Wee Desert Creatures

The reason we went to the desert was to see this gecko, isn't she cute and rainbowy? Our home geckos wish they had her style.

We had to get a guided tour to find the right creatures and get better pictures.

It's a good thing that we did, since they're really hard to find - can you see the snake next to this tiny twig? It could see us!

The well-camouflaged desert sidewinder/adder. Venomous and tiny, but will not "kill you immediately run away" like Barry says.

The toktokkies, or fog-basking beetles, stick their (kinda large) butts into the air to collect dew to drink. This quenches their thirst, but also makes them a delicious snack for others.

The shovel-snouted lizard lucked out evolutionarily, since it can run really fast, shake its feet when the sand gets hot, and dig great tunnels.

The Namib desert snake is just a humdrum variety with no cool venom at all.

Not all of the desert creatures are pretty, although these guinea fowl think the blue brings out their eyes.

Jackals are kinda cute, but well camouflaged.

Likewise, this long twig insect is well camouflaged on this outdoor light.

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Meringue, Fairy Circles, and Sun-avoidance Technology

We went to the desert in Namibia.

We learnt that it can be meringue coloured or rusty, depending on the iron sandy bits.

It can also have fairy circles, which are my new favourite unexplained phenomenon! The theories explaining their existence include termites, fungi, elaborate grass cooperation and toxins.

These dunes are some of the highest in the world, at 350m.

We climbed one of these dunes, and here is our selfie.

The guide did a better job.

The cup of sand in each shoe affected our photography, but we kept trying.

Between the dunes, there is crackedy former mud, called a white clay pan.

The guide told us when it last rained here, sometime in the 80s.

There are trees that dried up when the dunes blocked the river over 600 years ago.

Since it's too dry, they don't decompose. Trees 4-eva!

Here is Barry for scale.

And below on the right, is the latest in sun-avoidance technology, the full face covering! That way you can see less, feel uncomfortable, and have less fun.

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Cherry, Pennywort, and a Rice Snack

We went to Ho Chi Minh, but were too busy eating to take good pictures of the nice architecture. 

We did, however, find the Groupement Administratif Chinois for Saigon, which is how the former French colonizers improved taxation and such of the Chinese in Vietnam after 1948. The building now houses many cats.

We were greeted at the airport by these guys, so that was surely good luck!And a great T-shirt was found. Barry chased after this (subtle-like, not stalkery at all) for the picture. That's how I know he loves me.

Just a man, with a lot of gold, smoking a pipe.

We ate many things which we couldn't entirely identify. This turned out to be Pennywort juice with coconut. Quite delicious, and with purported but unproven health effects.

Barry still prefers durian

We made a friend called Cherry. Cherry convinced us to buy things in his store.

We went to the antiques street, which was fascinating as always.

Barry got interested in the phones, but we don't really need one, I think.

So instead, we found a hidden bar. I've only recently learnt that many of the best places in Vietnam are up dingy staircases or in dark alleys.

After a day of walking and finding things, I got a small rice snack. We ate many delicious things, and yes somehow this is the picture I ended up with.

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