Orchids

 

I just love orchids.  Between Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, I have documented about 19 different species out in the wild.  It is always a thrill to find a new one. 

The orchid at the top was blooming right at the entrance to Machu Picchu.

Our hotel in Aguas Calientes was situated on a hillside in the jungle.  There were orchids scattered around the property, and they even had a very nice separate area where there were more orchids on display.  We were told that this was not the peak blooming time for them, but nevertheless, I saw quite a few nice ones.  Here they are. 

These orange beauties were in a museum garden near Lima.

These are not orchids, but begonias that were growing out of the cracks in the walls at Machu Picchu.

Apparently this discovery caused quite a stir in the world of botany at the time.