Orchids

The taxi driver hadn’t heard of the place, but after calling a couple other drivers, we eventually were able to find it. It was up a little dirt road and there was just a small sign saying “Orchidiaro” pointing us towards this group of ramshackle greenhouses. We walked into the courtyard area and to a small entranceway where a man was sitting at a desk. He said admission was a dollar and wanted to know if we had any US quarters with states on the backs of them, directing us towards a booklet that he had of the collection. I only had eagles, but he took them eagerly.

He then led us, cane in hand, glasses pushed down, to one of his crowded greenhouses, towards a wall of little orchids. Resting on his cane, he began guiding us through the tiny ones growing vertically along the wall and then beyond into the other greenhouses. Rare little baby orchids had been growing for 6 years, while others about twice the size had been growing for 15! When opened, some resembled a monkey’s face inside or a tongue. Others had leopard designs, white or fuschia, and there was one that was called “Medusa” that had a really thick twisted stem. There were tiny ones, the size of a fly, and then larger ones, the size of my fist. Apparently there are about 4,000 different kinds in all. He had most of them growing in pots on tables, but many were also along the walls or hanging from the ceiling. He took us around and treated himself to a cigarette in the middle of the greenhouse towards the end.

I’ve never smelled a flower so aromatic.

I attempted conversation:

“Conoces la película, ‘Adaptation’?”

“Ah, no.”

“El tópico es Orchids… con Meryl Streep.”

“Ah, esa actriz es muy bonita.”

“Si.”

I can see how the obsession with Orchids could arise: the challenge of growing them, the smell, the different sizes, colors, and monkey faces. Harvesting Orchids is like raising children, their demise being the destruction of years of watering and nurturing. The Orchid man seemed an expert in his Orchid creations, I admired his knowledge and it almost inspired me to focus on something as specific as that. To know so much about such a tiny part of life seemed not only quirky but absolutely brilliant.