Sidetracked in Valencia Spain.

My four year old daughter has been amazing for this whole study abroad journey, so I decided to take her on a special trip. After during some research, I came across a cage free zoo that addresses a statement my daughter recently stated to me. In flight to Seville Spain, in an attempt to keep a four year old as merry as I could, my daughter and I began to touch on subjects that we had never really discussed. I told her that all subjects were free game, even the topic of where do babies come from. Half way into the game, free looked at me and asked “how come animals at the zoo are being kept in cages.” After explaining to my daughter why the animals were caged, it appeared as if she was even more perplexed over the subject. So while seeking for a special place to take her, I came across a place called Bioparc.

Bioparc Valencia is a unique zoo. Its design employs the zoo-immersion concept, in which visitors are surrounded by meticulous recreations of the natural habitats being presented. At Bioparc, animals live together in groups of different species that coexist in the same habitats. Predatory species are integrated into the visual space, but are separated from other species by barriers invisible to the eye of the visitor, ensuring the safety of both the animals and the people. There are absolutely no caged animals at this zoo. It sounded so amazing that I decided to book a trip to Bioparc for my daughter. Everything was going great, the plane ride was spectacular, and I even remembered to book a window seat for my curious child.

 We were picked up from the airport as scheduled, and arrived ahead of check-in  time, but was allowed to go to our room anyway.

However, the moment we stepped out the door, I became mesmerized with the handcrafted art that filled almost every corridor and street. We spent hours taking pictures of numerous designs. Each one was vastly unique and different from the next. By the time I glanced down at my watch, Bioparc had closed. I looked down at my daughter and stated, “I just got a text message from the people responsible for helping mommy with your surprise, they said that your surprise was so special that it will take another day to set it all up for you.” Thank goodness for the  trust and innocence that still lives inside four year old children, and the knowledge of knowing that mommy would not tell big ones.