Iguana, Sea Turtle, and their eggs.

To get the Iguana, I went along with some indigenous Mexicans and their dogs and watched them hunt about 6 of the things. They aren't green like your household variety...but black and white. The patterns vary.

We hiked for hours into the jungle. When we got to a particular place, the men and their dogs began to look in the trees for tails dangling off the side of a branch. Once spotted, the men begin to throw rocks and sticks to 'spook' the Iguana into jumping out of the tree. When the Iguana is on the ground, the dogs go into action. They chase and catch the animal, holding it until one of the hunters come and takes it from their jaws. Injured Iguanas are eaten by the family, and uninjured ones are hogtied (in a gruesome way) and sold in town. They cook them whole over a fire until the skin burns black and begins to flake off. Tastes like a cross between chicken and fish to me. Not very appetizing.

The turtle eggs were a surprise. The children of the above mentioned Iguana hunters somehow know when the sea turtles are going to lay their eggs. They go out at night and recover the eggs as the mother is laying them. I'm not sure if they take all they find, or leave some. The eggs were presented by the children as gifts to me and the fellow I was traveling with at the time. They can be eaten raw (delightful) or dropped in boiling water for a matter of seconds to give them a thicker consistency. A small hole is torn in the soft shell. Locals put a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon, and a dash of chili in the hole. The contents are then sucked out. Multiply this times ten, and you'll feel like running a marathon and screwing everyone you see. These things definitely have odd properties.

The actual flesh of the turtle was given to me in a dish which also consisted of various shellfish, manta ray and vegetables. Quite possibly one of the best things I've ever eaten.

For the record I am totally against killing/eating an endangered species, but under the circumstances I partook. These people understand the fact that they need to preserve the natural world, and I believe they know what they are doing.

This all took place around here

A Korean friend of mine let me try some ggakdugi a while back (after trying for 5 minutes to convince me that I wouldn't like it). It is now one of my favorite foods, but my wife won't let me bring it in the house because of the odor.

A Scorpion and a seahorse.... on a stick...
in China.