The natural path veers southward, and slopes upward, and eastward, sloping downward, as it encircles the deep pool to the southeast. North and west of the path, tall trees grow, their thick, coarsely barked trunks close together, so that only thin, but tall, shrubs grow between them. From above, the canopy of leaves lends shade to the path, but it does not extend to the pool, which receives the full brunt of the sun during the day. From here, looking south, you can see the path rising upward, and a stone bridge arching over something.