My pal Fernando stopped by the other day to share some cold Pacificos with me on the patio. He was holding back a big grin and I nudged him until he
gave up the story. Seems his own patio is overrun with geckos. He had told me before that it’s a well-known fact that they have poison in their feet
and if they touch you, you’re in real trouble. Don’t know where that little dubious factoid started but it’s the local legend.
He said they were all over his place and their chirping was keeping the whole family up at night (6 people in the house). Auralia, his mom, was
beside herself trying to rid the place of the little lizards; whacking at them with brooms, spraying Raid and other noxious pest-be-gone’s around the
kitchen, the bathroom, the closets. Last night she got the whole family up to help her throw bowls of boiling water up onto the patio palm thatch.
The patio was not the place to be with hot water dripping everywhere, her screaming at invisible demons on the roof.
We have a few geckos at our place. I kind of like to hear their chirping; almost like a baby bird or a small squirrel or chipmonk. I held back my
own grin, kept mostly silent on the subject because I don’t buy into the superstitions but I didn’t want to be discourteous with my doubts or
disbeliefs on the subject.
One Latin American myth is the Lantern Bug thing; started long ago in Central America when some lazy sailor told his captain/boss “I can’t ship out
wit you on this long ocean trip. I’ve been bitten by the machaca, the Lantern Bug and if I don’t have sixx within 24 hours, I’ll die quick and sure.”
Just after I learned that I tried it on my girlfriend who obviously was not a believer; she told me I could have sixx with myself (not in those terms
but you get the idea).
At my place the little geckos are all over the house, the patio, the palm roof. Maybe it’s just me but lately, I swear to God, the chirping sounds
like they’re talking about motorcycle insurance.
Every culture has its own myths, taboos and legends. I don’t mind telling you that my favorite feelings wrap around playing poker with chameleons.
Like taking candy from babies. The downside is that they don’t play with real cash but little black chips made from crushed bugs --- they have little
value to me.
Udo - 8-18-2015 at 12:27 PM
My past experience of living in Venezuela, is of no help regarding the myth.
But in googling the gecko myth or myths, I could not find any further information. Perhaps it just an old husband's tale.Bob53 - 8-18-2015 at 12:39 PM
I've never heard of such a thing but I have a friend that is an authority on reptiles so I'll ask him. BornFisher - 8-18-2015 at 02:15 PM
World Series of Chameleon Poker right there. Gotta love it Paulina - 8-18-2015 at 02:51 PM
Gecko toes and chameleon eyeballs make me smile.
P<*)))>{
[Edited on 19-8-2015 by Paulina]TedZark - 8-18-2015 at 03:07 PM
I lived in Thailand for twelve years before coming to Baja and in Thailand a gecko in your house was considered good luck.
They eat spiders and mosquitoes so they have to be good! durrelllrobert - 8-18-2015 at 04:05 PM
Better a roof full of Geckos than a roof full of iguanas
woody with a view - 8-18-2015 at 04:23 PM
i'll be at Gecko in 4 days reading a bunch of your short stories under the lone salt pine when i'm not on the water.
please keep these separate so that when the time comes i may request another batch of good 'ol Baja related reading material!Udo - 8-18-2015 at 04:53 PM
Way to go, Woody!woody with a view - 8-18-2015 at 04:58 PM
Udo, i've got a 3 ring binder an inch thick already!BajaBlanca - 8-19-2015 at 03:44 AM
A great read, as always! Thanks, Jorge.Osprey - 8-19-2015 at 05:15 AM
I think whoever built the censure software thinks S.E.X. is dirty. That must be why they changed it. I don't think it's dirty. I think it's natural,
wonderful. I think seven is dirty and eight is disgustingly depraved and perverted. bajabuddha - 8-19-2015 at 05:39 AM
Ain't it ironic that WORK is a four-letter word, and s.e.x. is only 3? pauldavidmena - 8-19-2015 at 02:58 PM
Having grown up in an NYC suburb, I didn't see my first lizard until visiting Puerto Rico at age 5. They were everywhere, or so it seemed, and I was
more than a bit freaked out. To my knowledge, there were no poker games, but I'm pretty sure they were playing salsa music.pauldavidmena - 8-19-2015 at 03:01 PM
I think whoever built the censure software thinks S.E.X. is dirty. That must be why they changed it. I don't think it's dirty. I think it's natural,
wonderful. I think seven is dirty and eight is disgustingly depraved and perverted.
S.E.X. isn't dirty, but it can be messy - not always a bad thing.
