EGian Sights and Sounds

This place has been full of surprises -- some of them small and seemingly almost unnoticeable; others, bigger and way more obvious.

Let me start with some of the more interesting sights. It's hard not to be fascinated by the abundance of animal life here -- and that's without even getting into the monkeys, the jungle cats, and the turtles that attract the attention of folks throughout the world.

By just going out your front door, you're almost certain to see a variety of lizards of assorted sizes and colors.

And occasionally, there's no need to even open the front door; the little guys aren't above dropping by on their own. This cute little fellow showed up in my office just this morning. I think he just wanted to play.

The lizards here, quite simply, are everywhere.

Then there are the birds, which contribute not just to the sights but are a significant part of the sounds. Walking through the jungle, it's like a bird symphony that goes on almost constantly, with sounds ranging from the high-pitched tweet tweet of the little guys to the louder, more ominous squawks from the bigger fellows. Catching a glimpse of the little fellows isn't always easy, but it's hard to miss the big guys. I'd have to think that there are almost as many blackbirds with their uniquely white chests around here as there are lizards. The smart lizards tend to keep their distance from the birds; while the not-so-smart ones wind up as blackbird lunch. This guy was trolling along the wall outside my office the other day, perhaps just coincidentally around noontime.

And then there's the occasional major surprise appearances. Like these guys, for example. I had to wonder whether we were really on an island in Africa when they suddenly appeared on the road out of nowhere. Sort of a scene I might have expected to see in Pamplona, Spain. Fortunately, though, these fellows weren't on the prowl looking for liquored up fools to trample -- even if they do just by coincidence speak the same language as their Pamplonan cousins. Probably just as good that I had left my red bandana in the room that day.

Just one of the more unforgettable Kodak moments I'll have over here.

And then there are the flowers. The gazillions of flowers that grow everywhere. And enjoy their life over here with the warm weather and frequent water treatments. Here are but just a few of them.

Heck, if you didn't know better, you might just think we're in the middle of a jungle over here.