17 Feb 2019
Part 2 of my month-long vacation started in Guayaquil, where, after a late-night arriving flight and an overnight stay at our usual hotel, I woke up early to check out Iguana Park.
Technically, its official name is Parque Seminario, but it’s FILLED with iguanas, and even though I’ve photographed them many times before, I always enjoy taking more pictures:
This guy looks like his mouth was injured at one point:
This year, I learned iguanas also have teeth!
They like to hang out in the trees, but I would recommend not walking directly beneath them- they do pee occasionally!
This time, I also found several hanging out in these spiky yucca-like plants:
Doesn’t look too comfortable to me, but that bottom guy appears to be sleeping:
Actually, he may be digesting- I think he may have gotten a bird…
This guy got into some… ketchup?
This guy appears to be well-fed:
I would not mess with this one, he looks like he means business:
A rather alert looking iguana:
There are a few statues in the park, and there’s always at least a few iguanas hanging around them too:
This guy was content to let me some close-ups:
Under chin (dewlap) and an under claw:
Iguanas have some pretty gnarly claws!
There are other critter here too- turtles and fish and sometimes birds, but I have pictures of them from past years and they aren’t as fun as the iguanas.
After breakfast, we loaded up our bus and drove through the mountains up to Cuenca, about a 3.5 hour drive, stopping at Dos Chorreras, our traditional lunch break along the way.
I’ve also taken so many pictures here, but these guys grazing were new-to-me:
As were these leaf-cutter ants!
Go little guys, go!
Then, it was back on the bus and up to Cuenca- no photos of our hotel or clinic this time, but we spent the evening setting up supplies and getting ready for a week of surgery!