Flora and butterflies at Hort Park, Singapore

Thanks for visiting my blog.

I had to wipe the dust off my macro lens; it's been a while since I used it. The lens had no problem getting back to work but the 'macro-photographer' was a bit rusty!

Hort (short for Horticultural) park is a park for gardeners. Herbs, vegetables, and lots of different plants are there with areas for children to work their small allotment patch.

They also have a 'small butterfly aviary".

I hope you enjoy the photos. Any advice from experts would be welcome. Please leave your comments. Thanks.



Droplets of water on leaves just beg to have their photo taken

















So wonderfully green and fresh

















I don't know what this plant is called
















It has a lot of "stalk", and very few leaves
















And so they stand out with their lovely shapes















Dragonfly with 4 wings. It seems that unlike
most flying insects they can use each of their
wings independently of the other. This chap is
resting all four of them. It's amazing how he
holds on to the leaf while his body sticks
in a perpendicular line
















Now we are in the butterfly aviary. I have
never been to one. It was quite an experience
to see so many butterflies when in nature you
normally just see the odd one here and there.
This one is a Cethosia cyane, otherwise known
as a Leopard Lacewing












This fella was attached to the fence the whole
time we were in the aviary. He is a Papilio
Polytes, or Common Mormon. It is a swallowtail
butterfly common in Asia
















Time for mid-morning snack

















The common name is an allusion to the polygamy
formerly practiced by members of the Mormon sect
because the Common Mormon buttterfly has three
different female forms
















This is an Idea Malabrica, and the common
name is Malabar Tree Nymph

















The species is found most commonly in
Southern India
















Because they glide a lot they have also been
given the name "Paperkite"
















Er, any suggestions as to which species this
one is?
















The Tree Nymph immensely attracted by the
gorgeous red flowers
















Beautiful in its colourful habitat
















The Leopard Lacewing with full wingspan
spread in all its glory

















This is a red-bodied swallowtail
















The Leopard Lacewing arrived in the Malay
Peninsula and Singapore about 6 years ago
















This is me with some cutting edge of fashion
ear beautifiers!
















He was very friendly and provided Daniela
with some cleaning under her finger nails

















He flew between the two of us and we had to
make a concerted effort to leave him behind.
A butterfly stalker! The staff said he was attracted
to our sweat. Yuk! He is a Common Crow (Euploea core)

















We left the butterflies and here are some final
photos of the flora in Hort Park

















If there is a banana flower nearby I have to take
a photo

Banteay Srei Temple, Angkor, Cambodia

Welcome.

The Banteay Srei Temple, citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty is a 10th century temple dedicated to Shiva. One of the smaller temple complexes of Angkor it was more challenging to photograph without the crowds. The buildings are also small, one of the reasons perhaps that it is called "the Ladies Temple".
It's popularity is due the its unique diminutive size and the beautiful carvings.

It remained in use until the fourteenth century.

I hope you enjoy visiting Banteay Srei temple It was definitely a favourite with us





This is the outer entrance.....
















with just a few tourists who had the same idea
of arriving early

















Beautiful colours


















A group of local Cambodian ladies catching up
with all the news
















Popular angle for a shot of the temple complex
and the reflection in the water






















Still outside the inner sanctuary.
The site consists of three
concentric rectangular enclosures
constructed on an east-west axis






















This causeway leads from an outer gopura,
or gate, to the third or outermost of the
three enclosures























It was relatively easy to restore
buildings due to the durability
of the hard sandstone






















The temple was only rediscovered
in 1914






















Grand!

















The monkey guards of the sanctuary.......
















....never leave their post























The gopuras are very small. I
had to bend significantly to
go through with my head intact
on my shoulders!
















The temple is made of hard red sandstone that
can be carved like wood. Very useful for the
artists who could carve intricate figures into the
walls and pediments























It creates a sense of wonder to
see the detail and there is so
much of it everywhere























The blackened figure you can
see above the doorway is Shiva
Nataraja























These are the buildings of the
inner sanctuary which
includes two libraries























Daniela.....framed
















Two little ones and a little puppy have an
ancient temple as their playground






















Lots of cobwebs!






















Fantastic trees just outside
the temple























A local salute as we are leaving