orchids etc in Tulum, Mexico

[stefpix]

some in the wild some on trees in the streets and so on
Myrmecophilas everywhere.

Brassavola nodosas blooming in shad.


some orchids in tulum
many photos - too many for here.

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[RosieC]

Great album, especially love the Brasavolla in flower on a tree.

[stefpix]

Thanks - there are 2 albums.

What seems most common here are the Myrmecophilas (formerly Schomburgkias). They are everywhere fro decoration. saw one in spike but senior lady told me they bloom more towards may.

[WhiteRabbit]

very cool!

[Wireman]

This is just one of the reasons I love Mexico so much. I need to get back there, right now. The state of Quintana Roo is definitely one of my favorites. There are some great portraits in that album.

I wish it was easier to import orchids back from trips like this.

[stefpix]

thanks some more from today. I saw only 2 Catasetum in Coba. Many Tillandsias but i wonder if it is a bit dry. some tillandsias were great in the shade but in the sun they looked dry / thirsty. maybe here it is too flat.
I saw some Myrmecophilas again outside a batik store. seems those abund, Forest gets cut for development but the locals seem to enjoy the orchids and put them on their trees.

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[Wireman]

I would have been so tempted to try to bring the crocodile bones back!!! One of my art specialties is painting bones, sometimes full skeletons and reassembling them. I could have done so much with a croc skull!

It's a shame so much of the forests get destroyed, but the flora and fauna is such a big part of the culture that they save a lot of it. It makes work for conservationists a bit easier. Plus, they know people like us love them. The forests regenerate very quickly down there. If you leave a site unattended for a year it's usually halfway consumed by trees when you get back.

[stefpix]

rode the heavy rusty bike 30 Km today. Maya vvillage and cemetery in Tulum then the road to Coba.

I had no snorkeling gear just the pool googles and i skipped grand cenote/

I went to a cenote only for divers (only underground cave diving) where this Aztec artist is putting the place together they have maya ceremonies in the cave.
he is going to take me to the jungle, could not today because need shoes / long sleeves.
He had orchids on the trees. he said Rhyncolaelia digbyanas only grow in the cenotes, they like water and grow by the water
By a cement factory a huge tree I believe a Ficus maxima or F. pertusa was fallen 3 weeks earlier. It was covered with blooming Brassavola nodosas. some that were at teh base at the trunk were baked and burned. Hopefully they will cut the branches off and rescue them - but it was a bit in the middle of nowhere 10 Km between villages. But with a gated community near the forest being built nearby.

then went to car wash cenote. amazing. bargained 20 pesos. Vanilla orchid vines everywhere.

some czech tourist. I jumped in the water. wish i had my underwater camera, saw big fish. then some guy said looka t the crocodile! there was a 3/ 4 ft crock 10 ft from me warming up!

you can see the difference with alligators! crocodiles have super long teeth that are outsinde the mouth - like fangs!

then went to other cenote with cabanas… would be a nice place to spend a night - but this way smaller and not as deep as car wash cenote,

I rode miles and miles to Km 13 where I got a torta and it was 5 15 and i had to ride back.
got to tulum as it was getting dark. I have 1000 photos to edit will post them on facebook when done

[stefpix]

More photos

[Wireman]

Great set! I love cenote ecosystems, so different from anything else on earth. Crocodiles have a very different demeanor, too. Much more aggressive than gators.