There's
one problem with missing things early on in the trip and deciding that
you'll have another go on the way back: lack of motivation, as the
excitement of things to come has worn off and the focus turns to
matters back home. Angie and I were therefore in subdued mood as we
set off from Guanaqueros. We were going to have breakfast at one of
the road side truck stops, but it took some time to get to the first
one. It was the same place where we had stopped in 2004 and where I
accidentally left my leather hat #1 in 2001. How to lift the spirits?
Pichidangui! (S604)
Juan & Florencia had
often been past here, but never stopped to experience 'Neoporteria
heaven'. We drove straight to the best spot, where nearly 3 weeks
earlier we had seen E. chilensis at the end of its flowering
season. There were still a few plants in flower now, but things were
definitely over for the year. We found a single E. subgibossa
in flower, too early or too late? Or just confused by changing
climates as so many other plants and animals in England currently seem
to be? But on the flat, near to the road and holiday homes, among
imported garden plants, with Carpobrotus as the 'invasive
weed', E. curvispina (syn. Neoporteria mutabilis) was
coming to the height of its flowering period. For now, growing among
imported garden plants had worked in its favour, as it discouraged
people from walking over them. There were some giant plants, in
flower, just about keeping their heads above the increasingly dense
growth of the invader, Carpobrotus. Outside the cultivated
areas, people still regularly walked around. C. curvispina
persists here too, but, no doubt due to frequent damage, is a very
flat many headed plant. It seems that a cactus' life is a continuous
struggle for survival and that, as in so many other cases in nature,
the ability to adapt to new niches is a prime key to survival.
Just as we were
contemplating moving on, Juan made a very exciting discovery. Here,
unnoticed during so many previous visits, grows a Euphorbia
that bore an uncanny resemblance to the geophytic Euphorbia
copiapina and E. thinophila. More images were taken to pass
on to Euphorbia experts for identification.
It seemed strange to
leave Pichidangui without making straight for the airport. Instead,
Juan & Florencia would guide us to Alvaralto, the out-of-town retreat
of Ingrid & Ricardo. We had been there before, in 2003 and were
impressed that they could find their way home, it is such an out of
the way place, high on a hillside, but surrounded by other properties
with large 'gardens', so that there is a maze of tracks, best suited
to 4x4 vehicles. Despite the fact that Juan & Flo had been here more
recently and frequently, we got lost. We had a telephone number, but
either the reception in the hills let us down or the respective
networks did not want to talk to each other. Eventually we spotted the
cryptic signs that guided us to the gate.
