Happy thanksgiving to those who live in the USA! Today, I am going back in time to recall a post I wrote a few months ago but never published, and an adventure I cherish.
On Aug 28, 2021, my sister and I joined a guided hike offered by Aluz ExpediƧÅes through the trail āMonte de Milhoā (Corn Mount or Bunch of Corn?). It was about a one-mile hike up going from 1,010 m to 1,651m through mostly exposed rocks. I felt as if I was free climbing rather than hiking. Anyway, on our way up, we saw a few rare orchids and other flowers, one of which is the main subject of the featured photograph: Worsleya rayneri (Hook.f.) Traub & Moldenke, commonly known as āRabo de Galoā (Roosterās Tail). The common name refers to the shape of the leaves.
Worsleya rayneri is endemic to the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro and its distribution is limited to the āSerra dos ĆrgĆ£osā mountain range. It is, thus, a rare wildflower in nature. We were lucky to see it on that day. According to our guides, this plant flowers a little earlier in the season. I could have gotten a little closer but I was afraid of rolling down the exposed rock.
In the background a typical mountainous landscape in Southeastern Brazil, covered with Atlantic Rainforest elements and featuring the rarely absent thick haze that makes it very hard to photograph landscapes there.
It is all about the light 
Leave a comment