Iguanas, Kind of Like Squirrels

So in Chicago we have squirrels, rabbits, and the occasional raccoon. I´d like to think that if an Ecuadorian saw a squirrel, he´d be as afraid as I was when I came upon the iguanas in the park. Something tells me, however, that he wouldn´t.

In the Parque Bolivar of Guayaquil, four-foot long iguanas just sit there and do nothing as people pet their faces. As most North Americans would, we hesitated at first when a group of people gathered around the gringos (us) and started yelling ¨tocala!¨

Of course, we had to tocar.

Just so you get an idea of the size of these guys, which sat literally every 3 feet in most of the trees and on the ground, here you go.


I thought it was a dinosaur at first.


Iguanas can move quickly when they want to, hence my hesitation to touch anywhere near its man-eating mouth.


Go here to see the video of Margaret petting the iguana.

On to Cuenca, a city in the Andes.