Let’s face it, bamboo forests are cool. There’s something about the majestic height and noble bearing that inspires a sense of reverence. In Chinese philosophy the straight stems symbolise the path to enlightenment; some Shinto shrines in Japan are surrounded by bamboo forests to act as a barrier against evil; the Phillipine creation myth has man and woman emerging from split bamboo stems; they’re prehistoric, dating back to the time when dinosaurs roamed the planet. It is hard to outcool a bamboo forest. So imagine my delight when, after a long day trekking through forests and salt marshes at wildlife sanctuaries in Rye in the Hudson Valley, I happened upon this:

First tantalizing glimpse of the bamboo forest in Rye

Bamboo-lined pathway beckons - how can a girl resist?

Bamboos reach for the sky

Reaching a dead end; thou shalt not pass.

In the thick of the forest the light changes.

On the way out after an all too brief stay.

The only way this could have been cooler would be if there had been pandas swinging around the bamboos, but that shall have to wait until I make it to China. If you want to visit this forest, it is secreted away in the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, New York. For more about the wildlife sanctuaries I visited in Rye, read my post Watcher in the Rye.