Ron-NY
Well-Known Member
The cloud forests were totally amazing. It is difficult to capture this in photos. The birds, chids, many not in bloom, the butterflies...it was entrancing.
My hikes varied from short excursions off the road , to checking out old trees in farm fields, to exploring creek beds on recently cleared forest to a 8 hour hike in a national Park. The vegetation is so dense that without a prepared trail, you can not take two steps without first using a machette to clear it.
One day, we hired a person we met in the market to guide us through some property he owned. It was at a top of a mountain, up an old logging road. We were in the clouds, it was pouring, lightening and thundering. I was concerned for my camera and left it in the car. He led, machette in hand. We climbed the side of the mountain and the soft cushion of the detris was all I could feel underfoot. The # of orchids amazed me. It was difficult to walk without stepping on them and within reach, with each step had to be at least 12 species of orchids. There were Pleuros, Stelis, Lycaste, Restrepia, Phrags wherever one looked. There wasn't a single stem or branch that wasn't moss covered with chids growing on it. I finally got a taste of orchid heaven
The first day out was a driving day. We would drive explore and move on.
We also came to a spot where a waterfall crossed the road and we explored the stream bed hoping to find some Phrags. We did find this butterfly drinking from the wet road
and these butterflies were gathered nearby. I did see one very large blue iridescent one but he never landed for a shot. We climbed into the jungle in areas where some brush was cut to plant trees and I came across this Maxillaria
It was a beautiful day as can be seen in this jungle shot.We needed to collect some sphagnum to wrap the roots of our collected plants in. It was found right at the side of the road. near these vaca.
We found quite a few orchids that day including this Epi.
On the way home we stopped to pick out somthing to throw on the barbeque that nightoke: , have a beer and look over and wrap our collected plants
My hikes varied from short excursions off the road , to checking out old trees in farm fields, to exploring creek beds on recently cleared forest to a 8 hour hike in a national Park. The vegetation is so dense that without a prepared trail, you can not take two steps without first using a machette to clear it.
One day, we hired a person we met in the market to guide us through some property he owned. It was at a top of a mountain, up an old logging road. We were in the clouds, it was pouring, lightening and thundering. I was concerned for my camera and left it in the car. He led, machette in hand. We climbed the side of the mountain and the soft cushion of the detris was all I could feel underfoot. The # of orchids amazed me. It was difficult to walk without stepping on them and within reach, with each step had to be at least 12 species of orchids. There were Pleuros, Stelis, Lycaste, Restrepia, Phrags wherever one looked. There wasn't a single stem or branch that wasn't moss covered with chids growing on it. I finally got a taste of orchid heaven
The first day out was a driving day. We would drive explore and move on.
It was a beautiful day as can be seen in this jungle shot.We needed to collect some sphagnum to wrap the roots of our collected plants in. It was found right at the side of the road. near these vaca.
We found quite a few orchids that day including this Epi.
On the way home we stopped to pick out somthing to throw on the barbeque that night
oke: , have a beer and look over and wrap our collected plants
