Next morning, after yet another gargantuan breakfast (chilli and tortillas at every meal - magnificent!) we set out of town and headed for the hills to a little place Toby had encountered before.

A steady climb on a twisty mountain road took up quickly to around 2000m where we had a couple of off road adventures.

Here is Toby standing with mixed population of Brahea dulcis (taller) and Brahea moorei (shorter) growing in oak forest.

Here a single shot of Brahea moorei - you can see the snaking decumbent trunk but the picture doesn't capture the intense glaucous silvery reverse to the leaf - these really are seriously gorgeous palms. 

Here is a spider I nearly walked into - about 15cm long (harmless, I was told - but does the spider know that?) and one of many Dioon edule we saw during the week.  Surprisingly many growing in fairly deep shade.

Back out in the sun and another nomination for 'best silver agave'...

Then back down the hill a bit past Las Palmillas to see an old friend of Toby's - Señor Diaz - his comrade in arms on several past adventures and who knows the hills like the back of his hand.  

We then strolled about the hillside for the rest of the afternoon: Toby and Sñr Diaz catching up on old times, me gawking with wonder at the unfolding scenery.

Here the ever present Dasylirtion quadrangulatum with Brahea decumbens, pines and the mixed scrubby agaves - A. lechuguilla and striata.

There was so much to see here that we decided to come back the next morning and continue our explorations of this hillside, so it was adios to Sñr Diaz and a trip into the small town of Tula for our overnight stay.

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