Friday 11^th November

After a gargantuan breakfast we headed back to Las Vigas to look for Agave atrovirens var mirabilis.  At first all we saw was the ubiquitous Agave salmiana, but then we found it after driving around the small village there for around 45 minutes, to the bemusement of the local folk.  Not common by any means, and we only really saw cultivated or escaped plants, but what an awesome plant!  A magnificent behemoth which demands to be in cultivation in the UK due to the cool, montane, almost cloud-forest climate in this part of Mexico.  

We then moved on towards Perote, Altotonga and Teziutlan, where we somehow managed a wrong turn and headed down into the tropical area again rather than into the hills.  We turned around after a while, after stopping and looking at some rather gorgeous Cyathea sp. growing all over the countryside.  

Back in the right direction, we headed to Zacapoaxtla (Sa-ca-PWAST-la) through roads that had been recently all but destroyed by landslides.  Again, a mist started to roll into the mountains, where we stopped a couple of times to look at some oak trees.  

Zacapoaxtla was great – a really funky colonial town with a great vibe.  Hotel, right on the zocalo, had immense charm and good food.

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