Stranger in paradise

Bursera simaruba

 Most horticulturists I know have a "thing" about paperbark maples and madrones--admiring their wonderfully peely, red bark. I was delighted to find a tree that possibly even out papers and out-colors even these: Bursera simaruba is widespread and common in the dry tropical forests of Jalisco. This is only one of dozens (possibly even 80) species in the genus that's concentrated in Mexico, although I did once see a gnarly, rather dwarf Bursera in the Anzo Borrego desert of southern California.

One of many enchanted Mexican sunsets on our trip...

That was a sneak preview of a blog I intend to do about the remarkable Puerto Vallarta botanic garden: the real purpose of this trip was basically to finally get outta Dodge (or Denver in my case) where I've been holed up over two COVID-cursed years: OK, OK, I did drive out to Portland last summer, and we did get to Tucson earlier this year, and Santa Fe several times earlier--but this was the first real PLANE trip since COVID settled in its dreary pattern.

Two dear friends (Steve and Kathy Aegerter) persuaded us to join them on our first "all inclusive resort" experience (it's practically a second home for them--they've come to know many of the staff as friends--which made the whole thing a lot more meaningful to us)...

I'm relatively resistant to the tropics: the flora is so vast, the climate so warm, the impact of humanity is so intense...but sometimes you have to relax and admire the tiny full moon tangled in the coconut palm fronds perhaps--from our little patio at the hotel...

We only took a few dips--but walking the strand and watching egrets fish for tiny fish was a delight.

Food (which I like a tad too much) became a bit of a too muchness. I am not sure the endless free food and drink of cruises or resorts is a good idea for certain kinds of gourmands...although this seafood platter was at a restaurant in the hills...

And the tropical dry forest and its understory of Muhlenbergia really made the trip for me: this was taken at a Macaw Sanctuary that was incredibly inspiring which I intend to blog about more extensively soon...

Dioon tomasellii 

I featured this on my Facebook cover, and got a lot of ribbing (for showing a plant at a bird sanctuary, for calling the fruiting body by the wrong name, for you name it!)...but finding a cycad in ripe seed in nature is a gratifying thing! This was my first wild cycad I'd seen outside of Africa, so it was a pretty special day--and a gratifying 10 day escape from routine! And now two weeks in Argentina!