FROM: Wandering the World with Wally Published Mondays

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Wally wanders to Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival, searching not for a beautiful bouquet or a timeless topiary, but rather for the man-eating cannibal tree of Madagascar that once, not so long ago, nearly dragged Wally into its maw.

- by Walter Octavius March, March 28, 2011

KUNGALOOSH!

My friends, after proving last week that the news of my demise was premature, I started thinking about some of my adventures where I almost did pass to the other world.

One of my most troubling adventures took place in Madagascar...

Wally Fights the Foliage

Following in the footsteps of German explorer Carl Liche, I came to a jungle clearing and saw what Liche had described: a tree with "a trunk like a pineapple eight feet high."

I had read that Liche's 'discovery' was a hoax, but here I was face-to-face with what the old explorers called a 'cannibal tree'. As I slowly moved toward it, I saw one of its long tendrils slither in my direction. Or thought I saw it. I stopped moving, closed my eyes, and counted to ten in an effort to clear my head.

Upon reaching the number 3, I felt something brush against my leg. My eyes popped open. And there it was: a tendril from the tree coiling itself around my boot. Hoax or no hoax, this was an unfortunate development.

I began to slice the snake-like appendage with my knife, but suddenly another tendril wrapped around my arm, forcing me to drop my knife. As I reached down to recover it, more tendrils attacked and soon they had me pinned to the ground and were dragging me toward the infernal tree, smaller tendrils now squeezing my neck like thin little boas.

I knew I couldn't lose consciousness. Thinking quickly, I deduced that the plant would have to open its leaves to 'eat', and so I kept my eyes on those leaves. When I saw a leaf lower, I bucked my body violently, startling the plant so that its tendrils for a moment stopped dragging me into the maw. Seizing my opportunity, I threw myself at the plant. Since its leaves had closed, thanks to my thrashing about, I knew it couldn't swallow me whole, but I hoped that the weight of my hurtling body would crush and perhaps break the tree's fibrous trunk. It bent, but to my dismay, did not break.

Angered, the man-eater tossed me into another tree and then beat me upon the ground. I felt a metallic object beneath my left arm: my knife! Each time the plant flung me against the earth, my left hand groped for the knife, and finally I had it!

As the tree once more drew me close, I plunged my knife into its trunk and broke free of its grip as the tendrils suddenly convulsed in leafy agony.

Slowly, but with great determination, I crawled away...

Over the years I have explored many continents and have encountered many different types of foliage, but none with such power and potency as that Madagascar tree. I returned to the jungle, years later, but the tree was gone. I still seek it.

And so, today, we shall seek it together in perhaps an unlikely place: Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival.

Wally Frolics in the Foliage

This year, the Festival is presented by HGTV (I love that channel) and lasts until May 15th. As we enter from the International Gateway entrance, near Great Britain, I am reminded of the Flower Festival from a few years back. It was a magnificent display of blooms and butterflies.

But the current festival promises even more colorful flowers, gardens, live music, and special presentations, as well as over 100 topiaries. I can't wait to see them.

First, let's head toward the walkway between the World Showcase and Future World, where I think we'll see some really interesting things.

Ah, yes, look there at the Cars Topiaries. I see Lightning McQueen and Mater. And look a bit farther down, do you see them? Pooh and Friends! Quite timely, since I've heard that a new Winnie the Pooh movie will be released soon. And there: Floral Mosaics! Amazing, aren't they? Even in the aesthetically fantastic world of Disney, these displays are beautiful.

Did you know that at least 750 horticulturists take care of the grounds and plants at Disney World, which is home to approximately 3 million bedding plants, not to mention well over 4 million trees and shrubs, 13,000 rose bushes, 800 hanging baskets, and normally 200 topiary designs? There are 200 acres of turf and 2,000 miles of sprinkler piping underground. It's no wonder the landscaping at Disney looks great year-round, but during the Flower and Garden Show, it's even better.

If we continue down then around to the left, we'll come to Bambi's Butterfly House, a nifty place, where you can actually have a butterfly (or many) land on you. Don't worry, though. I don't think you will find here the Postman butterfly or the Pipevine swallowtail, both poisonous. But even if those two butterflys are here and should land on you, have no fear: they are deadly only to the predators that eat them.

Wally Seeks Trolls in the Topiary

This Festival is larger than I remembered! We haven't even made it to the front of the Park to see the Toy Story 3 topiaries, and it is getting late.

What's that? You want to split up? I suppose there's no danger in doing that. I shall head back the World Showcase to look for the Troll Topiary. Did I ever tell you...

Ah, you've left, but no matter, it's a shame to waste the tale, and here comes a family clearly in need of adventure. Ho, there, family: did I ever tell you about the time I was in Norway and found myself mistaken for the descendant of a Viking hero?

Well, it all started one afternoon as I was in Bode awaiting a boat to take me to the Barents on a fishing adventure, when all of a sudden...

What's that? No, Disney security won't be necessary.

Until next time, KUNGALOOSH! And keep your eyes open for Adventure!

More: WANDERING THE WORLD WITH WALLY