Palm forests and Poop Flowers

I have to say I liked this day least. How horrible is that?! I'm being picky about the adventures we're being taken on. There were a few problems, namely, I was in shorts and had a bum foot, and... there were poop plants EVERYWHERE. So ball and chain, I strolled through the palm tree forest limping around, avoiding the stench.







What IS that FOUL stench?!... After I found out it was the poop plant, I was disgusted and intrigued. I looked it up when we got back and found out it belonged to the family Amorphophallus rivieri, and it's slightly more professional slang term is corpse flower. Kinda creepy, although quite accurate. When I caught a wiff it was as if someone was smacking me in the face with a diaper. Funny at first, then 'OK, this needs to stop.'.... now. Not to gross anyone out but it was one of those smells you can taste. As you can see, having a limited patience towards them is within reason.




This flower is actually the dwarfed version of a large one. The larger one grows to larger than 6 ft. tall. Can you imagine?! The stench from the large ones can fill a green house. On a brighter note, they are a sign of a healthy environment. They are apparently highly temperamental. Maybe a Cretan equivalent to a firefly?.... No one said life is fair.


My favorite part of the day was actually souvlaki. It's a traditional Grecian dish and is SOOO tasty. It's similar to a gyro except the meat is on a skewer, and a lot more fresh. Many restaurants here are huts along the road with table and chairs next to them. There's an outdoor grill, and the food is made fresh in front of you. It's about as true of an experience as you can get. The souvlaki is wrapped in pita, and served with onions, tomatoes, greens, paprika, and a yogurt based cucumber sauce. I felt like a slob, how could I want another!?