PHOTOGRAPHY | TRAVEL

Forest of Rock Piles

February Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Statues”

Let’s see whose statue will last.

The majestic limestone cliffs of the Algarve inspire awe. Across from the cliffs, a forest of rock piles seamlessly blends into the picturesque landscape.

On a wide beach, a stretch of rugged rocky shore extends into the sea. It was here that someone decided to start a rock stack. By the time we arrived, there were hundreds of these precariously balanced stacks. It was hard to tell which one was created by the pioneer.

I admired the builders of these rock statues. Some rocks looked like they were about to fall off, but each pile stood resolute. While the creators didn’t necessarily have architectural or physics expertise, they possessed an intuitive understanding of balance, allowing their art to endure strong winds and rain.

Thanks to Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles’s challenge for February, I dug out this photo and delved deeper. Rock stacks are also called “cairns”. Building these cairns requires the selection of a suitable surface, collecting appropriate rocks, creativity, lots of patience, and perseverance through failures (collapses).

Thanks to Mary Chang Story Writer for creating the Six Word Photo Story Challenge, and dedicated editors Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Sandi Parsons.

Check out other interesting statues stories:

Forgotten heroes by Dennett:

A fun place to visit if you love milk by Allisonn Churchisonn: