I remember remarking at the time that in a month, it would be Christmas day ! As I write these notes, I'm at Angie's parents' house in Cologne, Germany on Christmas Day. The temperatures read the same: 32, but it was Centigrade in Santiago and Fahrenheit in Cologne! As Angie's mother is preparing the traditional Christmas dinner, a month earlier we were enjoying a BBQ in the garden with Florencia's mother. What a world of contrasts!

The only cacti photographed today were those in Florencia's greenhouse, a building constructed from wood, cut from the tree that stood on this spot for many years, and covered in plastic film. There were cacti native to the USA and Mexico, but the majority of plants were Chilean endemics. A large percentage of space was set aside for cuttings and seedling, both cacti and garden plants, as Florencia is also responsible for the planting in the extensive garden and operates a small garden design business.

Today's rest day was very welcome and provided an opportunity for me to start srting out my picures and to make a start on the Copiapoathon Diaries.