<p>Our Return From Ecuador! <br /><br />To make all that even better, I just found out on this trip to Ecuador to refresh my tourist visa that I can get a spouse visa, & not have to worry about needing to leave Colombia. <br /><br />On the way to Ecuador, Jessy & I met a taxi driver named Omar. After a bit of talking, we convinced him to return for us so that we could stop on the road coming back to collect plants for our home. He thought it was quite a strange request, but said we would need to pay double to have the taxi for us alone, but he would stop at any location we wished. This man was true to his word. When we called him the night before leaving Ecuador, he assured us he would be waiting the next morning. The trip is about 4 hours long from Ipiales to Tumaco. Though very beautiful, the plant life on the beginning leg of the trip is mostly evergreens that I have no interest in collecting, or cold climate stuff that would not survive in Tumaco. Oddly enough, the stuff I wanted to collect was only an hour & a half away. <br /><br />This being the case, I suppose I got distracted from watching for plants I would like to take home, & our taxi driver simply stopped on the end of a bridge when he saw a huge "Monstera deliciosa". He asked if I would like a piece of that one, & my wife exclaimed that she would like it in the house. The thing is incredible. So after exploring the plant which was growing next to the bridge in a creeping growth pattern since there were no trees near to climb, I took out my Leatherman multi-tool. I opened the saw blade & cut through one of the branches of this monster. Even after cutting this branch off, the plant was still an incredible site. I will try to get photos of the mother plant on the next trip.<br />
<br /><br />After stuffing this plant unceremoniously in the trunk, we took off again. We were still in the mountains, but on the downward trek. About half an hour later of watching all these gorgeous mountains pass by with all the random plant life, I noticed what I thought to be some sort of Philodendron that I saw on the way to Ecuador. <br />
<br /><br />We stopped to collect this plant. I concentrated on this plant, but Omar had seen something else. He went further back on the road, & waited for me to come along to show me this plant.<br />
<br /><br />We ended up collecting 3 samples of this plant & one monster of whatever the first one is. LariAnn suggested it may be a Anthurium faustomirandae which is probably correct.<br /><br />The trip continued with us running into traffic in the middle of no where on a mountain road. Since the Colombian road crews were working up here, the traffic was backed up. Not one to be daunted by annoying circumstance, I got out to look at the plants nearby. I ended up collecting a flowering plant that I have not photographed yet (it wilted, but I am hoping it recovers), & these specimens.<br />
<br /><br />Later on the trip we passed an Army security station. A few feet past the station was an incredible looking plant that I have not photographed yet either. It has huge (2' to 3') nearly completely round leaves on a large thick vine. When it recovers I will photograph it. I saw the plant on the Army property across a fence which I thought was a bad idea to cross without permission (DUH), so I looked in the area for other specimens. On the other side of the road about 40' back from where we stopped, I saw 2 plants climbing a tree in a small creek. My wife told me we should just leave. After a few minutes looking for a path to my plant, I was able to get to it, & pull out a large piece to take home with me. This thing had such large petioles that it would not fit in the trunk. As horrible as it sounds, I simply broke off the two leaves it had, & only left the leaf that was unfurling when I pulled it up. The plant fit in the trunk now, & off we went. <br /><br />Later, there was another area of road work, but it did not stop us from traveling. As we passed through, I saw a flash of red in a small cave about 3' wide on the side of the road. I asked the driver to stop so I could check it out, & ended up with this, & 3 other specimens.<br />
<br />An example of the other specimens.<br />
<br />At this point, I forget if I collected any more plants, but we were pretty near home. I am very pleased with the adventure, & looking forward to repeating it. I am also looking forward to exploring other areas.</p>
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