Biodome, Olympic Parc, Insectarium, & Botanical Garden
Mai 21 (Samedi)
The weather didn't look that friendly today but I had to go out b/c I don't have much time left in Montreal and I have 2 papers to write and a final to study for. The weather was not going to stop me. So I took the metro from the McGill station to the Viau station, which was about 10 stops away. It took about 15mins. Then I went straight for the Biodome. You just can't believe how many people there were at 9:30am in the morning! It's insane.I thought I was early ('cause the place opens at 9am). & soo many school kids! Ugh! I got the "Get-an-Eye-Full Package" that allows me entrance to all the sites around the area (which are the ones I listed in my title). It costs $21.50. I guess that's a bit expensive but it's not like that I would ever go again so I guess it's ok in that sense.
Walking toward the entrance of Biodome. The architecture ahead is the Olympic Stadium.
Biodome - First exhibition area: Tropical Forest. The waterbabies (cabybara)are so cute! Here's one of them.
The Tropical section looks like this.
"What cha looking at!" - The Scarlet Macaw!
That's a porcupine on the tree I think..
Fishy Fishy!! This is in the St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem zone. Oh! There were ducks that dived to the bottom of the pool to feed on something. It was so funny! The ducks were like balloons pushed to the bottom of the pool! Too bad I couldn't take a pic b/c they were just too fast!
The surface of the pool from the previous pic.
Arctic Zone - Penguins lining up and walking in their own funny way.
"Hmm..There are more humans here today than yesterday.."
Penguins with funky hairstyle.
The world's tallest inclined tower! Lean = 23-45 degrees.
A wall in the Olymbpic stadium that shows the Olympic related stuff.
The swimming pool in the stadium.
A model of what the whole Olympic Stadium/Tower looks like.The stadium was not a success as a sport venue. It is more often used as a place for large concerts or trade shows.
Going up!! It's kinda scary.. but not as scary as the ones I've encountered in Switzerland. The cable car has 2 levels!I was at the bottom level for both ways.
Look at the Biodome from the sky. It looks like a UFO!
At the top of the tower - The observation platform. The place wasn't really big.
Looking out to the St. Lawrence River!
Looking at the Botanical Garden and the Insectarium -> My next stop! The insectarium is built in the shape of a bug. You probably can't really sit it cearly here but it's on their website.
The Insectarium is actually inside the Botanical Garden. I walked from the Olympic Tower to the entrance.. It was windy and cold and there were drizzles of rain. It wasn't exactly fun. As I type this, I'm still suffering the headache from the morning. Life is tough when the weather sucks & when I didn't bring a hat.
Papillons Libre! The pillar that has all these butterflies on it. I thought it was pretty cool.
One of the exhibition areas - It has live/dead samples of all kinds of insects from butterflies to ants to strange insects.
Ant Stings & Initiation Rites "Young men must suffer in silence while they are stung by ants trapped in wooden tubes strapped against their skin."- It's pretty tough to be a MAN in some places.
You wouldn't want to see something like this at your own house - This branch is FULL of ants running around.
How insects inspired human's architectures.
One of the butterfly display cases. I used to go to parks to catch butterflies when I was small (in Tw). Now I just can't imagine how I could just take a net and trap butterflies.. I can't even imagine myself having silkworms as pets anymore. My childhood is full of weird things.
The other display cases.
Interesting species. What do you think they're doing?
They're just taking a break from the busy everyday life w/ entertaining human guests.
A nice necklace for you to wear - all those green things .. you don't have to know what they are. You just have to know you're in an insectarium.
Sorry man..I can't help it. I study music.
Then I went walking around in the Botanical Garden. Went to the Japanese Garden, thought it was o-k even tho' it was pretty big. But I found it a bit too "westernized". I think the UBC Nitobe garden resembles a true Japanese Garden more.Then I ran all the way to the "Tree House" -> expecting to see a REAL tree house.. but it turned out to be an ordinary house w/ info about trees in it. & why did I run? b/c it was SOOOOO FAR. There was a cluster of attraction points around the Japanese garden & I have to walk about 2x the distance to the other end of the park to see that tree house & there was nothing worth looking along the way & it was freezing cold w/ the wind & me w/out a hat & the fact that I had to get bk to downtown Montreal b4 5pm to see my prof's concert. It was disappointing. Whatever. I ran back the cluster of attractions & saw the First Nations Garden, Chinese Garden, Alpine Garden, Green House Exhibition, & etc. & I was trying to find this Rose Garden but I could not pinpoint where exactly I was for 30 mins. I seemed to be stuck at the Alpine for a long time. It was weird. When I finally got to the Rose Garden, guess what happens? THERE WERE NO ROSES!!! 'cause it wasn't the right weather/month yet! CRAp. Talking about big time disappointment here. But I guess it wasn't the right season to go yet for a lot of flowers -> except the cherry blossoms which were CRAZY- there was a sea of them! It was pretty cool. So enough of me talking -> pictures are worth a thousand words:
A part of the Japanese Tea Garden.
The wall of Japanese characters in the Japanese Pavilion.
The lake in Japanese garden.
Viewing the lake from a small resting place. In the Japanese Garden, there was the Japanese Pavilion (had all sorts of things of Japanese culture), Zen Stone Garden, Tea Garden, Bonsai Courtyard, Peace Bell (commenmorate those who died in the Hiroshima atomic bomb attack) & the large lake.
This is the so-called "Tree House". It has displays of different kinds of wood & stuff like that. But I just wasn't feeling very scientifically curious today so I thought it was disappointing (& that whole "tree house" thing too).
One of the things in the First Nations Garden.
The waterfall in the Alpine Garden.
The Chinese Garden The Friendship Hall- inspired by Ming Dynasty Style. It's considered the largest of its kind outside of China.
"It was put together in China & then dismantled and shipped to Montreal in 120 containers.. Sixty Chinese workers, assisted by Botanical Garden staff, rebuilt the garden on its current site."
The Spring Time Court Yard.
I don't know.. there just seems to be something very un-China about this place. I've been to the famous SuZhou gardens(famous + classic Chinese gardens)& it was quite a different feel. Maybe it's just the fact that it was not in China & most of the ppl visiting weren't Chinese that made it feel a bit awkward.
Then there's this famous "Lover's bench" in the Perennial Garden. I can SOOO identify with the woman on the right side.
In the Exhibition Green Houses - Tropical Rainforest! I like how they grow all these different species on this thing that resembles a log.
The orchids in teh Orchid & Aroid Greenhouse. There are 1,900 different orchid species & hybrids in this single greenhouse!
Entering the Fern Greenhouse.
I forgot where this was - Maybe the Tropical Economic Plant Greenhouse ?!
Then I went to the a kid's media room in the Molson Hospitality Greenhouse (also where the entrance is).
The Begonia and Gesneriad Greenhouse. These flowers just look so perfect! They reminded me of Indonesia.
Cactus Club?! This is the Arid Regions - where you get all the cool stuff like this from Americas and Africa.
Some Chinese garden stuff again.
A mediterrean-like greenhouse - you can tell I so wasn't focusing on the plants but the deocration.. haha..
Went out of the greenhouses (a total of 10) & went to the Reception Garden.
where a couple is taking wedding photos... ohhh.. how sweet~ The sea of tulips once again~
Embarking on my journey to the Rose Garden - This is it!
But no roses..
A cherry blossom tree that caught the eyes of many b/c of its bright color.
A statue in the Rose Garden. I don't know why but I so wanted to say "YOU'RE SO VAIN!" Anyway.. maybe it was just my headache driving me to the edge of insanity.
After all that, I went out of the garden, took the free shuttle to the metro - got off at Place-des-Arts, where I met Janice (RYO) & her mom the night before. went to get grocery & walked back to rez -> I was all ready to just go to sleep.. but I still had a concert ot go to - my prof's concert. Well.. I didn't have to go.. but I wanted to.. so my id was totally taking over the control of my life while my superego was taking a long weekend off. The concert was at the Christ Church Cathedral (see my previous posts).. Pretty cool. Robert Schumann songs for piano & voices. By the end of the concert, I was slightly rejuvenated but still despeartely needed to go bk to rest & my headache wasn't gone after the concert -> I was hoping that it would. Oh well..
posted by Champagne* @ 5:23 PM
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