The Cactus Trip Diaries

A lazy leisurely start to the day saw us make it to breakfast at 09:00 hrs – that is their earliest time in the Hotel!

We discussed what we should do today and I had been interested to read in Ian Woolnough’s Diary that they had been able to visit the site at Totoralillo, L&S0002, where on my birthday in 2001 we had also stopped for pictures. Subsequent attempts had been thwarted as a big solid gate across the access road prevents access to what is now a gated community. But again, as we visited in Ian’s tire tracks, we found a gate off to one side and a track that led to a small boat yard and the plants that we had photographed in 2001 and again in 2003. Nice find Ian, thanks for sharing! This is now Stop 3875, but remains Location 0002.

We headed east, following signs to Quilimari and after passing the village, stopped alongside the road to allow Al to fulfill his wish to photograph Echinopsis (Trichocereus) litoralis in flower S3876.

Not far on (S3877) the hillside was full of these cacti but not many in flower. There were however Eriosyce which, taking a lumper’s view, were Neoporteria subgibbosa and Horridocactus curvispina (but with straight spines, identified in 2003 as Horridocactus mutabilis.

S3878 is for a variety of images taken today that do not merit a single stop number, including a monstrous plant of Trichocereus litoralis, the advertising doll outside the place where we enjoyed an empanada (shrimps and cheese!) and beer in Los Vilos and a friendly dog begging for crisps at another stop. Well, it’s the last full day of our holiday! Why not!?

The others have gone back to the rocky Pichidangui shore line to take more pictures of cacti and Angie, no doubt, more pictures of waves crashing on the rocks while I finish off this episode of the Diaries. It’s a hard life!