A Turtle - Probably the Florida Cooter - in Everglades National Park
It is May 23rd, so Happy World Turtle Day!
I saw a good number of turtles when I was in the Everglades, but didn’t realize until afterwards that there are apparently 16 turtle species found in Everglades National Park.
One of the more common ones seemed to be this type of turtle, which as far as I can tell, is the Florida Cooter.
While this turtle was safe in a National Park, this species is one considered so plentiful in the USA that it can be caught in the wild and exported for a life as someone’s pet or someone’s dinner in places like China and Taiwan. Did you know that millions of turtles are raised on farms in the US and caught in the wild for human consumption?
There aren’t many animals out there with a better name than the Lava Lizard.
Seriously, try and think of a cooler named animal…I bet you can’t!
The Española Lava Lizard (Microlophus delanonis) one of 9 Endemic Lava Lizards in the Galapagos
Visit the Galapagos Islands and you’ll undoubtedly come across these skittish little creatures. While not unique to the Galapagos (Lava lizards are common to other destinations, in particular Peru), there are nine Lava Lizard species that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. As with the birds, tortoises and larger iguanas; the lava lizards have evolved on each island to be genetically unique.
A Floreana Lava Lizard (Microlophus grayii) photographed at Punta Cormorant
That’s one of those oddly interesting things about the Galapagos. You can sail to a different island in a couple of hours and see similar-looking animals, but their size, colour and habits will be slightly different – unique – from their relatives found on the other islands.
Some Galapagos Lava Lizards are brightly coloured, others are quite dull. (Females are often bright red in colour, males are dull grey or brown). Different islands have different sized Lava Lizards too, but they’re all pretty similar. I tried to challenge myself to find as many different species as I could on the islands, I spotted Lava Lizards on Espanola, Floreana, Bartolome, Sombrero Chino, South Plaza, San Cristobal and Isabela Islands.
A San Cristóbal Lava Lizard (Microlophus bivittatus) photographed at Isla Lobos
I captured decent photos of four different species, each pictured in this article, which help show the different shapes, colours and sizes of these lizards.
A Galápagos Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis) seen on Isabela Island
Unfortunately some of them were too elusive for the camera, so my photos of them are just tails, or specks too far away. I also failed in spotting any Lava Lizards breathing through their eyelids. Sadly that seems to be a myth from the classic baseball movie Bull Durham. Lava Lizards breathe through their nostrils. (Click on the Espanola or San Cristobal photos and you should see their nostrils.)
Another Galapagos Lava Lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis), the most widespread of the Galapagos species. This was on South Plaza Island.
Delirium Tremens, a tasty beer from Belgium that gave me my first taste of what it may have been like during prohibition.
You see, here in Ontario, Canada we can’t go to the local corner store or grocery store to pick up some wine or beer. We can only buy direct from shops controlled by the wineries or breweries themselves, or via the LCBO – the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
Bottles of Delirium Tremens and Delirium Nocturnum, from Belgium
I don’t really have a problem with that. Our selection is pretty good, albeit tightly controlled. But, this control has led to many brewers refusing to export their beers to us – too much paperwork, too costly to have bilingual labels or new packaging, not worth their time.
About Delirium Tremens
This is a potent, yet tasty Belgian strong ale. It’s spicy, sweet and yeasty with a bit of banana and fruits to it. One of my all-time favourite brews if you get it crisp and fresh.
About Delirium Nocturnum
This darker counterpart to Tremens has a caramel, sugar and fig taste to it. Quite different but equally tasty. A real shame that people who appreciate good beers can’t buy bottles of either of these in Ontario.
What does Prohibition have to do with Delirium?
These are both great beers, which should be available to anyone who appreciates the complexities of Belgian ales. Which brings me to the point of this post…many years ago, Delirium Tremens was banned from sale by the LCBO.
It had been approved for sale but shortly after someone complained about the name of the beer. Apparently the name ‘Delirium’ was going to make people want to get drunk. Perhaps the pink elephants and crocodiles on the bottles didn’t help either.
Do these beers make you Delirious?
Despite it being banned and pulled off the shelves, I found a way to get my hands on some…this is how my prohibition-like experience went down:
– After learning the beer had been pulled from sale, I was disappointed I hadn’t gone out sooner to grab some, as it is an award-winning, top-ranked beer.
– I learned from some secret contacts that the LCBO was stashing all the remaining bottles in a back room near their Lake shore warehouse.
– Venturing to this special location, I got myself to the beer area and quietly (so as not to arise suspicion) asked the worker for 6 bottles of Delirium.
– Playing coy, or not part of the secret society, he said he had no idea what I was talking about. Hmm.
– I asked again, for some Delirium Tremens, and suggested he go check the back room for me. He returned a few minutes later, empty handed. Hmm.
– He takes me over to the Special Services desk, and advises one of his superiors that I have asked for something that doesn’t exist.
– This new worker asks what I seek and flips through the pages of some secret ledger, eventually declaring that it does not exist and I can look for myself.
– Leafing through this booklet of all products for sale I find no mention of Delirium Tremens. Seems that the LCBO was smarter than Al Capone.
– Then a svelt young lady walks by, she seems to be the boss of the boss. She has obviously been watching me the whole time as she is part of the secret society.
– “You want some Delirium?”, she asks me. “Yes, 6 bottles”, I say.
– She calls a new guy over, Jimmy, and sends him to the mysterious back room again, he returns with my 6 deliriously good-looking bottles of beer.
– The sub-boss comments that it’s not even in the book. Svelt lady says “I know. But if they ask for it by name, they can have it.”
Moments later I have my bottles secured and am on my way home with some banned beers. Did I proceed to get drunk on these crazy, dangerous beers? No, of course not – I savoured them and saved them to enjoy over the coming months.
You can find Delirium Tremens on tap at many bars around Toronto and Ontario now, but still not in bottles at the LCBO – I had to buy my recent bottles in the US. The importer is pushing for it to get listed again, but chances look slim.
Not far from Selçuk is the old Orthodox hillside village of Şirince. This small Turkish village is famous for it’s wines, olive oils and crafts and is a popular place for local (Turkish) tourists.
It’s a bit of a maze of a village, with some steep hills and market stalls lining almost every street. Some specialize in leathers, others specialize in colourful textiles. You’ll see plenty of the ubiquitous ‘evil eye’ souvenirs here as well.
A Market Stand selling crafts in Sirince, Turkey
The main attraction though is the wine. Not just grape wines but also many flavoured fruit wines. It is said that every home in the village produces their own wine, many of whom sell them at stands outside their homes.
You’ll also notice the village seems to be overrun by cats too. They’re all pretty laid back and sleepy looking, perhaps from all the local wine?
Bottles of home made wine at a market stand in Sirince, Turkey
The story goes that back when the village was settled they called it Cirkince, which means ‘ugly’. It was a ploy to trick visitors, tourists and foreigners into skipping this picturesque town, so it could stay a secret. It didn’t last obviously, as the name was later changed to Sirince, meaning ‘pretty’.
While the market stalls here sold some fantastic home-made crafts and wines, that ugly/pretty story came to mind when I passed this perfectly genuine, fake shop.
Genuine Fake Watches in Sirince, Turkey
Friendly shopkeepers, not pushy at all, made the experience here worthwhile. Many have areas set up at the back of their market stalls to sit and enjoy some Turkish coffee too. It’s a great place for a day trip, especially if you’re looking for a bottle of unique Turkish wine.
A Typical market Stand selling Olive Oils and Wines in Sirince
