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Dining on Iguana for Lunch
A Different Lunch
One of the joys of travel is new discoveries. While I like trying new foods, especially those made with chocolate, I do take the plunge occasionally and try something really exotic.
While strolling along the main street of Coxen Hole on the Island of Roatan in Honduras looking for a place to eat recently my wife spied a sign on some restaurants offering iguana on their menus. After some coxing she finally talked me into trying it.
So, we began looking for a place to try Iguana.
My father used to talk about rattlesnake being on the menus of some restaurants in San Antonio, Texas when he was briefly stationed there at Ft. Sam Houston before being shipped overseas in World War II.
I also remembered seeing in some western movie a Mexican or Indian kid coming to the rescue of the hero when he was stranded in the desert. For dinner the kid caught a couple of iguanas and cooked them on a spit over the campfire for dinner.
Also, among the many exotic pets that my oldest son used to bring home was an iguana. We didn't have it for long as David soon lost interest in it and gave it to a friend. I never thought of eating it.
I have on occasion, threatened to send our chihuahua, Chika when she misbehaves, to a friend who claims his Mexican ancestors used to eat chihuahuas.
But, I have never really considered eating a pet.
Bar & Grill On The Spot Restaurant
Lunch at the Bar & Grill on the Spot
However, to twist the old saying a bit, When in Honduras do as the Hondurans do (or at least as the Roatan Islanders do), I decided on impulse to go along with my wife's suggestion for lunch.
Proceeding down the street we found a little place called Bar & Grill On The Spot. It was a small place with two tables inside and what looked like a walk-up takeout window outside.
But they had iguana and it was actually less expensive than some of their seafood items. Which probably made sense since they would have to buy the seafood from local fishermen but could just go out into the backyard and catch an iquana.
The price for the iguana meal was U.S. $10 per plate plus beverage. Not knowing what to expect, we decided to order just one plate with two forks and two soft drinks.
It was actually a rather hearty meal with the plate consisting of a healthy serving of beans and rice, and equal amount of stewed iguana and a fried banana (it was a banana and not a platain - I asked the cook and she said it was just a common banana). The banana was very dry and I didn't care much for it.
Hub 2 for 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge
It Was Actually a Tasty Lunch
The beans and rice were as good as any I have had other places and the iguana was tasty. Actually, the iguana had the same taste and texture as chicken.
The problem, other than the idea that I was eating a lizard, was that it was full of small bones. The best way I can describe it would be eating a turkey neck that has been cut into three or four places, boiled or stewed until the meat was falling off the bones and then serving it up bones and all.
We ate the entire meal and found it to be a satisfying and filling lunch. Having said that, I have no desire to consume any more lizard type creatures.
However, I can't say that I swore off all reptiles as a few days later at another stop on the same trip my wife decided we should try some turtle. But that is another story.
Links to Some of My Other Hubs
- Deep-Fried Rattlesnake Steaks
My father was a veteran of the Pacific Campaign with the U.S. Army in World War II. When we were young he use to tell us stories about his adventures while in the Army. After getting drafted he was first... - What Makes Komodo Dragons Deadly? Is It True Komodo Dragons Can Develop From Unfertilized Egg Cells?
September 27, 2009 While Komodo Dragons have been around for millions of years, they have been little known beyond the few remote islands in the Indonesian Archipelago where they exist. It wasn't until 1910... - Blue Iguana Recovery Program - Saving an Endangered Species
January 24, 2010 In addition to helping humans in need, charity also includes helping animals as well. Obviously humans come first but, in wealthier societies like ours, we can also afford to help... - Komodo Dragons - Giant Lizards of Indonesia
September 19, 2009 Dragons are huge lizard-like creatures that breathe fire and used to terrorize the populace in tales of the Middle Ages. Dragons are, of course, mythical creatures that only existed in... - Sea Travel - Luxury on the High Seas
Cruising is a major segment of the tourism industry and a popular way to vacation. Unlike other means of transportation, where the vehicle is simply a means to get to one's destination, on a cruise, the...
Chika's Link to Darlene Sabella's Latest Hubs
At the left are the latest Hubs by fellow Hubber and fellow 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenger Darlene Sabella.
If it hadn't been for Darleen's challenge we would not be involved in this writing frenzy to produce thirty Hubs in thirty days.
So we salute her and encourage you to check out some of her offerings in this challenge.
As I explained in my Hub about this project I also would not have been forced to hire my dog, Chika, to assist me in this project.
City of Coxen Hole, on the Island of Roatan off the Coast of Honduras