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Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:03 pm
by David_L
We stayed overnight in the (for us) rather upmarket Hotel Alvear. One eccentric feature was that you had to have your air conditioning switched on by reception, and we certainly needed it as it was both hot and humid. Anyway here is the hotel.
[attachment 19839 Hotel_Alvear.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:07 pm
by David_L
Jujuy street scene. A busy and largish town. It had rained overnight and the weather was really hot and unpleasantly humid. I don't know if that's why the locals look a bit miserable.
[attachment 19840 Jujuy_street-_scene.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:11 pm
by David_L
After a longish drive we reached our first cactus stop by the roadside near a town called General Guemes. It didn't look too promising at first glance.
[attachment 19841 General_Guemes.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:15 pm
by David_L
This was similar habitat to some we had encountered on the first couple of days of our trip; thick spiny scrub fenced and used as rough grazing for cattle and goats. However we soon found one or two interesting plants. First and very obvious was this 'tree'.
[attachment 19842 Pereskia_sacharosa.jpg]
Willy identified it as Pereskia sacharosa.
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:17 pm
by David_L
A closer view of the very attractive flowers. Very much like small pink rosebuds.
[attachment 19843 Pereskia_sacharosa2.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:19 pm
by David_L
The fruit was also interesting.
[attachment 19844 Pereskia_sacharosa_fruit.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:22 pm
by David_L
Cacti here were certainly on the large scale. In fact there were three more tree sized cacti to be seen. I think this might be too big for the greenhouse of even the most ardent Opuntia enthusiast.
[attachment 19845 Opuntia_quimilo.jpg]
Opuntia quimilo
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:24 pm
by David_L
Not that the flowers on the plant weren't pretty, and rather unusual as well.
[attachment 19846 Opuntia_quimilo2.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:28 pm
by David_L
There were a couple of tree-like Cereioids to see as well. This impressive plant is Cereus hankeanus. A bit of the Opuntia and the Pereskia come bee seen sneaking into the shot.
[attachment 19847 Cereus_hankeanus.jpg]
Re: Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 12-- JuJuy to Cachi --350km
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:30 pm
by David_L
An idea of scale can be got from this shot of Opuntia quimilo and Cereus hankeanus side by side. I guess the Cereus might be 20ft or so tall.
[attachment 19848 cereus_and_opuntia.jpg]