee is 8.50€ and down. They say in their leaflet: 'The butterfly is
like Happiness. If you seek it, it will remain beyond your reach; but if you
sit quietly and wait, it will come and settle on your shoulder'. Nice. Go
visit!
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