Starting the New Decade in Chile

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”  Mark Twain

I rung in the new year, actually a new decade, on a most amazing journey. 

Chile, 1500 miles of it in a 4x4 exploring, and botanizing with my wonderful friend Jane McGary. We found some fantastic plants, partied with a family to ring in the new year at a hot springs at the end of a dusty, one lane jeep track, saw dinosaur tracks and foxes, giant condors and ancient trees and traveled enough lattitude to go from arid steppe to subtropical forest. 

Here are a few of the Amaryllids we saw:

A nice pink Rhodolirium montanum
Termas De Flaca, Chile

Rhodolirium montanum
La Parva, Chile

Rhodolirium montanum
Has survived the obvious grazing pressure at the La Parva ski area. These specimens were growing
in the cow pattied pasture of the ski slopes with both horses and cows free ranged to the detriment of much of the alpine flora. Thanks to the presence of toxic alkaloids, these plants have survived. The Amaryllidacea has had over 200 alkaloids identified some of which have shown anti tumor characteristics. 

Rhodophiala advena
on the way to Chillan

What a wonderful specimen!
We unfortunately discovered that earthquakes at the Chillan area had caused landslides that wiped out some alpine meadows and the subsequent rebuilding of the ski area hotels and development of the hot springs had changed the flora. But found some great plants on the drive up to the top of the mountain. 

Rhodophiala montana
on the road to Laguna de Maule
The Laguna de Maule area was so amazing! Awesome alpines up at the top of the pass!

More to come on this amazing adventure but I have some 2000 pictures to go through and get my travel lecture together for the Lord and Schryver conservancy first!

It snowed off and on today, and it's below freezing out right now, temperatures are supposed to moderate a bit in the next few days though. 

Cheers, 

Mark