I'm fascinated by the laurel forests of La Gomera, one the Canary Islands. They're full of different species of trees with shiny, waxy leaves. Mosses and lichens grow on the branches, and the ground is covered with a green mantle of dripping ferns and liverworts thriving in the permanent damp. The place has a mysterious, prehistoric air. The lower altitudes of this island are deserts, but the upper parts catch fog, known locally as "horizontal rain" (lluvia horizontal). Near-constant northeasterly trade winds carry moist Atlantic air that condenses into a persistent low cloud layer. This "sea of clouds" (mar de nubes) shrouds the island's central heights. As humid air drifts through the forest, moisture precipitates on contact with the trees - and the leaves, trunks, and epiphytes act as collection surfaces that channel the droplets down to the ground. So the trees literally comb water out of the air! (1/2)