Tropical Rain-Forest on Danish Plains: Randers Regnskov

Even though I canceled both my vacations this year and decided to work through corona times and wait for some corona free era for traveling outside of Denmark, we decided that we would like to see places during weekends. So last Friday we went to see Randers Regnskov.

Randers Regnskov is a tropical zoo in the small city, Randers that lies in north east Jutland. My girlfriend really sold it to me: "It is amazing, you just must see it, they have created a rain-forest!"

I must say that I was skeptical. Rain-forest in Denmark? It sounds impossible... ok not impossible but it will obviously have to be in some type of the building and if it will have to be in some type of the building, just how large can it be? That was my thought process as we were driving there and to be honest, I was preparing myself to be disappointed... but then I was surprised!

Randers Regnskov is essentially a zoo. What makes it special is that it has 3 completely enclosed domes that were turned into 3 tropical habitats: South American rain-forest, African rain forest and Asian rain-forest. In addition to that Randers Regnskov has water flow that runs through all three domes and it forms artificial lakes, ponds, waterfalls, tiny rivers and big aquariums with animal life in all of them. All this adds to the unique experience of the place. To continue, like a classical zoo, Randers Regnskov also has outside animal habitats where you can see big cats and hyenas.

The domes

When you enter any one of the domes with tropical habitats, you are in for a surprise. Entry doors are a bit dislocated from the habitat, so you need to walk a bit after you enter before you see the animals. Hmm... see the animals is a bit unfair description because when you reach the real thing, it isn't just the animals it is everything. Every dome was designed as a wholesome habitat in which different animal species share the same space and can move around freely within the range of a dome. All of the animals that roam free are of course not dangerous to people, but allegedly, couple of years ago, one visitor got malaria during a visit to Randers Regnskov. Second surprising thing inside each dome is the micro-climate. So, they created tropical forests from Asia, Africa and South America and the micro-climate in each is fitting. It is hot and moist! Temperature in each of the domes is around 30 and moisture is at 100%. After roaming around the domes for two hours it gets a bit tough. I started looking forward to a rainy Danish summer day. The water bottle I had on me was completely wet on the outside after just 10 minutes of walking inside one of the domes. Also, when we were walking under some nets, we could feel on our skin how the water is dripping from above. A very curious experience, it felt like rain but it couldn't have been. All the domes are Cris-crossed with a stony path that are completely blended into the habitats and in the bushes, just couple of meters away, you can see the animals hiding and going about their business while not being too afraid of people. Parrots flying around and "bitching" out loud, bats were just hanging with apples sticking out of their snouts and monkey jumping freely between the trees. All of this is happening while you are walking under waterfalls and over the hanging bridges.

Aquariums

Aquariums were also stunning in their own way. The way they designed them makes you think. There were three types of aquariums there. Let's call them natural, destroyed and mixed. One aquarium had real live corals. Across that aquarium, there was an aquarium with dead corals and trash and the mixed ones were designed as the combination of the two above mentioned types. These corals stand as a stark reminder of the natural beauty as is untouched by humans and at the same time as a display of human destructiveness of natural habitats.

Cats

Big cats are kept outside in decently big habitats that are, just like the aquariums, decorated in a way that displays human destructive power. There are oil barrels spread around together with deforestation equipment. Unfortunately we didn't see the hyenas.

Conclusion

I went in Randers Regnskov ready to be unimpressed but went out stunned. Randers Regnskov is the minimum of what the zoo's should look like, especially habitats in the domes where animals can roam freely at least in the constraints of the domes. It is still a cage but it feels more natural and a bit bigger.

Randers Regnskov did an amazing job by motivating people to reflect on humanity and our influence on the nature especially with the aquariums and the cats habitats. One gets a great approximation of what the nature would look like if we just stayed away and at the same time how we influence it in reality. By either destroying natural habitats for our own needs or by just being careless with our trash and our CO2 emissions. If we continue to act the way we do, soon there will be no more natural habitats for the animals to live in but a lucky few will be able to live in places like Randers Regnskov. 

Cultural differences part I: time and cycling

After living in Denmark for a year and a half and experiencing a lot of the Danish culture it is time to make a brief summary of the biggest cultural differences between Danes and Croatians. What are the main points in which Danes and Croatians differ the most? There is a number differences, some small ones and some big ones but I will start by saying that it is clear, beyond any reasonable doubt that both groups have both good traits and traits that are lacking and most importantly they are both human beings with the same wants, needs, desires and human flaws. The difference that differentiates them most is how they have made their societies tick. Let's go through two moments that are standing out the most.

Take on time

Danes are all about punctuality when it comes to appointments of any sort. Danes are not late, for anything ever. There is no difference between going to work, doctor, cafe with a friend or a party. If they are invited, let's say at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they will be there at 5 o'clock no questions asked and they will go out of their way to make it on time. If an appointment can't be reached in the agreed time it is a cause for a lot of stress and it is considered disrespectful to the host (in case it is a party or a dinner date).

Croatians have a bit more relaxed take on time in general, but they are also making a distinction between appointments that are considered serious and appointments where one can be a bit more relaxed. Work, doctors appointment and similar type of other appointments is taken seriously and one is never late for those but when Croatians are meeting friends or going out being up to 15 minutes late is acceptable. Thing that best explains Croatian take on time is actually on universities. Being late for a lecture for up to 15 minutes is acceptable in most cases and it is called an academic quarter. So, when you are meeting a Croatian and he is late, don't get angry, he is just invoking his right to an academic quarter

Cycling

This is one of the cultural moments where these two societies stand starkly apart. In Denmark cycling is a way of life, in Croatia it is hobby for enthusiasts. Being a passionate cyclist in Croatia is not easy, sometimes. Bike lanes are few and most often bad. Sometimes the only way to go is to break the law because it is impossible to follow it. Plus, Croatians have a lot of excuses why not to use a bike. Some of the reasons are: it is either too hot, too cold, it is raining, one doesn't want to be sweaty on work etc.

In Denmark, where weather is much worse, people are cycling all the time be it rain, snow, hot or cold. And almost everyone cycles, young and old, parents, politicians and businessmen. Every apartment building has bicycle parking space, bike lanes are everywhere and weather is always good enough for cycling. No weather is too bad for cycling, one can only be improperly dressed.

Hygge

Hygge, the famous Danish concept that has become so popular in the world. I have avoided to write about it because it is a very fuzzy concept and it is very difficult to define it precisely. I will approach it in a couple of ways. First I will give a definition of hygge after which I will show how is it most commonly understood or  after which I will give my take on it from the perspective of where does it come from or in contrast to what does it stand. In the end I will try and show how Danes use hygge in other contexts.

Definition and traditional understanding of hygge:

"Hygge is a quality of coziness that makes a person feel content and comfortable. It's also often used as an adjective meaning "cozy or comfortable.""

This is the most common definition of hygge and this one comes from Merriam-Webster online dictionary. But still, what does hygge refer to?

Imagine the cheesiest possible imagery; It is a snowy winter night and you are tucked in nicely with your partner in a luxury winter cottage. The fire is lit in the fireplace crackling away while you are preparing dinner with candle lights and a nice bottle of wine. There is gentle jazz music playing in the background, conversation is fun and engaging and you have no worries in the world.

This situation is a classical example how hygge should be understood. It is in general a bit fuzzy combination of a good company, good food and drinks and pleasant atmosphere in general.

As my boss once said, it is Danish coping mechanism against the winter depression. And I agree with him, I think that is indeed one cause for hygge. When 7 months long gray, dark and oppressing Danish winter comes, one finds little to none enjoyment in the outdoors, so pleasant atmosphere needs to be created indoors. And if you can make a pleasant atmosphere in your home, as I have given in the description above, it indeed makes life a bit easier during the winter and it does make the winter bit easier to endure.

I think there is one more source of hygge. It is Danish working ethics. When Danes work, they work hard. But when they are off, they are off. And that is where hygge comes in. It is after work relaxation technique. So I am of the opinion that hygge necessarily stands in the opposition to Danish working ethics. When Danes are not working, they are not working hard and that is channeled either into partying hard or into hygge. While partying and hygge may sound like light years away from each other, they actually are not. They are just two starkly different way of relaxing.

If it where only that easy, this entry would be over. The thing is that Danes use hygge for a wide variety of different situations other than the one I described earlier. That is hygge in the broader sense. This take on hygge was the one that was eluding me for a long time and that was the reason why I was reluctant to write about hygge. But I think that I have finally grasped it, so here we go.

Everything can be hygge

Danes are trigger happy with the word hygge and that was the thing that was putting me off track for a long time. Almost anything can be hygge. Conversation can be hygge, coffee, tea, a walk in the park, visit from a friend, playing a game (board game or a PC game), train ride, bike ride. You can have hygge alone, with your partner, with family, with friends and with complete strangers. Even work can be hygge, school can be hygge, shopping can be hygge. It seemed to me like there is no rule. It seemed like the hygge sticker can be slapped on anything and everything. But there is a pattern. In Danish culture any and all activities that are pleasant or cozy can be called hygge. In a sense Danish tendency to call hygge anything that is remotely pleasant is like a good twin brother to Croatian tendency to curse at anything or everything that is remotely unpleasant. It is basically the same pattern but diametrically opposed. Think about it this way;
- Danes: pleasant activity or event = That was hygge
- Croatian: unpleasant activity or event = Curse the shit out of it

That is the essence of hygge. I would describe it as a tendency in Danes to place an emphasis on activities and events that are pleasurable and going out of their way to make them. If you consider how long and oppressing danish winters are and how hard working people Danes are, taking pleasure up a notch makes cultural sense. But, in the end there is nothing magical or mystical about hygge as it was portrayed when it was exported out of the country. But that doesn't make it any less beautiful.