Mediterranean chameleon

Back blip.

On the way to the St Antiphonitis monastery near Esentepe, we nearly ran over this little chap crossing the road. He's a mediterranean or common chameleon, more details here. It was fascinating watching him, the way he moved his limbs, and the way he rotated his eye. I had no idea they lived in Cyprus.

See him large here.

The monastery is set in beautiful countryside, with pine trees all around. It's not a working monastery anymore, following the Turkish occupation. Many of its images of saints and Jesus still survive, whilst others have been desecrated. See here.

I had a really good choice of shots to blip - I nearly blipped this one of flower heads in the sunshine, and this one of the local men at one of the cafes playing backgammon by night - my first real attempt at shooting a subject unawares!